The Bull Hotel - Route 2

(S/E) With your back to the front corner of the Bull, you will be on a cross roads. You want to head up School lane, so cross the high street carefully and then walk slightly uphill along School Lane (using the path on the left side of the road.)

(1) After about 400m turn left onto a road going slightly uphill called Dark Lane. After another 400m, just before you reach the end of Dark Lane, take the path to the right that continues uphill and tracks Wargrave hill road to your left. Follow the road carefully uphill for another 500m until you reach a metal gate on your left marked as the “Wargrave Scout Group Centenary Gate”.

(2) Go through this gate into the field beyond. Follow the wide path diagonally through the field and slightly downhill towards the trees ahead. Then, follow the path as it bends to the right around the back of the trees and keep following until it reaches a small wooden bridge.

(3) Cross this bridge and continue straight on. After about 120m you’ll see a gap in the hedge on your right. Go through this and immediately turn left and continue to follow the path along the edge of the field with trees to your left. Follow this path for around 250m and as you reach the end of the field, and the path bends off to the right, there is a metal gate and a footpath going into the woods straight ahead. Go through this metal gate and immediately the path forks three ways. A footpath going downhill to the left, a bridleway going sharp right and a footpath going straight ahead. Follow the footpath straight ahead at this point out into the open again. After around 40m the path forks again. Left goes back into the woods but you want to go right instead on the footpath. Follow this footpath as it goes into some woodland and then bends to the left after a while, passing a small wooden gate and then over some tree roots. Keep going straight ahead. After about 40m you’ll see a big tree in the middle of the path and immediately after the tree the path ahead forks. The left fork in the path is almost straight ahead and bending off to the left, but you need to go right, through a gap and a small dip that takes you onto the right fork that then heads on up the hill. Follow this path uphill as it leaves the woodland and turns into a gravel track that continues for around 300m until it enters some more trees. Once in the trees, follow the woodland path for another 200m until it reaches a T-junction in the path. Turn right at this T-junction and then after 20m go through the wooden gate ahead and then turn immediately left following the footpath back into the woods. Keep following this path through woodland for 400m until you reach an opening and T-junction in the track.

(4) You have now reached the top of Bowser Hill. Turn right at this T-junction and after 20m the path forks. Take the left fork and follow this path (signposted to Knowl Hill). Follow this long sweeping path downhill all the way to the bottom until it reaches a T-junction with a signpost. Go left (signposted Warren Hill), and then after 20m turn right onto a path through a metal gate and into a field with beautiful views. Go straight ahead through the field towards the white house on the other side. When you reach the edge of the field by the white house, go through the gate and then immediately go through the next gate 10m straight ahead (ignoring the paths to your left and right). Once you are through the second gate, the path forks with a metal gate on your right and footpath bending off to the left. Follow the left footpath as it turns into a gravel track and then bends off to the right. Follow this track slightly downhill past some houses, and then through some trees, until after around 500m it reaches a T-junction on a busier road.

(5) Turn left here and walk about 30m along the side of the road carefully until you see a metal footpath sign pointing to the right. Carefully cross the road, walk between two large logs, and then through a metal gate into a field. Walk straight ahead into the field for about 100m (nearly half way across) until it meets a path crossroads. Go left at this ‘crossroads’ and continue to follow the path all the way ahead to a gate at the far corner of the field. Go through the gate and then walk straight ahead, about 20m up the hill towards another metal gate. Go through this gate and immediately turn right. Then follow the footpath up the hill and through the field with a fence to your right as you walk up the hill. Keep going uphill to the far end of the field (tracking the wire fence to your right) and when you reach the top, go through the metal gate to your right. Once you are through the gate turn left and carry on walking up the hill with the hedges to your left.

(6) Once you reach the top of the hill, pause for a breather and enjoy the view before going into the woodland path in a gap in the top left corner of the field. Follow this woodland path uphill and then at the top off the hill you reach a crossroads in the glorious woodland. Go straight ahead at this crossroads and follow the woodland path straight on for around 400m, passing a house on your right on the way, until you reach a metal footpath sign at a T-junction.

(7) Go left at this T-junction and then follow the path downhill for 200m until you reach another T-junction. At this next T-junction, turn left and then after just 3m turn right by the metal footpath sign. Follow that path downhill through the woods until you see a house on your right. Walk past the house and then after another 20m turn left into a wooden gate. Walk straight ahead on the grassy lane between the two sweeping wooden fences and follow this lovely wide path all the way down the hill, admiring the views as you go.

(8) At the bottom, there is a metal footpath sign and a fork in the path. Take the right path here and continue down to the quiet lane ahead. Turn left onto the lane and follow it all downhill to the T-junction at the end. At the T-junction, turn right and join the footpath that runs alongside the road with the road to your left. Follow the path all the way down for around 300m until you reach a wooden waymark post and see a gate to the left.

(9) Go through the wooden gate and follow the path straight ahead through the trees and across a little tarmac lane straight ahead until you reach the fence ahead. Once you reach the fence, keep walking ahead on this path tracking the fence to your right as it bends to the left and then right and eventually it reaches a wooden gate. Go through this gate and then follow the path straight ahead on a gravel track, past some garages on your right, and then between some houses.

(10) When the path reaches a road, carefully cross the road and turn right. Follow the road for about 50m until you see the sign on the left and a track going back uphill. Go left here and follow the track. Follow this path uphill until it reaches a wooden gate and some woodland. Go through the gate and continue straight
ahead uphill into the woodland with the fence to your right. Follow this path as it winds, dips and dives through the woodland until you eventually reach a wooden gate.

(11) Go through this gate into the quiet lane and turn right. Then follow this track, downhill all the way, for about 800m. At the bottom of the hill, you will meet a crossroads.

(12) Turn left here and follow the quiet lane slightly uphill. After about 200m you will see a gate on your right with a metal footpath sign. Go through gate and then follow this path down the hill with fences either side of you until it emerges out onto a village hall on your left and a road ahead. Cross this road and take the very narrow footpath straight ahead. Follow this path downhill through fences and then trees until it emerges onto a quiet road.

(13) Turn right and follow the road for around 25m before turning left into some more trees following the metal footpath sign. Follow this path with a wooden fence to your right until it reaches a wooden gate. Go through here and into the field ahead. Walk through the field with trees to your left as it veers to the left and towards more wooden gates. Go through those gates and head uphill under some pretty trees. Keep following until you reach another gate. Go through this gate and continue to follow the track downhill. At the bottom of the hill just after a tree on your left the path turns to the left. Go left here and continue down the gravel track towards the gate ahead.

(14) 10m before the gate, turn sharp right onto a footpath and head down past a tree towards another metal gate. Go through that metal gate and then follow the footpath through the field ahead for about 150m until it reaches another gate. Go through that, and into next field, and follow the path ahead that goes around the left side of a field for around 250m. Go through the next gate, turn right onto the quiet road and after about 10m turn left back onto the footpath. Go straight on again though the field with the field to your left and hedge to your right. Follow this for about 350m through the field until you arrive back at the little wooden bridge that you crossed earlier.

(3) Turn right here and follow the path ahead until you reach the Scout gate and then turn right onto the road. Carefully follow this road downhill for 500m until you see Dark Lane on your left. Follow Dark Lane downhill for 400m and then turn right at the T junction onto School lane. Follow School Lane all the way back to the Bull on the crossroads.(S/E)