Location:         Hidcote Manor (Mickleton) Circular

Leader:            Neil

Distance:         About 7.5 miles

Meeting Place: Bentley Heath Car Park, ready to leave by 09:00. If you travel direct, please be ready to start the walk by 10:00

Start:               Hidcote Manor Car Park. OS Grid Reference SP 1773 4299. As you enter the drive to Hidcote Manor, the car park is on the left just after the pedestrian entrance. The car park is free.

Make you way to Mickleton, either via Stratford on Avon and then out on the B4632 Campden Road, or through Welford on Avon and Long Marston, whichever is your fancy. The most straightforward route to Hidcote is to go through Mickleton and at the roundabout that splits right to Broadway and left to Chipping Campden, take the left and immediately turn left again. At the T junction after about half a mile, turn left, then right after a few hundred yards into Hidcote Manor, then turn left into the car park as described above.

Description:    This is a circular walk with a mix of arable, livestock (sheep) and dormant farmland paths with views, woodland, and a short run of single track road that links two of the footpaths. We set out from the car park on a mild climb in an easterly direction, then drop down a road to pick up Centenary Way which takes us to the outskirts of Ilmington, then south on a steeper climb towards Ebrington where, if we can maintain a reasonable pace, we will stop for lunch on the benches in the village centre under the oak tree. This leg of the walk should take about 2 – 2.5 hours.

After Ebrington we head northwest over farmland paths towards Hidcote Boyce and back to Hidcote Manor. This leg should take between 1 – 1.5 hours.

Lunch and Refreshments: Bring some lunch.            We will aim to have lunch in Ebrington. The Ebrington Arms does still water at £2.60 which sort of grants access to the facilities for those in need. Hidcote Manor has a café with indoor and outdoor seating which should still be open by the time we get back to the car park.

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