Robust Rambles

Dymchurch to Didcot Robust Ramble

Section 31 Out

Shackleford to The Sands

Walk Details
Map OS Explorer 145 Guildford & Farnham
Distance/time 5 miles/ 3 hours
Start The Cyder Inn, Shackleford
Comment A straightforward section through the award winning village then mostly on bridleways which although muddy in places are easy to follow. There are many detached houses passed on the route with a great deal of character from timber framed, to Georgian, Victorian gothic and modern ‘grand designs’.
Walk Instructions

With The Cyder Inn on your right. Walk up the road towards the village. Pass a footpath and car park on your right and at the road junction, keep straight on passing the village shop on your right. Continue to the first side road off left.

Turn down here (Lombard Street) passing the entrance to the Aldro School on your left, then past cottages on your right and a timber framed house called ‘Cobblers’. Ignore a footpath off right and keep on uphill on the road.

In 100 metres go right off the road on a narrow footpath up the bank to a stile into a field. Bear diagonally left across the field to a stile by a wooden barrier at the far side and cross onto a broad track. Go on along this track in the same direction gradually uphill. Over the brow the track drops down then turns sharply right.

Here go straight on, still downhill, through poles, on a clear track through woods. Keep downhill on this sandy track for some distance, ignoring side paths off right and left. After a horse paddock on the left the track becomes muddy.

Look for Kingshott Cottage on your right. Immediately past this turn right on a narrow bridleway enclosed by holly trees. This soon reaches a road opposite a red letter box.

Turn right along the road for a short distance. Where the road turns sharp right, bear left on a bridleway into trees. Follow this through woods to a gate into parkland . Go on in the same direction to a gate at the far side onto a lane. Turn right on this and soon reach a road.

Cross straight over to the gate to Fulwood Farm. Just before the gate turn left onto a bridleway into trees. Follow this easily for half a mile to emerge onto a further road. Cross and go up the drive to Three Barrows. Once through the buildings and past a gateway continue on the drive with a hedge on the left and a fence on your right, following power lines.

Where the drive ends (currently by an enclosure for rare breed pigs), continue ahead, under power lines, downhill through trees and gorse to reach a drive at the bottom.

Turn right uphill on this (go left to a main road with a pub called The Donkey just beyond if required). The drive goes uphill for ½ miles between isolated houses. Just past the last house reach a crossing of ways. Keep on straight ahead on a sandy track still uphill to cross Crooksbury Common (Forestry Commission land). In ½ mile the track returns to a vehicle drive and in a further ½ mile reaches a road.

Turn left for a short distance to reach The Barley Mow pub and the end of the section.