Harbury and Ladbroke News
Walks Around Harbury & Ladbroke
Walk 1 Ufton Fields Walk.
OS Explorer 221. GPX File
From the village hall (P), turn left into South parade then right into Chapel Street, passing Flecknoe House (converted Wesleyan Chapel) on the left and the Gamecock on the right. At the junction go down Mill Lane with Harbury Windmill on your left.
Continue down Mill Lane which becomes a path, through a gate and down the left side of a meadow. At the fence at the bottom of the meadow turn right and pass a blue plaque in memory of Harry Gardner and on to a gate and wooden plank bridge which will bring you to the Railway Cutting, cut entirely by hand, a major engineering feat on Brunel's G.W.R. London to Birmingham line.
Turn to the right, following the path to the Three-Arched Bridge and turn left over it. Beyond the bridge, ignore the footpath sign and kissing gate to the right, but continue straight ahead towards the Stables and then left through the narrow band of trees. Do not go through the farm yard. Follow the path through the trees to a gate and an obvious farm track which is often very muddy.
Follow the track to its end where it enters a field. Keeping the hedgerow on your right, cross two fields until a kissing gate is reached near the grounds of Northfields on the right. After going through the gate keep straight on. (For a shorter walk take the path to the right and walk along the hedge to the kissing gate.
This then brings you out on the Ufton Fields Road). Continue straight on with the hedge still on your right. Another kissing gate leads to a large sheep meadow, at the far end of which a kissing gate brings you to Ufton Fields Road. The whole stretch past Northfields and through the sheep meadow provides extensive views westwards towards Royal Leamington Spa and beyond.
At Ufton Fields Road, ignore Centenary Way marker pointing to the right and continue straight ahead along the road into Ufton reaching the main Southam - Leamington road at the roundabout. (You can take a short diversion to the White Hart and village stocks by crossing the main road and taking the lane to the Church).Turn right and follow the main road in the direction of Southam. Be careful - the road is busy, but fortunately this stretch of the walk is short! Just beyond the Village Hall, a waymarked lane on the right is the start of the return route. Don't be put off if the lane looks like a private drive. Beyond the house that fronts the lane you come to Ufton allotments. Keeping the allotments on your left and the hedge on your right, go over a stile into an arable field. A kissing gate brings you into the Ufton Fields Nature Reserve, important for its rare orchids.
There is open access to the Reserve, and the left hand (permissive) path is a pleasant diversion around it. However, our way follows the footpath to the right around the edge of the Reserve, where care needs to be taken, for the path runs along the top of a fairly steep ravine which is not completely fenced.
Follow the path almost as far as a metal gate that leads out on to the road. Do not go through the gate, but turn left instead and follow the permissive path that runs parallel to the road and into the Reserve car park. Leave the car park and turn left into Ufton Fields road. Shortly after the road bends sharp left, take the footpath on the right, signposted near the entrance to Flax Hill (a large white house). Follow it, keeping the hedge on your left and go through another gate.
From here to Three Arch Bridge, take care not to disturb any horses or cattle! Where the hedge bends slightly left, bear slightly right to a kissing gate in the hedge ahead. The Three-Arched Bridge comes into view once more - admire the bridge's complex brick curves of this bridge which was built to give access to the farm and allotment land when the Great Western Railway sliced through in 1852.
Follow the path to another stile. Having crossed this next stile, turn sharp right and, following the post and rail fence, cross through two more metal gates to join the road at Three Arch Bridge.
From here turn left to cross the bridge. Go straight up the hill, passing the brick wall on your left that forms the boundary to Harbury Hall. Go straight ahead, returning directly to the Village Hall via the Bull Ring and Ivy Lane.