Southwick Manor

1 hour

Walk Number 2

Map 1 2 miles

Village Hall - Flaxfield Farm - Southwick Manor - Hoggington - The Old School

Commentary: A gentle walk past Southwick Manor to the hamlet of Hoggington (Hog Town). According to the County Records Office, Southwick was probably named after the manor farms (Home Farm, Park Farm and Odessa Farm) as the word Southwick means south of the dairy farm. If the weather is dry try the extension to the walk.

1. Turn left out of the Village Hall car park and walk on the
pavement in the direction of Frome until, a few yards past
the bollards on the A361, you see a footpath sign on the
opposite side of the road.

2. Carefully cross the road, then the stile, make for the gate at
the opposite side of the field and then walk towards the
next gate.

Short cut:

To take the short cut, ignore the first stile on your left, cross the second stile which is dead ahead, turn right and walk down "New Road", a green lane, and on past Southwick Manor until you reach the junction with Hoggington Lane. Now continue from paragraph 5.

4.            Turn left and after a few yards take the footpath on the right
that crosses the middle of the next two fields.     Pass
between the buildings and turn right on to the green lane.
Go straight on at the cross roads. Two hundred yards later
the track makes a left-hand turn.     Continue on past
Southwick Manor (note the date above the door) until you
reach the junction with Hoggington Lane.

5. Climb the stile almost directly ahead. Cut the corner of the
next field to a double stile and plank bridge.

6. Now follow the left-hand hedge to a stile leading into the
Country Park - ignore this stile!

7. Turn right and follow a row of trees that mark the position of
a hedgerow that has been removed. Cross a further 2
fields and 3 stiles to enter School Lane.

8. At Frome Road turn right to return to the Village Hall.