The Two Church Circular - Miles without Stiles

With your back to The Inn turn left and follow the road up the hill to St Peter’s Church 1 on your right. The church originates back to the 14th century but there have been many changes over the years.

Continue down the hill and turn right along a short path in front of the old brewery, whose chimney is a landmark, which takes you into a wooded area. On reaching the gate turn left along the edge of the field for 200m before passing through the gate at the end of the field onto Crowe Lane. Look back at the way you have come and admire the views across the Limpley Stoke Valley.

2 Turn right onto Crowe Lane and continue along Crowe Hill. In 400m turn left up steep steps (the turning is way marked) until you eventually emerge at the top opposite St Mary’s Church.

Leaving Church Lane behind you, go up the steps by the side of the church and through a squeeze stile and a gate into the field 3. (Here you may consider a short diversion, forking left down the hill, for refreshments at the Galleries shop and café, shown on the map). To continue the route from point 3, go straight across the field down a steep hill and up the other side to another gate. Continue across the next field to another gate.Keep straight along a narrow footpath which becomes a tarmac track which joins the road 4.

Turn left onto the road. After 50m go straight across the cross-roads.

The village pump on your right was installed in 1931 and last used in the drought of 1976. Turn left at Ranikhet Farm, just past Mundy’s Cottage – a finger-post 5 marks the way. Fork right just inside the driveway and follow this path through three gates, continuing until you reach the T-junction where you turn right up a slope, through another gate. 6

Keep straight on through the field keeping close to the hedgerow on your left. After 375m (ignoring the gate on your left, part way along) negotiate the gate, ‘squeeze-stile’ and steps at the end of the field into a lane which leads you onto the road. Turn sharp left onto the road, 7 and then shortly left again, opposite Abbotsleigh Coach House, onto the road through Sharpstone. Continue on this road until you reach the War Memorial on the left, 8. Turn right off the road down the steps and follow the path along, then across the green to the big tree and the wall and to the next gate on the right.

Go through the gate and turn left down the steep path, which may be muddy in wet weather, to The Inn at Freshford. The River Frome on your right floods frequently after heavy rain. The bridge was constructed in 1530.

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