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

This is a circular walk of approximately 5 miles.

Across the road from the George and Dragon there is a telephone kiosk, take the narrow lane to the right of this Kiosk, Chilsbury Lane (PP No.21) on your left is the picturesque 'Pilgrims Cottage', continue up Chilsbury Lane noting the old boundary wall of what was once Blounts Court Estate on your right (See Note 16).
Chilsbury Lane soon gives access to the Blounts Court recreational area, cross this play area to leave by the post and rail stile in the opposite fence, over this stile and incline right to another post and rail stile in the top boundary fence to the left of the tall hedge, having negotiated this stile follow the path (PP No.22) which keeps the tall hedge close on your right which leads to an opening in the far boundary fence, here the path descends the hill through the trees at the bottom of the hill. Take the path to the right and head for the field gate in the bottom right hand corner of the field, passing through this gate take the narrow path to your left passing between two garden fences to emerge at Wick corner.

At Wick corner turn lefthanded and follow Wick Lane through Potterne Wick (See Note 17) to the secluded Jubilee Seat where a quiet rest may be taken in the shade of the old oak tree, here a side road turns off to the right passing the village football field on its way to Potterne Park Farm.
Taking the side road continue until you reach Potterne Park Cottages on your left, immediately after the last cottage is a stile giving access to a footpath (PP No.7) which at first follows the headland before turning right to go straight across the field to a gateway almost in the far corner.
Passing through this gateway you will see another gateway immediately to your right, a short distance after passing through this gateway the path joins a farm track approaching from the left, follow this track to pass through another gateway, here in the adjacent field to your left is the Moat, an ancient earthworks now covered in trees to which alas there is no right of way. Continue to follow the track to the end of the field where you turn left down a bridleway where the trees meet overhead to give a welcomed mottled shade on a hot sunny day, approximately 100 metres down this bridleway you will cross the parish boundary at a point where another bridleway runs off to the right (Urchfont path 12) and the wide track you are following turns left into a field, here the parish boundary follows the hedgerow running off to the left in the adjacent field, following this hedgerow with your eye you will see away in the distance in the lee of Grubbe's Wood, Stroud Hill Farm this line of sight is also the line of a footpath (PP No.8) which unfortunately is not easily negotiated at present due to there being no bridge over the river.
Our way continues straight ahead down the narrow tree lined path now Urchfont Path No.34, after a further 200 metres this path joins a wide farm track that can be very muddy in wet weather, in actual fact this is a parting of the ways for path 34 the path you have been following, the track you have just joined going off to the right is the continuation of Urchfont path No.34 whilst the same wide track going off to the left is now Urchfont path No.45.
Turning left follow the track (Path 45) for about 500 metres to Crookwood Lane, turn left and follow Crookwood Lane passing Crookwood Farm on your right until crossing the bridge over the stream you re-enter the parish of Potterne and the lane becomes Stroud Lane.
Continue to follow Stroud Lane as far as Stroud Hill Farm, here the metalled road turns sharp left but our walk follows the bridleway straight ahead (Stroud Hill Lane - PP No.52), the bridleway climbs through Grubbe's Wood to join up with Coxhill Lane (PP No.50), turning left follow Coxhill Lane to return to your starting point at the George & Dragon.

Map for Walk 9