Long
Itchington to Priors Marston / Priors
Marston to Long Itchington
Walking instructions & Map for walking from West to East & East to West
E(190) Facing Holy Trinity Church from the road, turn L and continue on for around 200m to a part of the village called The Square. Bear right down Thorn Way, leaving The Harvesters Inn to your left.
E(191) The road turns a left corner, following which a field with a timber fence opens out on the right. Next to a stile, paths are marked both along the road (which becomes more of a driveway), and across the field. Cross the stile and head across the field, aiming for the cement works buildings to the left of the chimney.
E(192) Cross
a further stile and then a small brook, using a concrete and brick crossing. Head up the bank and cross a stile, a farm track, and another stile into a pony
paddock. In the far corner of the pony paddock is a high stile, which gives access to the canal towpath.
E(193)
Turn left on the towpath under the A423 Coventry to Banbury road, and
reach The Two Boats Inn after a few strides. Continuing on the towpath,
climb a number of locks, and pass under bridge number 24. Shortly The Blue
Lias public house comes into view on the opposite bank of the canal with Bridge
23.
E(194)
Before the bridge turn L to find
swing gate. Take gate and go R over bridge to find driveway to Blue Lias. Take
driveway and go ahead to come onto vehicle way leading to Stockton Reservoir Car
Park. Take gap ahead into reservoir area and go L with fishing lake R to corner
gap. Take gap leading into short grassy corridor leading to metal kissing gate
into wood. Make way ahead through wood to exit by stile.
E(195) Go R with hedge R to exit field by corner gap. Go L with hedge L, after short distance enter copse and follow clear pathway through wooded area to exit by gap into field. Go with hedge R to find gap with steps to road. Cross road and take stile to L of house. Go with hedge R to exit field by corner gap. Follow clear path down to pass house R leading to road. Go ahead, pass side roads to come to T junction with Post Office. Go R on School Street to find Barley Mow Pub.
E(196) Face Barley Mow Pub and go R pass Stockton Parish Church on L up Rectory Close - road becomes vehicle way. Follow vehicle way past cemetery - where vehicle way turns R go L to find stile to R of gate.
E(197) Take stile go with hedge L to exit by corner gap. Go 1/2 R to find bridge to mid fence stile. Take stile and go ahead across field to meet corner hedge, go with hedge L to exit field by corner stile. Go L 20 paces, then R with hedge L to exit field by corner stile.
E(198) Go 1/2 R to find gap to L of far corner with plank bridge and ditch. Cross bridge and go 1/4 L to pass by middle of 5 power poles across field to find hedge gap. Take gap and ditch to continue ahead to find mid fence stile. Take stile go ahead with hedge R to exit by corner stile. Continue ahead with hedge R to exit by grassy corridor to road go L.
E(199)
Enter Bridge Inn car park and make way to Oxford canal towpath.
Go R under bridge 111. The canal skirts round Napton Hill with
its high set windmill. Go under bridge 115, lock number 12, leave the canal towpath.
Go R on road over
bridge, down a slight incline, with Napton on
left.
E(200) After around 800m reach a road junction, major road swings L. Take minor road R, signed Marston Doles. After around 500m, road turns sharp right. Leave road and continue into the field ahead. Follow waymark along the side of the field, with fence L
E(201) At field end, take timber pedestrian gate into the next field, and go with the hedge R. Take gap in field corner field go ahead with hedge R. Go through a further timber pedestrian gate and go with hedge L to exit through gate. Go 1/2 R up field to take left hand of two corner gates.
E(202) Go ahead across centre of field to exit by gate adjacent to double power poles, giving access to grassy corridor. Go on corridor passing through early gate to come eventually to 7 bar gate at corner. Go L through gate. After some 450m come to timber crossing with handrail over ditch.
E(203) Cross the ditch and a stile into a field of pasture. Go 1/2 L to far field boundary with stile some 100 paces in from far L corner. Cut across the left hand corner of the next field to another timber ditch crossing and stile.
E(204)
Cross the stile and go R to cut across the nearest
corner of the next field.
In quick succession cross three more stiles, to pass through a couple of pony
paddocks. We have now reached the edge of Priors Marston village.
E(205) The last of these stiles gives into a larger field of pasture, bordered on the left by houses of recent construction. Follow along the boundary at the bottom of the gardens of houses, and look out for a line of concrete garages backing on to the field. At the right hand end of these garages there is a stile, leading to a tarmac track.
E(206) Follow track to end, to meet road. There is a pillar box on the left, but you turn R. The road leads past Vicarage Lane and School Lane, and then reaches a small green at which four roads meet. The war memorial stands on the green.
Priors
Marston to Long Itchington
(W38)
Priors Marston war memorial stands at the junction of a number of roads.
Standing at the end of Hellidon Road, turn right and then take the right hand
fork for Lower Shuckburgh and Napton. Continue on Shuckburgh Road, passing a
phone box, and the ends of School Lane and Vicarage Lane on your right.
(W39)
After a further 100m, locate a pillar-box on the left. Immediately
before the pillar-box, turn left and follow the waymark down a made up track,
alongside Priors Hall. At the end of the track, cross the stile and bear 1/2 R to pass along the rear boundaries
of houses to exit by stile.
(W40)
Pass through two pony paddocks by stiles.
On entering a larger field, cut across the near left hand corner, by stile, to reach
timber bridge ditch crossing. Cross the ditch and bear 1/4 right. The next stile is visible beneath a line of trees.
(W41)
Cross this stile, and go 1/2 L to find corner stile. Take stile and
cross ditch / bridge, and go L on turf track bordered by line trees with hedge and ditch L.
(W42)
After around 450m, pass through a steel gate and turn right following the
way between lines of trees. The path climbs a shallow incline. Just before the top a small pool may be seen in the field on the left.
Continue ahead.
(W43)
The path descends, passing through two steel gates in quick
succession. The second of these gates gives onto a field of pasture.
(W44)
Maintain previous direction across the field
towards the village of Napton just visible through the trees. On the far
side of the field is a full width gate. Go through the gate, and head down
to far right corner to find metal pedestrian gate
pedestrian gate.
(W45) Take gate and go with hedge R for
some 100 paces to take gate R. Go ahead with hedge L.
You are no longer heading directly for Napton. Exit field by bottom left corner
gap.
(W46)
Continue ahead with the hedge L,
to reach metal pedestrian gate.
(W47)
Pass through the pedestrian gate
into another large field. Continue along the edge of this field with the fence immediately
on your right. Notice a farm appearing, a few hundred metres off to the left.
When you draw level with the farm, you will be at a gate which gives onto a
minor road.
(W48)
Note the right-angle bend in the road:
take the right-hand-most direction, which is in effect continuing in the same
direction as the path you have just left.
(W49)
After around 500m on the road,
reach a junction where the major road from ahead swings around a corner and
passes away to your left. Take this left hand turn (Holt Road): it is
signposted back to your starting point of Priors Marston, but this need not be a
matter of concern.
(W50)
At the top of a small rise, you
come upon a bridge over the Oxford canal. Cross bridge and turn right to
drop down on to the towpath, go with canal right - ahead is Napton on the Hill with its high set windmill. Follow
down a flight of locks, and pass The Folly Inn on your left. Continue on the
towpath. Skirt around Napton Hill on the towpath. At bridge 111 pass under
the A425 Southam to Daventry road with the Bridge Inn on the left. Immediately
after bridge take gap L to Bridge Inn.
(W51) Face Bridge Inn go L, exit by pub drive entrance, and go R on road after 20 paces go R to gateway. Down grassy passage way into field and go with hedge L. Take corner stile and go with hedge L to field corner - go R 40 paces and take stile L. Go 1/4 L across field to hedge gap. Continue ahead pass mid field power pole. Maintain line to come to gap to R of single tree. Go 1/2 R across field to L of two trees to find stile. Take stile and go with hedge R to end of field. Stay in field and go L for 30 paces to take stile R.
(W52) Go with high hedge R. At hedge corner continue same line ahead across field. Take mid fence stile and bridge. Go 1/2 R to find stile some 50 paces in from corner. Take stile go R to corner gap then l ahead with hedge R to find corner stile. Take stile go L 30 paces to vehicle track. Go R and follow track, pass cemetery to road, pass Stockton Parish Church to Barley Mow Pub. Face Barley Mow Pub go L pass school. At post box take road L, up Mount Pleasant, ignore side roads, come to grassy passageway with houses L, leading through spinney to field. Go L.
(W53)
Go with hedge L to road (A426). Cross road and take
gap to go down steps to go with hedge L. Though corner gap continue with hedge L
and fence R. Follow corridor over two bridges then through shrub, maintaining
line. Leave woods, go ahead on grassy way with spinney L. Exit spinney and after
50 paces go R to find gap, take gap and go immediately L with hedge L. Take stile into woods,
through woods, cross track and exit by metal kissing gate to find lake. Go ahead with lake L to find gap R into car park
with drive way ahead leading to road. Go L on road pass Blue Lias Inn over bridge and take gateway
L to canal. Go R with canal L and after 1000m come to the Two Boats Inn.
(W54)
Pass under the A423 Banbury to Coventry road, and immediately afterwards
look out for a small brick-built cubicle next to the towpath. Turn right
off the towpath at this point, and turn left past the cubicle to reach a stile
into a pony paddock.
(W55) Take
far corner stile, and turn left to follow a made up lane serving private houses.
(W56) In a few hundred metres, this lane (Thorn Way) gives into an open area known as The Square, with The Harvesters Inn on the right. Turn left down the village road to find Holy Trinity Church Long Itchington Church.