Walk No. 10 Netherstreet, Clay Lane, Netherstreet Farm and The Lakes
Walk No. 11 The Oliver Cromwell to Bromham Village and return
Walk No. 12 The Downs, Beacon Hill and Oliver’s Castle (Iron Age Fort)
Walk No. 13 The Oliver Cromwell to Rowdefield via Hophouse Lane and return via Clay Lane
Walk No. 14 Oliver Cromwell, Holbrook Cottages, Pig Stye Lane,Three Bridges, Tanis, Rowdefield Farm, Hophouse Lane and return.
Walk No. 15 The Oliver Cromwell, Pie–A, The Lakes, Netherstreet and return.
Walk No. 10 Netherstreet, Clay Lane, Netherstreet Farm and The Lakes
Distance/Time: 21/2 miles/11/4 hours
Parking: The walk starts from the car park of The Oliver Cromwell (Map Ref: ST 9780 6440). Please confirm with the landlord the use of his car park.
Directions: Turn left on leaving the car park and follow the main road south to the turning on the left, (Netherstreet). Turn down this road and follow it round to the left and continue for about 600 m until you find a footpath sign to your right (at house number 52) going down between a brick wall to your right and a fence and hedge to your left.
Cross the stile approximately 50 m ahead and continue with the field boundary on your left until, at the point where the field narrows, you come to a footbridge on your left about 75 m along. Cross this footbridge and turn right and follow the boundary hedge to your right to another footbridge in the far hedge boundary about 50 m left from the far right hand corner of the field.
Cross this bridge and continue with the field boundary to your right until you come to a gap where a grassy bridge crosses the little ditch on your right. The path is waymarked here. Turn right through this gap and then turn left and continue with the boundary hedge to your left, crossing over one stile and continuing across to a second stile which leads into the bridleway, Clay Lane, which is overgrown with trees. The path has been cleared however, and you should find a marker post just inside the bridleway with arrows indicating you may turn in either direction.
You should turn left and, crossing over a footbridge, continue along the bridleway. The trees and undergrowth eventually give way and you come out on to a farm track which leads to Netherstreet Farm which you will be able to see ahead. There are extensive views of the downs of Beacon Hill to your right. You will pass two signposts marking the points where other footpaths diverge from the path you are on.
Continue until your reach the track which passes through the farmyard and eventually joins the road (Netherstreet) which you originally started out on. Do not turn right at the road junction where there is a small triangular grassy area, but continue ahead until you find on your right, just past the postbox on the left, a footpath leading up a small flight of steps through a squeeze belly metal stile and alongside the garden hedge of the house to your left and across to the corner of the field.
Cross this field and then turn left after stepping over a small stream and continue ahead towards a gap in the far boundary hedge. The gate you want is some 50 m to the right of the gap and is hidden by the boundary hedge. Pass through the gate and cross the next field to a signpost and a stile giving way on to the main road (the A342). Turn left and walk back south to The Oliver Cromwell which is about 450 m down the road.
Walk No. 11 The Oliver Cromwell to Bromham Village and return
Distance:
Parking: The walk starts from the car park of The Oliver Cromwell (Map Ref: ST 9780 6440). Please confirm with the landlord the use of his car park.
Directions: Leave the Oliver Cromwell car park, turn left, and walk along the main road past the turn to Netherstreet on the left, and at the bus shelter, cross the road and take the lane between the houses. Follow this lane for 150 m and then turn left on to the lane leading to Holbrook Cottages.
The footpath continues straight ahead, past the cottages and along a garden path into a small wood, across a footbridge and a stile into a field. Continue ahead to a stile into the edge of Long Pond Wood , cross another footbridge and stile into a field.
Continue ahead to the far right hand corner and cross a stile into a lane. Turn right and go through double bridle gates (remembering to close them after you) and go ahead with the boundary on your right. Pass through two more bridle gates and along the metalled drive (with a cattle grid) on to Durlett road. Cross the road, turn right, and then turn left a short distance along on to a field access track.
Follow this track for 400 m into a small field and follow the left boundary round to a footbridge beside the wood into the next field. Continue in the same direction with the wood to your left to another footbridge and stile leading onto a large field. Turn half left and go towards an electricity pole in the centre of the field. Continue past the pole and down to the hill to a gateway in the bottom left corner. Go through the gate, turn right and on to a stile into the next field.
Now skirt round some trees and brambles and turn right uphill through a gateway into a field and turn left along the left hand boundary. You cross a stile in a wire fence and continue through a gateway and in the same direction but now with the boundary of Abbots Wood to your right. At the far end of this field (it is the Abbotswood fruit farm) skirt round a small copse and turn left downhill keeping the boundary to your right to a footbridge and stile about halfway down the field.
This leads into another field which you cross to another stile leading into a lane. Turn left down the lane and about 100 m along take the path going up between the houses. Cross a stile into a field and continue up to a gate and stile ahead leading into a lane. Go on up and at the top turn left alongside the houses and the Bromham Workingmens Club and into the High Street just opposite the church of St Nicholas. The village shop is along to your left when you come out to the road. The church is well worth a visit. The additional churchyard opposite the church at the corner of New Road is managed as a conservation area, and you are welcome to look around it.
To return to the start of our walk, at the road junction by the church, walk along School Road; at the school gates turn right along the footpath and follow it round alongside the school playing field. The path now becomes a track and and you should continue along it until after about 500 m, as you approach the houses, you turn right and on to a T-junction with another track. Turn left and go on to the road (Hawk Street). Cross the road by turning left and right on to another track. Go along this track for about 400 m, and just before you reach the house on the right, turn left on to another track which soon becomes a metalled road and leads on to the main road (A342). Cross this road to the pavement and turn right and walk ahead to reach the Oliver Cromwell about 400 m ahead.
Walk No. 12 The Downs, Beacon Hill and Oliver’s Castle (Iron Age Fort)
Distance:
Parking: The walk starts from the car park of The Oliver Cromwell (Map Ref: ST 9780 6440). Please confirm with the landlord the use of his car park.
Directions: There is only one public path leading from Bromham on to the hills at the south east of the parish. To reach it from the Oliver Cromwell turn left out of the car park and left again into the turning signposted Netherstreet about 60 m south of the pub. Continue to the junction approximately 1 km along the road and at this point go straight ahead towards Netherstreet Farm. As you approach the farm you will find a large metal gate alongside which is a bridle step over which you should cross into the farmyard and continue along the bridleway with the farm buildings to your left. About 300 m along round the bend you will find a signpost and the track divides here, one branch leading up to the hills, and the other continuing straight ahead to Clay Lane.
Take the left hand fork up to the hills. After some 500m a crossroads is reached. The path ahead leads up to Beacon Hill; left leads to the Old Bath Road (the coaching road) which also provides access to Beacon Hill; the bridleway to the right skirts around the base of Beacon Hill and on up to the site of the Iron Age fort, Oliver’s Castle. (There are people locally who refer to this site as Bromham castle, since there is no evidence that Cromwell was ever near the place). There are very fine views from this point. Near-by is the Roundway Hill Covert in which there is a nature trail.
You should allow 1 hour to walk from Netherstreet Farm to the Downs. The walking is good, but uphill. Motor access is possible from the village of Roundway and the road from there up to the Downs. There is a picnic site and car parking at the top. The walk from the car park to the site of Oliver’s Castle is about 400 m.
To return you should retrace your steps. If you prefer you may, when you reach the signpost at the foot of the hills, turn left instead of right back to the farm, and return to Netherstreet following the reverse path of the first part of Walk No. 10.
Having turned right, continue along the track. It enters a wooded section and, after crossing a small wooden footbridge, you will find to your right a stile giving way into a field. Keeping the boundary hedge to your right cross this field and the next stile. Continue in the same direction and, at a gap in the hedge to your right, turn first right and then left and go on now with the boundary hedge to your left. In the hedge ahead cross a footbridge and continue with the hedge to your left until you come to another footbridge in the hedge on your left.
Cross this footbridge, turn right and cross the stile some 75 m ahead and follow the path between a brick wall on the left and a fence and hedge on the right out on to the road at Netherstreet.
Turn left and follow the road back to the main road (A342) and the Oliver Cromwell.
Walk No. 13 The Oliver Cromwell to Rowdefield via Hophouse Lane and return via Clay Lane
Distance: 7 km/43/4 miles
Parking: The walk starts from the car park of The Oliver Cromwell (Map Ref: ST 9780 6440). Please confirm with the landlord the use of his car park.
Directions: Turn left out of the car park along the main road for 60 m and turn left into the road signposted Netherstreet. After 60 m, where the road turns sharp left, go straight ahead into Hophouse Lane. Continue for about 500 m and, just before the lane turns left, cross the stile in the hedge to your right. Turn left and continue in the original direction to another stile in the opposite boundary next to a gate. Cross this stile and go ahead to a third stile. After crossing this stile turn right and walk round the edge of the field, keeping the boundary hedge to your right. Continue round two side of a small wooded area. In the corner of the field, near the wood, cross a stile and footbridge (you are now in Rowde parish) and turn left. Walk around this field with the boundary to your left and after some 300 m just prior to the wood, pass through a gateway on the left. Turn right along the field edge with the wood to your right. At the end of the wood cross a bridge over a stream into a large field. The path continues in the same direction. If it is not clear on the ground make for the farm buildings ahead in the distance behind a line of trees. On reaching the trees you should find a footbridge across a deep ditch. Continue across the field to the road (Conscience Lane) near the farm.
Turn left along the road for about 300 m. At the footpath sign turn left and walk towards a barn about 500 m ahead. Pass close by the barn on your left into another large field and bear right about 20 degrees. At the far side of the field a gateway across a stream brings you back into Bromham parish. Cross the next field to a stile in the far left corner. Cross this stile and walk along the boundary hedge to your right and over a stile into the wooded Clay Lane.
After 300 m, just before a wooden footbridge over a ditch, you will find a stile on the boundary hedge to your left. Cross this stile and the next one on the opposite side of the field and continue with the boundary hedge to our right until you come to a gap on the right.
Turn right through this gap and then left and continue with the boundary to your left to a footbridge which you should cross into the next field. Follow the hedge round to the left until you come to another footbridge which you cross and turn right. About 75 m ahead cross a stile and walk along the path between a brick wall (left) and a fence and hedge (right) out on to the road in Netherstreet.
Turn left and walk back the 500 m to the Oliver Cromwell.
Walk No. 14 Oliver Cromwell, Holbrook Cottages, Pig Stye Lane,Three Bridges, Tanis, Rowdefield Farm, Hophouse Lane and return.
Distance/Time: 8 km (5 miles)/2 hrs.
Directions: Turn left out of the Oliver Cromwell car park and walk along the main road towards Devizes. Continue past the Netherstreet turning and in 60 m, by the bus shelter, cross the road and take the lane between the houses. Follow this lane for 150 m and turn left on to the lane leading to Holbrook Cottages. The footpath continues ahead past the cottages and down a garden path leading to a small wood and over a footbridge and across a stile into a field.
Continue ahead with the field boundary to your left and, in about 50 m turn through a gateway on the left and walk diagonally across the field (there is a bridge over a stream approximately half way) to a metal stile in the far right hand corner. Cross over this stile into Pig–Stye Lane. Go to the main road at the end of the lane and, across the road, go over the stile into a field.
The right of way goes diagonally across this field to another stile in the right hand corner. Pass over this stile and go ahead with the boundary to your left to another stile leading into a small wood. Follow the fence and path over a footbridge (this area is called Three Bridges) and across a stile into a field. Turn diagonally left towards a stile in the left hand corner, cross into the next field and on to another stile about 60 m left of the right hand corner of the field and continue in the same direction towards the houses (The Tanis) in the distance, over three more stiles, coming out on to a road.
Turn right and walk along the road for 150 m and just past the side road leading into the estate, take the footpath on the left leading behind the bungalows, over a stile and into a field. Now walk ahead to the far right hand corner, through a gateway into the next field and continue with the field boundary to your left across this field, over a stile and across the next field to the rear of the nearest house. The path now turns left over a stile between the houses and out on to the road.
Turn left on the road and after 50 m turn right on to the footpath to the right. The path crosses the field slightly right of parallel with the road towards a line of trees on the far boundary. About 100 m to the right of the road a footbridge provides access to the next field. Cross and head for the right hand corner of the wood ahead. Keeping the wood to your left continue to the end of the wood and then turn left and right through a gateway and on in the same direction now with the field boundary on your right.
Walk round two sides of this field to a footbridge with stile and a bridle gate. Cross over these and follow the path with the wood to your left round to the left and at the boundary turn right and continue in the same field now with the field boundary to your left. About 150 m along the hedge cross over a stile into another field and continue ahead to a gateway with a stile alongside. Cross over the stile and continue to another stile in the boundary to your right. This stile leads into Hophouse Lane. Turn left and walk along the lane to Netherstreet.
Continue to the main road, turn right and return to the Oliver Cromwell.
Walk No. 15 The Oliver Cromwell, Pie–A, The Lakes, Netherstreet and return.
Distance/Time: 3.5 km (2 miles)/1 hr
Directions: Turn left out of the Oliver Cromwell car park and walk along the main road towards Devizes past the turning to Netherstreet and, at the bus shelter, cross the road and take the track leading between the houses. Stay on this track (Pie–A) for about 500 m ignoring the track going off to the left and go through Holmleigh Farm. Just past The Oaks Farm take the track to your right and continue along it for about 350 m until you reach the main road.
Cross the road and turn left and in 50 m cross the stile on your right leading into a small field. Continue straight ahead across this field to a gateway and pass through this into a rectangular field called The Lakes (this may be arable). Cross this field, or walk round the boundary, to an exit in the far end at the right of the field, over a small stream. This leads into a small field which you cross to take a path leading alongside, and to the left of, a redbrick house. The path comes out on the road in Netherstreet.
Turn right and walk some 500 m along this minor road, back to the Oliver Cromwell.