Flyford Flavell
Circular Walk 7 (4.5 Miles)
Walk Overview
This circular walk takes in attractive countryside and open farmland. Mostly flat easy walking, but not all stiles are dog friendly. The second half of the walk incorporates a section of The Millennium Way, where you will be guided by the distinctive green waymarkers.
Walk Details
- Start: The Boot Inn, Flyford Flavell WR7 4BS
- Start Grid Ref: SO980 549
- Parking: The Boot Inn if visiting, otherwise roadside
- Refreshments: The Boot Inn (01386 462658)
- Maps: OS Explorer 204 or OS Landranger 150
- Distance: 4½ miles
- Time: 2½ hours
- Stiles: 16 (not all dog friendly)
- Download: Walk GPS (GPS Exchange Format, GPX)
- GPS and GPX explained
- Find a mobile app on the Apple App Store or Google Play
Updated July 2023
Walk Instructions
Section A
Our walk starts from the The Boot Inn at Flyford Flavell which is situated on a corner by a T- junction in the village of Flyford Flavell. Directly opposite the T-Junction you will find a public footpath sign and stile. Take stile and go diagonally left across field to take a gate into grassed area in front of two houses. Go diagonally across this grassed area to corner metal gate. Take gate into small field and continue ahead with hedge left. Take the gated gap ahead on left then continue gently down field keeping in line with power lines, to find and take metal gate around lower left hedge at rear of car dealership, to reach main A422 road.
Over the hills and far away
Section B
Cross over very busy A422 to take large metal kissing gate opposite, into field. Go slightly left diagonally across field to take a double gated footbridge across stream. Go 1/2 left for 25 paces and then through metal gate. Go right up field in between wire fence and hedge on right. After passing a metal gate proceed for a short distance to a surfaced track, turning right immediately over cattle grid. Where the track turns right, take the stile on left and then go right around edge of large field keeping hedge right. Eventually you will reach a metal kissing gate at field corner. Take gate then ahead to reach a plank bridge and metal kissing gate.Do NOT take this kissing gate, instead turn sharp left up field edge keeping hedge right to take metal kissing gate at top.
Section C
Once through this metal kissing gate stay gently up edge of field keeping hedge and then woodland on right. Stay along the edge of field and eventually you will reach the field corner with a metal kissing gate. Go through gate and continue with hedge and trees right. Pass under power lines and after 50 paces cross over waymarked A - framed stile, on your right, into field.
Quiet corners
Section D
Head 35 paces towards waymarked metal gate ahead and pass through turning right to continue along enclosed bridleway, which can be very muddy, until you reach a surfaced drive. Stay forward past houses to reach road. Turn right on road then almost immediately left down Dormston Lane. Continue along lane ignoring the first two footpaths on right. Go past a red post box for approx 100 paces to take a bridleway right (just after Moat Cottage) entering a field through a metal gate, which needs to be lifted to open / close.
Secluded properties
Section E
Once into the field go ahead keeping hedge far right, passing under power lines (ignore any footpath right) and stay ahead towards metal gated gap in hedge directly ahead. Go through gap and stay forward across field to pass under low level power lines then through metal gate into next field. Continue directly ahead across centre of field to take the gated gap directly ahead of you (ignore first gap right) and, after entering the next field, turn sharp left to follow up edge of field keeping hedge left. Take small footbridge and stile at field corner gap and stay directly forward across next field (if heavily cropped with no obvious pathway, then go round left hand side of field) to take a wooden stile into pasture at the left side of Hill Farm Bed and Breakfast. Stay directly ahead to exit pasture via gap/stile to lane.
Section F
Turn right on lane (you have now joined the Millennium Way and will be guided for the rest of the walk by the distinctive green waymarkers). Stay on lane for 1/3rd mile downhill to T-junction. Cross main A422 and take metal gate opposite into field.
Section G
Go diagonally 1/2 right across field (the path is sometimes overgrown and poorly delineated) towards right of buildings on horizon to find double gated bridge over stream. Cross bridge, go right up field up a shallow gully and under low single power line to find stile. Cross stile and go across narrow field to take bridge stile. Go ahead to take a further bridge stile then 1/2 left to take large metal gate in hedge. Go with wire fence/hedge/wire fence right to find and cross stile. Continue 1/2 left with house to left, to exit by far left corner stile to road.
Stunning views
Section H
Go directly across road to follow the Millennium Way sign through gap into field. Go with hedge left, past a gated footbridge at field corner and continue around field edge keeping hedge left to reach top field corner. Go right for 15 paces to take stile in hedge gap into next field and continue directly ahead across field. In the left hand corner of field cross wooden stile by a fenced pond, then stay across centre of field towards mid hedge gateway. Cross hidden stile to left of gateway and continue ahead with hedge right. At the end of the field, take gate and cross a narrow overgrown field with fence left to metal gate. Take metal gate and turn right on busy road to arrive back at The Boot Inn and the village of Flyford Flavell.
Points of Interest - What to know and what to see...
by Andy Botherway
St Peter's Flyford Flavell
Flyford Flavell
The village is not separately entered in the Domesday Survey, being then included in the estate of North Piddle under the abbey of Westminster. Whitsun Brook forms the southern and the Piddle Brook the north-western boundary of the parish.
The parish church of Flyford is dedicated to St Peter. With the exception of the 15th Century tower it was rebuilt in 1883.
The Boot Inn, which has a fine restaurant, started life as a farm, with bits that date back to the 13th Century. The restaurant was originally the farm dairy. The pub has a friendly poltergeist and visitors have reported feeling ‘cold gusts of wind’ from time to time!
Hill FarmDormston
Moat Farm
Moat Farm, pictured, which is passed on Dormston Lane is a fine timber-frame 17th Century farmhouse. It is Grade II* listed, together with a nearby dovecote from the same period.
Hill Farm House
Hill Farm House at Dormston, a former working farmhouse, has been converted to very nice ensuite Bed and Breakfast accommodation.
Moat FarmDormston Lane
St. James Kington
For the church enthusiast, and since this is a short walk, a diversion to Kington may be of interest, as the small parish church has a fine timber-frame tower dating from the 13th Century.
The OS map indicates this church is without a tower which appears correct when viewed from the front. However, when viewed from the north-west, it does look more like a tower.
