Manor Farm near ChaddleworthA sunny afternoon and enough time to venture a little further afield than usual - to Chaddleworth on the Lambourn Downs.
The walk begins by the Ibex pub at one end of this sprawling but pretty village. As you leave the village you pass the delightful manor house. It looks Georgian, but Pevsner dates it to about 1830 and comments on the Tuscan porch.
The route leads across fields, across a road and then down a flowery green lane to reach Manor Farm which nestles in a dip in the downs. From here there is a climb to a ridge at about 185 meters above sea level. (In the photo above Manor Farm is seen from the return route.)
The route descends to pass a horse stud at Whatcombe and then a cinder track leads up to Kite Hill at 175 meters. At this point you turn left and follow a hedged track eastwards towards Chaddleworth.
I slipped through the hedge to follow a field edge for part of the way and enjoyed some delightful views over the downs as the sun shone.
This track descends to a road and shortly another track climbs to reach the outskirts of the village. Here a short detour reveals the church of St Andrew with its Norman tower and and other Norman details - and its jarring 19th century chancel. It is the work of GE Street, dating from 1851, and shows an extraordinary disregard for any consideration of matching or harmony.
From: 50 walks in Berkshire and Buckinghamshire (AA).
Map: Explorer 158 (Newbury and Hungerford).
Rating: Four stars. Wonderful downland, with only the sounds of nature and farming. Repeated climbs and descents, so quite a good work out too.
Sightings
Lots and lots of Painted Ladies - certainly 20 or more at a number of different points on the walk. Fascinating to observe their rapid, almost frantic flight, followed by sudden descents to roost on a leaf or on the ground.
Apart from the usual butterfly suspects, I also saw a Small Skipper and a Small Tortoiseshell.
Flower of the day
There was a good selection of flowers at different points in the walk, but today's signature plant was this bright pink Bloody Cranesbill, which along with a proliferation of buttercups and some others provided a vibrant wall of colour on the climb from Whatcombe to Kite Hill
Bloody Cranesbill
2 comments:
This is a walk I would like to do. It would help to know how long the walk takes and the approximate distance covered.
Annie - It's listed as 6 miles, but it seemed a bit longer. It took me 3 hours including a 10 minute break watching butterflies.
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