Ditton Priors Walk 5

1. Start from the centre of the village with the Howard Arms behind you and the church on your right. Walk approximately 50 metres from the village board, take the second turn left (waymarked), continuing down the road to the fingerpost marked Hall Yard Path. Follow the path for a short distance, over a stream, through a gate and to the end of some barn conversions.

2. At the end of the barns turn right, take the waymarked path to the left of the stream and cross a stile into a meadow. Go diagonally right, crossing two fields to bring you into Chapel Lane.

3. Turning right, follow the lane round a right-angled bend past Hall Farm, another ancient manor house with traces of old wall painting, on your left. About 25 metres past the farm, go over a stile on your left. The route then crosses this, and a further meadow to the top end of a small plantation of fir trees on your right. Turn right and go through two gates. Keep the hedgerow on your left and look for the stile on your left. Cross this and head up to the top right-hand corner of the next field, crossing another stile into Powkesmore Lane.

4. Go left and follow the road for about 300 metres to the end of the wood. Turn right and enter the wood through a wicket gate on to a footpath which initially follows the left-hand edge of the wood. After crossing the main forestry track, the path follows a woodland ride for 100 metres to a waymark post, where it turns left along the line at an old wire fence. After a further 100 metres, the route goes left along another woodland ride. Go straight over the main track again, heading for a stile leading into a field. Go diagonally left across this field to pass through a farm gate. Now keep the hedge on your right to a further gate leading into Powkesmoor Lane.

5. Go over the road, through another gate and, keeping the hedge on your right, continue over two small fields (gaps in the hedge) and then a third field, heading for a stile at the left of a small pool. Cross this and go diagonally downhill to a further stile in the right hand wire fence near the corner. Cross this and keeping the hedge on your left, go into a further field and towards the end of this field, go over a stile to your left. Now keep downhill with tile hedge on your right, over another stile and then follow the farm track, past barns to your right. Pass the end of Hall Farm Road and meet your outward bound route at Chapel Lane. From here simply reverse the first section of the walk to return to the starting point.