Ford & Slaughterford

The White Horse pub at Ford

Directions

Walk to the top of the lay-by and follow the footpath sign left down some steps to come out on a road opposite the White Horse public house. Turn right onto the road and walk along past some houses. Go over a river bridge and immediately turn off left over a stile into a field to walk alongside the river. Cross a bridge over a weir and follow a fait path alongside the hill (ignore the stile on the right, which will be part of the return route). Veer left towards some trees and pick up a deeper indented path parallel to the trees and heading towards an electricity pylon.

Cross a stile in the field corner and walk diagonally left across a field towards a church. Go through a gate onto a road. Cross the road, go up steps and over a stile, then continue towards Slaughterford church. Cross into the field around the church and walk around the left of the churchyard. Go through an iron gate and left on a raised footpath beside some attractive cottages alongside a road. Follow the road as it veers round to the left through Slaughterford and alongside the river By Brook. Notice the bridge, but don't cross it; instead continue straight ahead (leaving the river). Follow the road uphill alongside the woods and then round a bend to the right. Continue on straight past a turning and a cottage. After a while the road deteriorates into a bridleway.

Continue up and down the bridleway for some while (passing a pair of stylish pink books set up as a sculpture!) The path later dips down into a valley and comes to a junction with a metal gate on the right crossing onto another bridleway. Go through the gate and take the new path down into the valley. Go through a gate, alongside a small stream to another gate. Pass through the gates and go over a weir. Where the path forks, take the right fork then immediately turn right again to go up a path through the woods.

Continue up through the woods, over a stile into a field and head diagonally across the field to another stile. A notice announces that you have been walking through Colerne Park and Monks Wood. Walk along the edge of a field, over a stile and cross onto a road. Turn left on the road and walk over the hill to Euridge Manor House (currently being radically restored [March 2004]). Opposite the Manor House turn right through a gateway beside a dutch barn. Go round the fences into a large field and head straight across (the next stile is opposite, but hidden by a rise in the land; you may also have to go round the edge of the field if it has been ploughed).

Cross the stile on the other side of the field and continue straight ahead to the next stile. Cross into a field, following the yellow arrows past a wood. At Thickwood & Colerne Pumping Station turn left and head towards a gate. Go through and right onto a road (signposted Euridge ½ mile) and, after 150 yards, turn left onto a footpath heading across a field towards a house. Go over a stile into another road and go straight ahead. The road leads to a gravel track that runs alongside a farm. Follow the track to the left of the farm and continue alongside a stone wall until you reach a gap. Follow the yellow arrow right and left then follow the path down into the valley, then cross some intersecting paths to pick up the one straight ahead (or slightly left) down the hill. Go through a gateway following the yellow arrows.

Go across the field parallel with the telegraph wires. Follow the line of the hedge to a yellow arrow, then turn right and left to walk between hedgerows until a further gap on the right leads out into a field.

PUBLISHED MAPS

Walk downhill beside the hedge towards the river (notice Slaughterford church up on the right). Cross a stile and turn right to walk alongside the river. Cross the bridge at Slaughterford Gate Sluice and turn left to walk diagonally across the field (away from the river). Go over a stile at the corner of the field and walk straight ahead to a pool and weir (the one you crossed in the early stages of the walk).

Cross the weir bridge and walk back alongside the river to a stile. Cross onto the road and head right, walking back past the cottages to the White Horse pub. Go up steps opposite the pub to come out onto the A420 road at the tope end on the lay-by where you started.