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Walk 3716 - printer friendly version

Morton Bagot & Bannam's Wood from Studley Walk

Author - Millennium Way

Length - 8.4 miles / 13.7 km

Ascent - 600 feet / 182 metres

Grade - easy/mod

Start - OS grid reference SP073639
Lat 52.2732060 + Long -1.8944357
Postcode B80 7FP (approx. location only)

This lovely Warwickshire circular walk starts from Studley. The countryside is glorious, and the walk takes you through open countryside, along the riverside and through woodland with a short section along quiet country lanes. Suitable for dogs. The walk incorporates sections of the Millennium Way, where you will be guided by the distinctive black Millennium Way way markers.

A - Park on the roadside near Bell Lane, Studley. Go down Bell Lane to reach the T-junction with Castle Road. Go directly across road to walk between the bollards and then along Gunners Lane between houses. At the end of the road (cul-de-sac) go left to enter a narrow passageway between wooden fence and hedge. Emerging from the passageway take the wooden kissing gate on right then go ahead following river on left. Shortly the river bends sharp left. Continue towards the church and take the footbridge across the River Arrow. Go through a kissing gate to a lane. Go left for 50 paces then turn right into the churchyard. The attractive Church of The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was built in 1105.

B - Go right past the front door of the church and cross churchyard diagonally to exit by wooden gate to lane. Ignore footpath opposite, and instead go left on lane then take metal gate 60 paces ahead where you will have joined the Arden Way. Continue along wide grassy track between hedges. Shortly the track narrows and continues gently uphill. Keep straight ahead passing the side of Studley Castle Warner Centre. Go ahead across driveway to Castle then past greenhouses and then Wig House on right. Immediately after passing under power lines take metal gate on right into field and walk parallel to the power lines over field crossing under them towards the end. Exit field by metal gate to track then go right along track. After a short while, the track veers to the right by a way post. Leave the track here and continue ahead on the Arden Way with hedge left.

C - Stay ahead to take metal gate into next field and go slightly right walking beneath power lines to exit into next field via small metal gate at corner of an orchard. Continue gently uphill alongside power lines keeping orchard on right. At the brow of the hill continue on to take next metal gate ahead. Stay forward keeping close to hedge right. Ignore two gaps right and approx. 30 paces before field corner take two metal gates on right (hidden in hedge) into another field. Go diagonally right to walk across field between a line of four large trees finding a small metal gate to exit field. Stay forward to take a kissing gate into next field. Go left along edge of field keeping fence and hedge left to eventually take a kissing gate at top of field. Go right after the gate keeping hedge right and heading up towards building ahead. There is an attractive lake to your right.

D - Take the corner kissing gate into gravel area of Manor Farm and almost immediately take further waymarked kissing gate to cross paddock area diagonally and exit via kissing gate at top corner just in front of a modern style farmhouse. Stay ahead to take kissing gate to track passing the house (Spring Cottage) on your left to reach road. Turn right on lane, initially passing Orchard House, for about 1/3rd mile to reach a road junction. Turn right and when you reach the crossroads continue straight over in the direction of Shelfield and Wootton Wawen eventually to pass under power lines. As the lane gently rises, go past a way marked footpath on left and continue gently uphill shortly to find a way marked metal gate on right.

E - At this point we join the Millennium Way and share this part of the route with both the Arden Way and the Heart of England Way. (You will be guided by the distinctive black Millennium Way way markers). Once though the gate, go half left through small copse and then emerging into field turn right. Go uphill along field edge with hedge right. The path gets gradually steeper but soon flattens out. At the top of the rise take gap right to go over the only stile on this walk and then immediately turn left to follow with fence left to take gate into Bannam's Wood. Follow the path as it winds ahead through the attractive wood. The path through the wood is waymarked in various places, but the footpath is easy to follow. Stay ahead where a path goes off to the right. The woodland path winds downhill veering left onto an old rough track to reach a gate to the road.

F - Here we leave the Arden Way & Heart of England Way and turn right up the road to continue on the Millennium Way. Where the wood ends continue along road to pass under power lines and keep a sharp look out for a waymarked gate hidden in hedge on left. Take gate and continue along edge of field with hedge right. At the field corner take metal gate then go diagonally left across next field to exit via wooden gate. Go right on wide grassy way parallel with power lines on far left and stay forward to brow of hill ahead.

At the brow go down slope to the bottom to take wooden gate adjacent to start of hedge. Go ahead with hedge right to exit via corner gap then continue with hedge right to exit next field via corner gap. Go diagonally left on an ill-defined line heading towards an oak tree to the right of a pole with an old rusty transformer. On reaching field edge turn left for 30 paces and then proceed slightly left down grassy track towards pylon, past house with skylights (often with securely contained barking dogs) to find large pylon with overhead cables. When you draw level with large pylon do not continue to road but go right between wooden fence and hedge right to find metal gate. Take gate and cross driveway to take further gate. Go ahead, eventually to pass under power lines to the right of the pylon and past a solitary way post to far corner, and through passage to find metal gate.

G - Take gate (here we leave the Millennium Way) and go diagonally right to pass between two large trees then through a narrow corner gap. Continue on with wire fence and stream on your right. At the field corner take metal kissing gate and go right down track. After a few yards you will notice on your far right the Studley Castle Warner Centre. Stay on the track which eventually swings right to a large gap on left. Take gap and go forward to follow yellow way marker directly ahead rising gently to a brow where you pass a couple of trees and small low-lying pond (heavily overgrown with reeds) on your right. Continue past the pond and the path gently descends to a gap with solitary way marker pointing forwards. Follow the Heart of England Forest sign with hedge left (behind the hedge is the old footpath!). Stay along path to take wooden gate into graveyard and exit by another gate to lane. Go left on lane following round right at the corner to continue past the church on your right. Stay on lane to reach a road junction. Go left on Hardwick Lane and a little way ahead where the lane turns sharp left go straight on through a metal kissing gate and take the left-hand path going diagonally left across field. (Here you are crossing the remains of an old priory - note the typical ridge and furrow topography).

Take the metal kissing gate in the field corner and stay diagonally left across next field eventually meeting and continuing to follow the River Arrow on your left. Shortly we need to take the metal kissing gate left and the bridge across the river now walking along a fenced path with river right. The path soon swings sharp left and continues with tall conifer hedge on left to reach a kissing gate.

Take gate to reach surfaced track and go right to reach the main road in Studley opposite the Barley Mow pub. Turn left along main road which soon brings you back to your starting point opposite The Bell Inn.

Walk 3716 Route Map

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