Laverton - Miles without Stiles

A short walk discovering the local history behind two Cotswold villages - Laverton and Buckland.

Distance

1.5 miles / 2.41 km

Duration

1 hours

Difficulty

Unsurfaced paths, basic fitness

Mobility aid rating

Stile free

Shape

Circular

Start

Address

4 Doughmeadow Cottages, Laverton, Broadway WR12 7NA, UK
View start on Google Maps

OS Grid Ref

SP072356

What3Words

touches.goodness.trickling

Travel Info

School House - Laverton. Parking in Laverton or on one of the approach roads from the B4632

Navigation

Take the tarmac path opposite the ‘Old School’ house 1 passing an old telephone box. As the path curves gently to the right the first field on the left is a good example of ridge and furrow, a relic of the Open Field System.

Towards Buckland the path enters an open field once used as a recreation field, 2 before entering the final stretch to Buckland. As you reach the village the first cottage on the left is where the village blacksmith used to live and work until 1963.

Follow the road up through Buckland. After passing a side turning on the left, the imposing building on the left is the old Rectory 3 now a private dwelling. Built by the Rector, William Grafton, towards the end of the fifteenth century, it is one of the oldest rectories in England.

Further along on the right you will pass the entrance to Buckland Manor 4 and just beyond, reach the church dedicated to St Michael. 5

The church has many interesting features including a seventeenth century gallery, painted medieval roof timbers and the fifteenth century east window, restored by William Morris in 1993.

Leaving the church, continue up through the village until the road bears sharp left. 6 Leave the road here and follow the public footpath sign straight ahead up the track for about 100 metres until just before you reach a field gate, where you turn sharp right up a few steps, through a gate and enter the field. Take the path to the right keeping the Buckland Manor hotel boundary on your right, and through the next gate into pastures.

Carry straight along the path heading for a third gate ahead, and go through that gate. Follow the path past scattered trees (a remnant of an old hedgerow) and up the hill to another gate set in the hedge/fence. Go through this gate and cross the field to reach a track running up/down the hill, and a way mark post 7 Turn right to follow this track down towards Laverton.

Pass through a gate at the bottom of the track and follow the road back to the ‘Old School’ house.