A Gentle Circular Walk Through the Valley

The Route at a Glance

This is a walk for the days when you want the countryside without the climb. Roughly four miles — six and a half kilometres — it loops through the flat water meadows on the valley floor, slips into a pocket of ancient woodland, and returns along the riverbank to the village where you started. Allow two to two and a half hours at a gentle pace, and rather longer if you intend to make proper use of the benches, which you should.

The going is level apart from one short, soft rise through the trees. There are no stiles to clamber over, only a handful of kissing gates wide enough for a pushchair and a Labrador, and two boardwalk sections that keep the worst of the winter flooding underfoot. Between November and March the meadow path holds water, so waterproof boots are sensible rather than fussy. In summer, trainers will do perfectly well.

Setting Off Through the Water Meadows

Begin at the village green, where the footpath sign points away from the church and drops you almost immediately onto the riverbank. For the first mile the route follows the water closely, and the meadows on either side are managed in the old way — grazed between April and October, cut for hay in late summer, and left to flood in winter. That cycle is what makes them so rich. Expect cattle on the riverside pasture in the warmer months; they are used to walkers, but keep dogs close and give them room, particularly if there are calves about.

Look out for the old water meadows' drainage channels, cut straight as rulers across the grass. These are the remains of a system that once deliberately flooded the fields in early spring to protect the grass from frost — clever, patient farming that shaped this landscape long before anyone thought to call it a landscape.

Where the Valley Narrows

After about a mile and a half the valley tightens, the river swings left against a low sandstone bank, and the path lifts slightly onto drier ground. There is a shallow weir here, and it is worth stopping for five minutes. Herons fish below it most mornings, standing with the patience of someone who has nowhere at all to be, and if you are quiet and a little lucky you may catch the flash of a kingfisher working upstream.

Beside the weir you will pass the remains of the old mill race, now mostly a damp ditch full of watercress and forget-me-nots. The stonework is tumbled but recognisable, and a small information board explains how the wheel once turned. It is a good spot for children to poke about while the adults catch their breath.

Into the Ancient Woodland

The path now crosses a narrow wooden footbridge and enters the wood — a proper one, with oak and ash standards standing above a hazel understorey that has been coppiced for centuries. In late April the floor turns blue with bluebells, and the smell of wild garlic is strong enough to follow like a signpost. Wood anemone comes earlier, in March, and by June the whole place is green and close and full of birdsong.

This is the only real climb of the walk, and it is over in ten minutes. Watch your footing on the roots, which are polished smooth by generations of boots and slippery after rain. Nuthatches call here, and you will often see deer crossing the ride ahead of you at dusk — grey squirrels, sadly, are far more common than reds.

Benches, Bridges and Places to Pause

One of the quiet pleasures of this route is how well it is furnished. There are six benches along the circuit, all of them placed by people who clearly knew what they were doing.

• The meadow bench, about half a mile in, facing back towards the church spire — the best view of the whole walk.
• The weir bench, sheltered by a willow, perfect for a flask on a cold morning.
• The woodland bench, halfway up the short rise, with a carved dedication and a fine spread of bluebells in spring.
• The packhorse bridge bench, at the top of the loop, where the old stone bridge crosses the river in three low arches.
• Two riverside benches on the return leg, both with backs, both catching the afternoon sun.

Take a flask. This walk rewards sitting about, and there is no point pretending otherwise.

Practical Matters

Park considerately on the village street or use the small car park beside the green, which fills quickly on sunny weekends. Dogs are welcome throughout, though they should be on a lead through the meadow pasture and around the wildlife pond near the bridge. The route is waymarked with yellow arrows for most of its length, and a 1:25,000 Ordnance Survey map will settle any doubt at the two junctions where the path briefly shares a farm track.

The pub by the green serves food until mid-afternoon, which makes a pleasant ending, and there is a village shop for ice creams in summer. Muddy boots are tolerated but not encouraged — a boot scraper by the door tells you everything about local priorities.

Come in any season, but come early or late in the day if you can. The valley holds the light beautifully at both ends, and the benches, after all, are for the people who take their time.