Orwell, Harlton & Haslingfield Figure-of-Eight

Description

Start : The best place to start this walk is from the Orwell road to Barrington. Where the road out of Orwell swings sharp right there is a large off-road area where you can park. (Nearby postcode CB22 7SQ). Grid ref. TL 382 505

(D/A) From the off-road parking in Orwell and with your back to the road join a wide gravel track on the left called "Whole Way" track which gently climbs uphill with trees lined on either side (North). Once you reach the top of this climb and before the gravel path opens up into open fields, pause a moment and look to your right where you will see a track heading into woodland. This is where you will return after completing the figure-of-eight route.

(1) Continue straight ahead along Whole Way track as it falls downhill between large open fields. The track gently turns right (North-East) and will eventually come to a T-junction with Eversden Road. (around 1.1 Km)

(2) Turn right (East) and follow the road into the little village of Harlton looking out for houses on the left built from the clunch removed from the pit you will be shortly visiting. As you walk into the small village of Harlton you will pass the Hare & Hounds pub (a good place to stop for refreshments but probably not until you return to this spot on the way back). A short distance past the pub you will find a village notice board and red PO box.

(3) Turn right (South) onto a narrow path through a gate marked “Rods Walk”. This path flanked either side with trees gently climbs until you reach a metal kissing gate on the ridge of Harlton Clunch pit.

This clunch pit is a sloping area of 1.5 hectares of mixed woodland that is owned by the Parish Council. This wooded area is a great spot, cool when it is hot and a shelter when it is wet and windy. You can spend time here roaming around the pit as there are paths running in all directions around and in the pit. There is also plenty of fallen trees which makes for a good place to sit and rest the legs. As this is the centre of the walk you will have time to explore this area again on the way back.

Head towards the opposite side of the clunch pit ridge where the path continues through woodland and another metal kissing gate. Follow this wooded path South and in less than 1/4 mile you will reach a T-junction on the path.

(4) If you turn right at this point the path will take you back to the top of Whole Way track and half of the figure-of-eight route. Otherwise, turn left (East) and follow the wooded track through trees. The path bends right, then left and right again and to your right there are views of a large Lime Quarry, now disused. Follow the path for another 3/4 mile until the path comes out at the top of Chapel Hill.

(5) Turn left (North-East) and walk down Chapel Hill into the village of Haslingfield.

(6) At the T-junction with the Church of All Saints ahead, turn left (North-West) on the road passing the church on your right. There is a convenient Café opposite the church if you need refreshments. Head along Church Street until you come to a junction with Harlton Road on your left.

(7) Turn left onto Harlton Road and follow this road out of Haslingfield for about a mile back into the village of Harlton and the Hare & Hounds Pub (now is the time to stop for that well-deserved refreshment).

(3) To complete the figure-of-eight walk, rejoin the path by the red PO box and “Rods Walk”, heading back to the clunch pit. When you have retraced your walk through the pit, up and over the other side and where the wooded path comes to a T-junction, (waypoint (4)) here turn right (West) and follow the path back to Whole Way track. As you come out of the wood and onto the track at waypoint (1), turn left (South) and head down Whole Way track back to your car. (D/A)