The North Cotswolds offers some of the most beautiful countryside for walking as well as easy access to Stratford, Warwick and Oxford. Our self catering accomodation can sleep from two to seven people for weekend breaks or longer.
Whichford is an ideal base and The Norman Knight is well used to catering for walking parties both large and small. It is advisable to book if you intend to bring a party.
Lunches are served every lunchtime from 12.00 until 2.00. (We are closed on Monday and Tuesday lunchtimes but will happily open for walking groups by prior arrangement.) The lunchtime menu includes a range of bar snacks as well as hot meals.
We hope that you enjoy the walks and cycle routes around Whichford. We have endeavoured to make these easy to follow and enjoyable, taking you to some of the most picturesque countryside for miles.
Ordnance Survey Landranger Sheet 151 is the detailed map of this area.
A short cycle route or walk around Whichford and Ascott - just over 3 miles with lovely views.
Leaving the Norman Knight Inn turn left and follow the road to Ascott. Go right through Ascott and continue along a narrow country lane until you reach a T-junction (about a mile).
Turn left, SP Sutton-under-Brailes and then take the next left back to Whichford down Ford Hill passing New Barn and North Leasow.
Bear right at the bottom of the hill back into Whichford.
Village and Wood Walk - 4 miles
Start at the village Inn (The Norman Knight) facing the green. Turn right and take the road between the bus shelter and war memorial. Just before the church take the stile on your left into a large pasture field.
Follow the path up the hill to the right hand border. Turn the corner to the right to another stile. Do not climb this but take a direction across the open field (left). Walk towards the gate which can be seen below the steep ridge. Beyond the gate climb the hill to a corner stile on top of the ridge.
Go ahead at the way marker post and you will see an old farmstead and barn on your left (Doctors Barn). At the new barn go left then right along a farm track for about 300 yards. At the junction, turn right and continue with a hedge on your left. Keep walking, through a gap in the hedge and into Whichford Wood. This path runs for 0.75m with the wood on your right. When it enters the wood the track drops then rises to meet a main road.
Turn right and follow the road back to Whichford. Take the first road on your right passing the old castle site(right hand side). Bear left on through the village past the church (St. Michael) and back to your start point.
A Short Village Walk - about l mile
Starting at the war memorial take the road down past the Whichford Pottery taking care as you go down the hill because of traffic. Take the road left SP Long Compton.
Walk this road taking in the view of the lakes and Whichford Wood, then take the next left road which will bring you past the remains of the castle moat.
Carry on this road, bearing round to the left again taking you back to the start, passing St. Michael Church and the 18th Century Rectory.
Whichford-Stourton-Brailes walk - 7 miles
With the village green on your left, and the Norman Knight Inn on your right, walk 0.25m past the Pottery and down the hill. Right onto path 73 towards Stourton and right onto path 74 towards Stourton Mill. Right onto village road for 0.3m then right onto path 71 which leads across the golf course and back to Lower Brailes and the George Inn.
Leave from the paddock at the back of the George and take path 67 which runs above the golf course towards Whichford Mill. Cross the road onto bridleway 66 through the Mill and onto North Leasow. At the road, turn right and walk 0.6m back into Whichford.
Walk Around Whichford - 5 miles
Start at the war memorial taking the minor road down towards the church. Before you reach the church take the stile on your left into a large field. Bearing right take the path up a sloping field to the top right corner which enters the woodland fringe but soon comes out to follow the edge of Whichford wood.
Look out for a Macmillan way marker and follow this through the corner of the wood to come out on the perimeter once again. Follow this and take no notice of any other paths until you reach the main Long Compton/Whichford road.
Turn right then very soon left through a gate which takes you to Margetts Hill Farm. Turn right along a way marker path by a barn. The path goes right, then left along field borders to reach a way marker at a gap. Taking a right fork here along the field edge to reach a road through a gate at Stourton Hill. Cross straight over (no marker) keeping the barn on your left and follow the direction at the way marker on a tree down the field. Cross a stile and go down between two willow trees reached by a plank bridge.
Keeping a hedge on your left down to a stile to the right at a tree. Go diagonally right to another stile and follow the way marker to the left to reach a road through a gate. Go straight over, through a gate and pass a cattle grid to follow a track. Immediately before another gate and cattle grid follow way marker to the right. The footpath goes across fields, via stiles and gates before going to the right and climbing to follow a hedge to the left. When you come to the end of the hedge the field slops down slightly to the right of a solitary tree and cross a stile by a gate. Descend diagonally right to cross a footbridge after which the path climbs to a gate.
There follows a stretch of rolling ground with woodland on the right,then go through a gate and climb diagonally right to reach and follow a hedge to a gate and road. Turn left and follow the road back.
Cycle to Stourton/Cherington - 7 miles
Leave the Norman Knight and turn left towards Ascott but keep left at the triangular green (Ascott Corner) and go up Ford Hills until you reach a T- junction. Turn left towards Sutton under Brailes, down the hill and through Traitors Ford.
Continue along winding country lanes for approx. l mile until you reach a left turn, SP Sutton under Brailes. Take this turn and continue until you reach another T- junction. Turn left here and proceed through Stourton following the road left and then left again back to Whichford.
A walk and a cycle route of about 8-9 miles
Walk around Whichford-Sutton under Brailes Cherington-Whichford Woods 8 miles
This is beautiful in the spring when the woods are full of bluebells.
From The Norman Knight Inn go left and after passing the last house on the left go left through a farm gate turning immediately right to walk a footpath to a second farm gate onto a country lane.
Go left and up the lane for 0.35m then go left again down a stone farm drive SP North Leasow. Walk for 1 km over a small stream at Whichford Mill and up to cross the lane by Greenhill Barn and across two fields. Join a track coming in from the left and here you go left and descent the good track as it gradually arcs right so that you are walking in a westerly direction towards Sutton-under-Brailes. The farm track becomes a hedged stone track as you cross over Sutton Brook before reaching a road.
Go left and walk into Sutton-under-Brailes, up the village green and continue up left of the church. Diagonally cross the field at the rear of the church and exit via a stile onto a farm track.
Go right passing to the right of trees and a pond, over a further stile and up the hill. Near the brow of the hill go left and follow a path going generally west. This passes through a couple of farm gates and descend gently to a final gate. Here go left and follow the path signs through a kissing gate and then arc right past some old buildings. The path bends left and descends becoming part of a wide hedged track . Go through a farm gate and ascend to reach a lane.
Proceed ahead along the lane into Cherington. Pass the church on your left and after the lane arcs right go left up a road that quickly becomes a path/track leading back into the open countryside. Continue for about 2kms in a general south direction ascending past Margett's Hill Coppice to reach a gate onto a lane. Go right for about 100m then go left descending a wide woodland track. At a junction of tracks bear right and ascend until you reach the end of the woodland. Here go left and continue along a clear track just inside the edge of Whichford Wood.
In about a mile bear right outside the trees then go left along the edge of the woods before veering left back into the woodland. All too soon you will emerge from the trees and a well used footpath leads you to the road where you go right to return.
Cycle route around Cherington,Willington, Burmington - about 9.5 miles
Starting at the war memorial, take the road down past the Whichford Pottery and take the lst left SP Long Compton. Take the lst right in about a mile (SP Stourton) along a lovely country lane with great views.
At T junction, TL and as you enter Stourton. turn right and then quickly left (SP Burmington).
Keep on this road, following signs to Burmington until you reach a T.R. to Willington. (you are following cycle route 5 here)..
Just before entering Willington there is a TL to Burmington and at the next cross-roads TL to Cherington and follow signs back to Whichford.
A walk and a cycle route taking you to Hook Norton and Rollright.
Cycle to the Rollright Stones and return through Great Rollright - 10.5 miles
From the war memorial, with the green on your right, cycle around the green and up Whichford Hill to the T-junction at the top> Turn right towards Rollright and about one mile along this road turn right SP Little Rollright. In about one mile you will find another T-Junction. Turn right onto the A3400 and immediate left. The Rollright Stones are on your left in approximately half a mile. Total Distance 4 miles.
Continue along until you reach cross-roads. Turn left SP Little Rollright. Go down the hill towards Over Norton, and continue along this road until you reach another cross-road. Turn left SP Great Rollright/Shipston. You will reach the A3400 T-junction where you turn left then immediately right to Great Rollright. Go right through Great Rollright then straight over at the cross-roads SP Whichford and continue for about two and a half miles along a beautiful country road until you reach a turn left back to Whichford.
A walk of about 6 miles to Hook Norton Brewery and back, or if you would like,carry on past the Brewery for a slightly longer walk of around 8 miles.
From the Norman Knight Inn head up Whichford hill on the main road (SP Hook Norton), after 250m turn L onto footpath before last house. Head straight over 2 fields towards farm, keeping to left of farm proceed to gate onto road and turn L. At Xroads turn R, walk out of Ascott and take footpath on R after approx. 400m and head up hedge line on R. Over stile, head straight on across field to gate. Head E to next gate then turn L and follow R side of hedge to lane. Cross lane and follow bridleway sign opposite to next road. Turn L then R after 50m heading diagonally left over field. Cross next field to gate, turn L along track to gate at corner of lane with footpath diagonally opposite, follow R hedge to next gate then head diagonally L across field. Go through large gap in hedge and over stile on R after 50m, follow L fence to Hook Norton Brewery and keep L past visitors centre, which is open Mon - Fri 8.30 to 4.30pm. Hook Norton village also has 3 pubs, one shop and a pottery.
For a short walk return now by the same route.. Otherwise, carry on down Brewery Lane and turn R past Pear Tree Inn, keep R then L on footpath immediately after bridge. Keep stream on L and cross 2 stiles close together then head up the field to road, then turn L and R after 25m onto D’Arcy Dalton Way. After gate cross stile and then head diagonally R over field to stile, straight over next 2 fields then L down path between the fields. Over stile head diagonally R up field keeping same direction over next stile to road. Turn L following road for 120m then turn R onto footpath SP Great Rollright. Turn L through middle gate following hedge W, proceed straight over next 4 fields until path meets bridleway, turn R onto bridleway through gap in hedge and follow 500m then turn L onto D’arcy Dalton Way. Follow across 3 fields crossing a track and 2 low walls, then after gap in hedge cross over footbridge and up to lane heading for Great Rollright Church. Straight over lane follow path through churchyard, keep to R of lich gate and turn R following lane.. At T junction bear L to Xroads, turn R, SP Whichford, follow road to next L turn where footpath heads NW across field. Over next stile head diagonally L, cross track in same direction. With barns on L head diagonally R to stile in corner of field. Over stile turn L down to corner of field, through gate head diagonally R across field and down L side of Gottenham Farm.. Turn R along rear fence of farm, after 75m branch L heading down over stream, after stile go through gate in hedge to follow R side of hedge up hill. Straight over track and down hill through next 2 gates onto lane. At end of lane turn R heading back to Whichford.
