HUGS Three Village Wild Walk

1

If you’re starting at East Hagbourne Car Park next to Hagbourne Village Hall, park and cross Main Road at the zebra crossing. Turn left and follow the road around to the right. Be aware – the pavement stops for a short section opposite the late 17th Century Tudor House. Continue as far as the 15th Century Upper Cross monument, the location for an episode of Dr Who in 1975 when Tom Baker battled an alien invasion. 

(Detour – cross the road to see the Tudor House allotments. These are rented to villagers for a peppercorn rent with the proviso that the front section is planted with flowers for the benefit of the occupants of the house called ‘Fletchers’ opposite).  Turn right at the cross onto Church Close.

2

Bear left into St Andrew’s C of E churchyard and follow the path past the main entrance of the church, which dates from the 12th Century with numerous additions and restorations.

Exit through the bike barrier onto a gravel path and continue straight on with Manor Farm to your left.

In the 19th Century hops were grown extensively in the area, hence the hop chimney in the farm’s grounds.

3

At the crossroads by the red dog bin continue straight on along the metalled path with a sturdy hedgerow to the right, ideal for sheltering small birds and butterflies.

The path curves round to the left and as it crosses a small stream you’ll see a plaque marked ‘Release Peace’, part of the East Hagbourne Poetry Trail. Copies of the book that accompanies the trail are available from the local Post Office.

4

Follow the path around to the right with a brook and line of mixed trees including willow, poplar and Swedish whitebeam to your left. Where the line of trees ends at a bench continue straight towards the railway arch. On your left the field and telegraph wires are favourites with swallows and house martins in summer, and fieldfare and redwing in autumn.

The railway embankment ahead is a section of the old Didcot to Newbury line which operated from 1881 to 1967, now repurposed as part of the national cycle network by Sustrans. 

Just before the arch turn left onto the up-ramp. Tread quietly and you might catch a common lizard basking on the old railway sleepers which shore up the bank to the right. Scabious, marjoram and yarrow on the bank afford good foraging for summer butterflies on the verge to your left. Keep left at the junction and take the down-ramp to another arch where you turn right. 

5

Pass under the arch and keep right, following the grassy track between mature hedgerows with a stream on the left. This is a great spot for finches, tits, and blackbirds as well as butterflies in the spring, summer and early autumn.

The lane has benefited from the legacy of tree planting by Hagbourne Environment Group (funds be-quested by the Linlaker family from East Hagbourne).

Carry on for a dozen yards where the track meets a metalled road, Moor Lane.

Then cross the small footbridge on your left and enter a narrow hedged ‘corridor’ thick with damson and bramble. 

6

Cross the gravel road and carry on down a footpath between dogwood hedges which border paddocks. Jink left and go up a couple of steps to a kissing gate. Once through the gate, carry straight on along the field edge with high hazel stands to your left. If you’re here at dusk look out for owls and bats using the canopy ‘shadow’ to hunt.

(Detour – turn left as soon as you’re through the gate and after 30 yards turn right along a trail through the trees. Follow the trail, dog-legging right and left and emerge to join up with the path near the railway arch.)

Bear left through the railway arch after 150 yards.

7

Head towards an old iron gate on your left, pass under the arch and turn sharp left onto the up-ramp. In late summer the slope to your left will be alive with ivy bees.

Carry on along the old railway embankment with views across the fields on either side. Look out for bikes coming from behind (you’re on a cycle path!) You’re highly likely to see a kite or two soaring overhead, and the occasional buzzard. Stop at the concrete platform on the right to see if you can spot a sparrowhawk flashing out of cover. The undergrowth at the field edge may conceal muntjac and rabbits.

The railway line has plenty to tempt the forager – walnuts, crab apple, hawthorn, rosehip and blackberry. The vegetation is chalk grassland up here and supports much plant and animal life, butterflies and other pollinators in the warmer months. If you can, do stay on the path to help protect plant and insect life.

At the 4-way junction keep left to stay on the desire path so you get a good view into the field adjacent to Grove Farm, once the site of extensive orchards. Scan for a kestrel hovering, and goldfinches, long-tailed tits and wheatears in the bushes. Continue along the embankment with views of East Hagbourne to the right. The undulating bench echoes the furrows and ridges of Manor Farm Field to your right. Just after the bench turn right down the steps. Be aware – you’ll be joining a road with no pavement. Traffic can approach fast. (Alternative route without road described in section 9).

8

At the bottom of the steps turn right along Main Road until you’re opposite the cemetery gates.

In Hagbourne Cemetery there is a wildflower meadow managed by HUGS. In spring there are cowslips in the meadow. Then into early summer there is a beautiful mix of wild carrot, marjoram, yarrow, knapweed, ox-eye daisies, musk mallow, plantain, selfheal, ragged robin as well as two types of orchid. The meadow provides home for a diverse mix of invertebrates. On a sunny summer day there are a host of different pollinators enjoying nectar from the flowers.

The ‘rosa rugosa’ hedge, spanning the width of this part of the cemetery, is also a beautiful feature. The pink flowers are single so perfect for pollinators and smell divine. The red rosehips in the autumn and winter are also beautiful but more importantly will feed birds when they have been softened by after the first frosts.

The tall conifers in the older part of the cemetery are likely to harbour pipistrelle and brown-eared bats, and tawny and little owls. 

Continue in the same direction along Main Road until you reach the village hall car park on your left.

9

For an alternative, more accessible route, instead of going down the steps continue along the embankment for another 250 yards and bear left to take the down ramp.

Turn right at the bottom of the ramp and pass under the railway arch into a residential street, Lake Road.

(At the bottom of the ramp you can detour to the Mowbray Fields Nature Reserve, managed by the Earth Trust. Turn left then almost immediately right across the footbridge. The reserve is across the open space to your left.

Mowbray Fields can be a perfect spot for a picnic. The wildflower meadow was started in 2001 and over 200 species of invertebrates have been counted here! There is a mix of ponds, rough grass, marsh and wet woodland. You can find common spotted and southern marsh orchids in spring and early summer).

Turn right opposite Butt’s Piece Allotments and walk 250 yards down Harwood Road. Turn right just after Number One onto a footpath between the houses.

This takes you back to the entrance to the village hall car park on Main Road.