A 6.75-Mile Walk towards Saintbury and Bretforton
Sturdy shoes or boots are recommended.
Pets should be kept on leads at all times.
Drinks and snacks are recommended.
Secateurs are useful for occasional brambles.
Start at the Village Hall and head west to the High Street. Turn left and walk up to The Thatched Tavern where you will turn left into China Corner and then walk straight on until you pass through the narrow gap between the houses. This leads into a cul-de-sac on the Fair Acres estate.
Turn right and follow the edge (headland) of the field, passing the site of an old pond (where Sarah Harris’ murdered body was found in 1809) until you come to a bridge. Cross the bridge into the next field and walk straight ahead along the headland until you come to a stile. Cross over this stile and you are now in The Leys. Walk straight ahead to reach the hedgerow on the opposite side of the football pitch. Turn left and follow the path down the hill to the bridge. You are now entering the old Honeybourne airfield (RAF Honeybourne, 1940-47).
Walk straight ahead across the field towards the large buildings (old aircraft hangers) looking for the waymarker post at the gap in the mound on the opposite side of this field. Continue straight ahead across the old N.East/S.West runway, and straight ahead again to the waymarker post located on a track leading to the skid-pan on your left (the old East/West runway). Follow the directions on the waymarker post towards the next post that can be seen to the right of the perimeter hedge surrounding the old hangers. You are now passing the site of Honeybourne Grounds Farmhouse that was demolished in 1940 to make way for the airfield. Continue across the fields in the direction of the two large conifer trees and electricity poles on the horizon, passing over the old S.East/N.West runway (with the agricultural silos on your right) until you reach a stile that leads onto the Bretforton/Weston-sub-Edge road. TAKE GREAT CARE when crossing this very fast road.
Walk between the two conifer trees and up the drive, passing over a stile before reaching another stile to the left of the gates leading to Saintbury Grounds Farm. Continue to follow the path, passing through a gap in the hedge into the next field. Straight ahead following the drainage ditch on your right until you get to a ditch bridge. Now walk in an eleven o’clock direction diagonally across this field (just to the left of the electricity poles), and then over a stile into the next field; across this narrow field and across the bridge; walk towards the post in the far left-hand corner of this field. Turn immediately right. DO NOT CROSS THE DISUSED RAILWAY. Follow the track towards the woodland. Over a stile and straight ahead; over a bridge and continue ahead with the woodland on your right until you reach a bridge leading into the woodland. Over the bridge and turn left along the edge of the woodland. Following the waymarkers, leave the woodland and turn right into the next field, keeping the brook on your right-hand side. Pass through a gap in the hedge into the next field and walk straight ahead following the brook; through a gate and straight ahead keeping the brook on your right. Through a metal gate into the next field, and turn right to follow the field perimeter alongside the brook. Through a gap in the hedge; through a gap in the next hedge (over ditch) into the next field following the brook and passing through a metal gate; continue ahead until you reach the lane. Cross the lane and continue straight ahead keeping the brook on your right-hand side, pass through a metal kissing-gate and then a stile (take care); through a gate and continue ahead until you reach another kissing-gate as the path rejoins the lane. Turn immediately right to follow the path over a bridge and across the field to the gap in the hedge onto the main road opposite the garage.
At the main road turn left and follow the pavement. If you fancy refreshments at The Fleece Inn (a National Trust pub) turn left into Main Street. When you reach the bus stop look for the cemetery path on the opposite side of the road. TAKE GREAT CARE when crossing this busy road. Follow the path alongside the cemetery and out into the field until you arrive at the waymarker post. Take a two o’clock direction into the right-hand corner of this field and then cross over the bridge. Turn right and follow this path, crossing a track, to continue to follow the path in front of the poly tunnels and on into the corner of this field; cross the bridge (TAKE CARE), and straight on between the poly tunnels to the waymarker post in the hedgerow opposite. Turn right and continue straight ahead until you reach another waymarker post in the hedgerow ahead of you. Turn left, entering a large field and, with the hedge on your right, follow the headland for 700 metres, passing a waymarker post, until you arrive at the Honeybourne/Bretforton road. Turn right and walk, facing the traffic, passing the Honeybourne Sport & Recreation Field until you arrive in Honeybourne where you can cross the road and use the pavement to walk through the village back to the Village Hall.
We hope you have enjoyed your walk today, and that we have whetted your appetite for a variety of future walks in and around the Parish of Honeybourne.
Email [email protected] for copies of any walks, to express concerns, or seek advice on how to best enjoy Honeybourne’s Rights of Way.
February 2023