Naunton and Guiting Power

Grade - Moderate

Map - O.S. Outdoor Leisure No. 45 (The Cotswolds)

Suitable for - All ages/families, though there are quite a few stiles!

Duration - 3 hours (about 5 miles)

Start - Naunton. Grid ref. SO118234. (Please park with consideration - the roads are quite narrow) (Click here for start point map)

Refreshments - Pubs at Naunton and Guiting Power.

This walk takes in the two lesser-known Cotswold villages of Naunton and Guiting Power, both of which are picturesque and typical of the area, glowing in the sunlight as only Cotswold villages can. Naunton, only a few miles West of Stow-on-the-Wold, is well tucked away in the valley of the infant River Windrush - here hardly more than a stream - and really does look as if it has grown out of the landscape which surrounds it.

The walk commences here and for much of the way follows the Warden's Way path - one of a number of named routes in this area, the best known perhaps being the Cotswold Way. Climbing out of the Windrush valley, the walk takes you mainly along quiet field paths and tracks to Guiting Power, then returns again via the Wardens Way down the Windrush Valley back to Naunton.

Commence at the Black Horse pub and head for a few yards in the direction of the church. At a road junction the Warden's Way signpost is plainly visible so here turn right and start walking uphill, passing houses to soon reach another Warden's Way (WW from now on!) sign at a kissing gate on the right hand side of the road.

Pass through this and follow the wide, obvious track uphill towards a belt of trees. Pass through a gate and enter the trees, following the path ahead. The belt of trees is only narrow and leaving these behind head uphill , bearing left across the next field following the path to a hedge gap. Here turn slightly right and then once again left to follow the path across the next field, following blue waymarks.

Go through the next field again following the path, which at all times is well-trodden and easy to follow, to descend between low trees and cross a tiny brook. Keep ahead up the next field, initially with a hedge to your right, to join a broad gravelled track. Keep along this until you reach a narrow road.

The countryside around you has now opened out considerably and a great feeling of space is evident, with far reaching views to all sides. Here the WW turns right, but instead keep almost straight ahead next to a broad surfaced drive (a stone footpath sign will be seen here next to the wall). Where the surfaced drive turns left, keep ahead through a gate now following an unsurfaced track between wooden fencing.

Walk down the lane and, just past the second vehicle passing-place, a track goes off to the right. Take this and follow it all the way to the hamlet of Barton. Along the way pass Tinker's Barn, now apparently operated by the Quarry company, where the track deteriorates slightly but is still most pleasant walking.

After cresting the rise ahead a superb view is seen to the right with the village of Kineton plainly visible in the distance. This is the Cotswolds at its best, rolling countryside with patchwork fields and a small village nestling quietly in its folds. Superb! The track now descends, soon to be enclosed between hedges until a t-junction is reached. Here turn left and descend to a gate by the road.

Pass through the gate and turn right, crossing the bridge over the stream. Follow the road for a few yards then turn left at a sign 'unsuitable for goods vehicles' to walk along a lane in front of Barton House, with a large private pool to your left. Keep ahead to where the lane turns right, where a footpath will be seen pointing ahead to take you through Little Windrush Farm.

Comment on this walk from SB, Suffolk -

"We walked this delightful walk on Saturday (6 Jan 07) in steady rain which did not detract from our enjoyment. The instructions were as clear and easy to follow as walk 10. We only used your instructions and did not need to consult our map. We were anxious not to go wrong in the conditions, nor did we."

Walk 1. Walk 2. Walk 3. Walk 4. Walk 5. Walk 6. Walk 7. Walk 8. Walk 10. Walk 11. Walk 12. Walk 13. Walk 14. Walk 15

Coming into view quite soon dead ahead will be seen Huntsman's Quarry, a huge workings that extracts countless tons of Cotswold stone every year. Sights like this are not easy on the eye but do serve as a reminder that you are walking in a living, working countryside landscape - warts and all - that some tend to lose sight of when only confronted with the touristified and sanitised areas such as Bourton-on-the-Water and the like.

At the end of the track is a gate with a (rickety) stile. (Now replaced - my thanks to SB, Suffolk for telling me!) Cross this to emerge upon a road. Turn left along this road - keeping a wary eye out for traffic all the while - and continue until the next road junction is reached. Just before this to the right is what appear to be old quarry workings but are described on the map as a 'tumulus' or ancient mound. Any explanation would be appreciated! At the road junction signposted 'Guiting Power/Kineton' turn left along this quiet lane. (See Sketch 1.)

View over fields, looking back towards Guiting Power

Take the farm track, passing to the right of the house and keep straight ahead to a stile between a small barn and a garage. Cross this and then two more in fairly quick succession to gain a fairly large field. Here bear half-right following a faint track across the field, aiming for the field corner. Here cross another stile and turn left, descending to a footbridge across the stream.

Cross this and then the stile directly ahead to join a lane. Take this and proceed up the lane into Guiting Power. Upon reaching the t-junction at the main road through Guiting Power, take the road almost directly ahead (here rejoining the WW) and keep ahead to where the road turns abruptly right. Here keep straight forward along the lane (with a no through road symbol at its start)to the church, crossing a stile directly ahead and keeping forward across the left hand side of the next field, aiming for a stile in the field boundary ahead.

Cross this and bear half left to follow an obvious track which eventually descends to cross a small stream to the left of a small dam. (If the light is in the right direction the depth of water can be seen above the lip - an odd sight!) Climb the bank opposite and cross the stile ahead to enter a large field. At the time of walking there was no obvious path across this as it had just been ploughed and harrowed, but keep forward in a straight line until a gate is seen in the far boundary.

Squeeze past this - there is no stile - onto a lane, keeping forward up another lane opposite following WW signs. Climb steadily and look for a WW sign on the left just before a belt of trees. Turn off here and follow this well-trodden path across three fields to eventually reach a stile by a road. Cross this and turn left down the road, descending steadily to soon see Naunton signposted by the roadside.

Keep forward and downhill, ignoring a footpath sign pointing off to the right until a 'no through road' sign is seen, with WW signs pointing right. Turn right here, taking this road and follow it to a gate. Pass through this and walk along the path ahead, the Windrush being just to your left at this point. Soon to the left will be seen an ancient and picturesque dovecote in an extremely photogenic state of decay, though apparently still frequented by doves! Just past this will be seen a footbridge to the left. Take this, turning left to cross the Windrush for the last time and then keep forward for a few yards until a metalled lane is seen at the left. Turn left up this lane, passing behind the old dovecote previously seen, making uphill until a t-junction is reached. Here turn right along the main street of Naunton until a couple of minutes later your starting point is reached. (See Sketch 2.)