Walk #7:  FARMINGTON ROAD, BUNKERS HILL, FARMINGTON CHURCH. UPPER END

Time: Approx 2 hours and just under 4 miles. Download instructions and map pdf
OS Pathfinder Map 01/11 Grid ref# 116 147

A good circular walk for a morning or afternoon with a chance to look around the nearby village of Farmington with its triangular Green, peaceful cottages, large houses and pretty  church.

Take the High Street in an Easterly direction from the Market Place and immediately after passing the Mechanical Music Museum turn left into Farmington Road. As you go up this road there are fine views back over the roofs of the town.  After passing two gates on the right, when the road dips down and slightly left, there is a gate ahead into a field on the right. Go through this gate and head down to cross a stiled bridge over a stream and then, heading slightly right, climb up the next field to just below an attractive cottage at Bunkers Hill.

Cross the stile and follow round inside the garden boundary. Pass through the small gate on the house drive to join the minor road which leads to the house. Go up this roadway and after about 200 yards go through a gate on the right to head across a field (veering slightly left) to a stone stile near the corner of a garden wall. After crossing this stile keep in the same direction to a field gateway, situated to the right of a detached cottage. The gate leads on to a road where, by turning right you will reach the Village Green at Farmington .

Bearing right above The Green, follow the road round to a small lane on the right beside the Church. Follow this lane and where the track bears slightly left,  you will see an old footpath opening beside the wall. Pass through this and continue in a Westerly direction across the field to a hedge. (Keeping the hedge on your right, follow it around the field boundary).

After passing a small overgrown hollow to your right, drop sharply downhill to cross a stile. Now, keeping the hedge to your left and crossing another footpath to the left on the way, go down this field, through a gate and follow along the same line of field boundary until you reach a gate/stile on to the A40 road. Cross the A40 and also the small slip road which leads to Northleach to reach another stile. Cross through a small belt of trees and cross a further stile, and keeping in the same direction, head straight across the field to a five -barred gate.

Go through the gate, keep the boundary on your right and follow along the field edge towards a farm building.  After passing this (on your right) the path becomes a grassy track.  Still keeping in the same direction, follow this track through a gate and downhill to cross over a footbridge beside a lake. About half-way up the hill go through the field gate on your right. Head slightly left up the hill around a garden boundary and you will see another field gate with a small hunting gate beside it. This leads on to the roadway at Upper End. Follow this around the farm buildings and in a short while you will reach the road back to Northleach.

Turn right and soon there will be good views of the town ahead. Before dropping down the hill you will see a signpost on your left which leads through an old kissing gate. Follow this sign down across the fields and through another field gate/stile towards  a kissing gate which takes you into the recreation grounds. Turn right past the tennis courts and the children’s playground. Cross over the river into a small lane. Turn left at the end of the lane and you will soon find yourself back to the start of the walk in the Market Place.