Walk 5

STARTING POINT - "George A Dragon" Potterne (Ref. 5T995594)

This is a circular walk of approximately 4 miles.

This walk starts at The George and Dragon Inn which is situated at the cross roads in the centre of the village. Take the road to the right of the George and Dragon and walk up Court Bill on the elevated footpath, as you approach the first bend (Before reaching the 18th. century red brick Court Kill House) you will see three steps on your left leading down from the raised path to road level, using these steps cross the road and take the track opposite (PP No.60) this path will take you behind the allotments and council houses to a wooden stile, cross the stile into the paddock and turn lefthanded for about 25 yards to another stile in a barbed wire fence.
This stile takes you into Barbones field with the Barbones Plantation away on your left (See Note-15), here the path to follow (PP No.62) leads down to the bottom righthand corner of this field where there is a wooden stile.

Note: - After entering Barbones field there is a stile in the righthand hedge giving access to a fenced Lovers Lane behind Wiltshire Fire Headquarters, do not take on this occasion.

Crossing the stile at the bottom, corner of Barbones and gaining access into the next field, follow the hedge on your right to cross two more fields and stiles.
Now you enter a field across which passes overhead power cables, here you head diagonally right to reach the far corner of the field, passing under the overhead electricity cables and keeping the pylon to your left you reach a wooden stile in the far corner of the field then a bridge over a drainage ditch followed by another wooden stile, in the distance to your right is Ware Farm.
Having negotiated the two stiles and bridge the path continues straight ahead to join in a 'T' junction with Path No.53 which approaches from Ware Farm.

Locating Path No. 53

From where you are you can clearly see a Dutch barn situated to the right of Ware Farm (ahead and to your right), between the Farm buildings and the Dutch barn is a farm track, this is Path No.53, from here Path No.53 continues across the field in a straight line to pass through a gateway in the opposite hedge (ie. the hedge on your left as you enter the field), so when crossing the field and you come in line with this path between the buildings and the barn if you then look to your left and you are in line with the field gateway you will be at the junction of path 62 with path 53. (See sketch)

Having located path 53 follow it to your left heading for the gateway, this is a double gateway separated by a bridge over a drainage ditch, which gives access to the righthand corner of the next field, on the rising ground to your right you will see Larborough Farm whilst straight ahead and two fields away is a large redbrick house - Little Larborough (shown on some maps as Larborough Cottage).
Continue to cross this field heading for the gateway in the opposite hedge, here your heading is a little to the left of Little Larborough, ignore the wooden stile which allows path number 53 to run down the side of the Little Larborough outbuildings to the A360 Devizes - Salisbury Road, instead turn left keeping the hedge close on your right and make for the stile in the corner of the field (this is now PP No.54), again there is a double stile separated by a bridge over a drainage ditch, this stile leads into a young plantation where the path runs to a stile in the far righthand corner.

In the distance and to your left you can see Eastwell House, the home of the Hunt-Grubbe (See Note-6) whilst above the trees climbing the bill to your right front you can just make out the castellated tower of Blounts Court (See Note-16).

From this stile your path leads to a stile in the hedge opposite then to the far righthand corner of the next field where a farm gate leads into a short farm track.

WARNING
Keep children close to you and dogs on a lead because at the end of this very short track is another field gate which is not always closed and which gives direct access onto the busy A360 main Devizes to Salisbury road.

Use extreme care when crossing this road then keeping to the pavement on the far side turn left to return to your starting point at the George & Dragon, on your way you will pass the old gates and gatehouse now a private residence, which once provided access to Blounts Court.

Map for Walk 5