Walk Number 10

Map 8 3.5 miles

Scotland and Southwick Court

2hours

Southwick Country Park - Baptist Chapel - Scotland & Ireland Southwick Court

Commentary: Very much an historic walk.

1. From the car park go through the stile into the Southwick
Country Park and take the left fork footpath (one of 3) up
the hill between the newly planted trees.

Go through the hedgerow and pass straight through the next field keeping to the beaten track. Next, take the middle of 3 forked paths and proceed across the field passing straight across a vehicle track. Carry on walking and pass on the right of a large single oak and fenced-off wetland area.

Follow the track around the right hand side of the field. Proceed up the slight hill to a wooden bench (take a rest if required).

2. Carry on up the field through the gap at top. If you look to
your left you will see Westbury White Horse. Keeping the
rear of the Farmhouse Inn and the allotments on your left,
exit the field at the left hand corner next to a red brick
house, into School Lane.

3. Turn left down School Lane until you reach the main road.
If you look left you will see the Old School and particularly
the interesting clock. (The Farmhouse Inn is 50 metres to
your left if you require refreshments). Cross over into
Church Street, follow it round turning left into Wynsome Street and continue 100 metres or so to the bridge over the Lambrok

Optional Short Cut: to avoid Scotland and Ireland

After crossing the bridge turn left into Breach Lane. When you meet Axe & Cleaver Lane turn left and continue for a further mile ignoring the next green lane on your right.

Eventually, at a bend (point 'P' on the map) opposite 2 oak trees, you will meet a large galvanized gate with a stile on its right-hand side. Cross the stile and follow the barbed wire fence to the first stile. Immediately turn left and walk to the stile on the opposite side of the field. Turn right and walk to the gateway and water trough. From these fields you can see Trowbridge College, the poplar trees in the Playing Field and the spirelet atop Southwick Church tower.

Follow the track until you reach a black gate on your right that gives a good view of Southwick Court. Now rejoin the main route from point 10.

4. Cross the "new" iron bridge (for a glimpse of the previous and original masonry bridge, see the photograph in the Sports & Social Club.) Then up "Chapel Hill" (as known by the locals) noting the Old Baptist Church founded in 1655 at the top. (The current building was completed in 1815 as a replacement for the earlier thatched chapel). "Wynsome" gives way to "Goose" Street and at its end turn left into Bradley Road, immediately cross the road and the grass verge and enter the field to the right.

5. Head diagonally across the field to Scotland. This tiny (Southwick) hamlet has a "joke" name, indicating that it is a long way from the centre of Southwick or that navvies working on the construction of the canals or railways once lived here and in Ireland (part of North Bradley).

To shorten the walk avoiding Scotland follow the Bradley Road over the brow of the hill to Organ Pool Farm and continue on from Point 7.

6. Climb the stile in the corner of the field, turn left, head west
for about 40 metres and then turn right. Pass the "nissen"
type structure - a war relic? - to the right, and the attractive
gardens with fine specimens of Silver Birch. About 200
metres from your last turning, note Ireland House, a sign
that you have reached Southwick's "Emerald Isle".

Turn left and after about 125 metres, you will come to Waterford House and its very fine beech hedge. Follow the metalled road to its junction with Bradley Road at Organ Pool Farm, which has a flag-pole for royalists and a "golden cockerel" weather vane for meteorologists.

7. Having crossed the road (watch for speeding traffic!) turn
right and keep to the footway for about 100 metres then
take the footpath and double stile through the field which is
finger-posted to "The Rank". Diagonally cross the field
emerging over a stile into The Rank. (This stile is finger-
posted "Ireland Vz" in the opposite direction, of course).

8. Turning left, walk the Public Bridleway westward, noting
Wessex Water's Pumping Station to your left, squeeze
through the gap to the right of the gate which confronts you

and after another 170 metres or so, cross Axe & Cleaver Lane.

9. Enter the field ahead of you by the stile to the right of the
gate. Cross the field to the far side, keeping the white
cottage to your right. Go over the stile that is under the oak
tree and to the right of the "7-barred" steel gate. Cross the
concrete bridge over the Lambrok, then bear right to the
double stile in the middle of the field hedge. Cross this and
head in a straight line for Southwick Court, an old moated
house.

10. After reaching the black, 6-barred metal gate, you can
either turn left for "Frome Road" as described in paragraph
eleven or if historically minded cross the gate and continue
following the public footpath, that ends at the arched
wrought-iron gate. This will take you closer to historic
Southwick Court. This is a private home, so please be
circumspect, respect the occupier's privacy and don't stray
from the definitive footpath. It was once the home of
Elizabeth Stafford, the mother of John Stafford, who was
Archbishop of Canterbury between 1443 and 1452. Yes,
Southwick Court is indeed the oldest building in Southwick!
You must now turn around and retrace your steps to the
gate that you crossed earlier. Cross the gate and turn right.

11. Walk about 50 metres and cross the cattle grid. Then follow the track leading to the A361, Trowbridge to Frome Road, emerging at the top of Firs Hill. Carefully cross the road, turn right and return downhill to your starting point at the Country Park.

Map 8

Map 8