Ralph's Walks - The Short Circuit

This is a pleasant walk, quite easy to find and about 2-3 miles in length. I reckon it takes between 50 and 55 minutes.

Start at the south end of the village. Just after the grass triangle at the junction of St.Thomas Street and the Oxford Road there is a sharp turn off to the left into Chapman's Lane. You pass a few bungalows and houses and are soon in fine open country on a quite firm dry surface. At the end of this well gritted track you pass the site of the old pumping station on the left and find a stile beside a gate that may be closed. A winding and muddier path descends to the Poultry Farm on the corner. Quite often, there are picturesque Highland cattle in the surrounding fields. After passing the farmhouse you take a sharp left turn along quite a wide but sometimes muddy track that fairly soon brings you to the T-junction with the bridle-way. Today we are going to turn left here.

There is quite a sharp ascent with some lovely views to the South and East, which at the top leads to an undulating section. There are hedges now on either side, which can afford some welcome shield against the wind. You may find it rather sticky underfoot at times but from certain vantage points on the way you can enjoy a splendid vista of the village crowned with the Church tower. You then reach the Clifton Road. There is a path back to the village which is rather rough under foot, pram or push-chair, but an improvement on what it was and much safer than the road.