Evenlode & Chastleton, Cotswolds

Start by walking across the village green, pass a ‘Millenium Stone’, cross the road and go through a gate with a ‘public bridleway’ sign, then along the left edge of a meadow. Go through a farm gate and continue along the edge of the next meadow. After another farm gate, pass along the edge of a cultivated field, rising very gently to join a narrow, unsurfaced, lane.

1. Turn right; at a junction in 10 yards bear right, along a narrow track between hedges which soon widens, with open views to the right. Pass the entrance to farm buildings before rising gently to join a surfaced road at Chastleton. Turn left, then bear right to reach a junction with a more important road in a short distance.

2. Turn right, uphill, to walk to the entrance to Chastleton House and the church. To commence the return, go back a few yards from the house entrance then, as the road bends to the right, turn left through a gate, followed by another gate in 15 yards, to follow a broad track along an avenue of mature beech trees on land owned by the National Trust.

3. In approximately 300 yards, at the far end of the N.T. land, turn right, through a farm gate, (‘Donnington Way’ mark). A good track descends gently between hedges, soon with views over the farmland to the right. This is Conygree Lane (rabbit derivation?).

At the far end of a patch of woodland bear right, now along a farm track at the left edge of a huge cultivated field. Pass two gateways and the extensive buildings of Horn Farm.The track becomes hard surfaced (Horn Lane). Pass Grange Farm on the fringe of Evenlode, then several lovely old houses with climbing roses before reaching a road junction. Turn right to walk along Green Lane for about ¼ mile to return to the village green and the parking area.