Walking with Offa 17: Battlestones & Sharpstones above Cardington Moor

Walk directions

1. Step 1

   Start at The Royal Oak, Cardington, SY6 7JZ
   From the Royal Oak walk uphill with the church on your right and take signposted footpath between houses on your left. Walk up narrow alley to kissing gate. After the gate bear right across field to stile into field planted with trees. Keeping right follow path downhill to footbridge.

2. Step 2

   After crossing footbridge go straight ahead uphill towards Hill End Farm, the ground can be a bit wet here. Cross a stile at top of the field and turn right then, very soon, turn left onto the farm drive. Follow this through the farmyard, past the house and through a field gate ahead.

3. Step 3

   On entering the pasture field bear right and continue along the base of a large rock outcrop which is on your right. At the end of the rocky area turn slightly right, uphill, until you see a stile down to your left. Cross stile and cross field to gate, with stile beside, onto road.

4. Step 4

   Cross road, through gate or stile and follow bridleway with hedge on left heading towards the Sharpstones. Turn left through field gate before reaching the stones and bear right downhill heading for a gate at bottom of hill. After passing through the double gates continue straight along the bottom of the bank following a hedge on right to pass through bridleway gates onto concrete surfaced lane.

5. Step 5

   Turn left uphill to North Hill Farm. Pass house and carry straight on through field gate. Keep on the field edge track keeping the fence to your right. Follow the field edge to a stile then continue along the field edge until you loop away from the hedge around a spring then return to field boundary to kissing gate onto rough grazing hill land.

6. Step 6

   Go straight ahead climbing up to Battlestones, a rugged outcrop of rocks from which there is a magnificent view of the Stretton Hills and the village of Cardington nestling below you to the right.

7. Step 7

   From the Battlestones pick your way carefully down the steep hillside to a stile close to a farm building. Pass over a stile into a field, which can be boggy, carrying on downhill, to cross a plank bridge over a small stream. Follow the path into a shallow gully to cross another bridge at the bottom of the field and climb up to a stile into a
   pasture field. Continue uphill, keeping towards the hedge on your right to join a track at the top of the field.

8. Step 8

   Turn right onto Cwms Lane and pass through a gate. Ignore first stile on left and then take the next small gate, beside a field gate, on your left, and climb up to top of ridge. Continue straight ahead passing through gates, or stiles, enjoying more views. Keeping the fence/hedge on your right you start gently downhill to turn right through gate onto track.

9. Step 9

   At gate and stile at end of track meet the road. Cross over and join headland footpath which leads to a stile through a hedge and continue with the hedge on left over another stile then continue with sunken lane on left. After next stile bear slightly right at the far end of the field to pass through a gate with stile in the hedgeline.

10. Step 10

    Carry straight on through the middle of long grass field to field gate onto a track leading between houses to road. Turn left and follow the road to the church. Wander through churchyard or turn right and follow road round back to The Royal Oak.