A moderate route in Warwickshire. Check the GPS track on Outdooractive for full details of the route, waypoints, and terrain.
Starting Point: Car park just off Mill Street, Shipston on Stour (SP 259 404)
Terrain: Town streets, Campden Road, lane, field paths, farm track, quiet lane (pleasant stroll), busy A3400 crossing (care required), field paths, footbridge, Shakespeare's Way, River Stour path, village lane
A pleasant and varied circular walk from the attractive market town of Shipston on Stour, combining open field paths with a quiet lane stroll and a fine riverside return along Shakespeare's Way. The outward leg heads west and southwest past Ditchford Farm and the cottages before dropping south to the atmospheric site of Ditchford Frary — a deserted medieval village on the Warwickshire-Gloucestershire border whose chapel was already a ruin by the 17th century. The quiet lane east through High Furze to Tidmington is a highlight in itself, peaceful and largely traffic-free. After crossing the A3400 with care, the route picks its way north through fields and over a footbridge before joining Shakespeare's Way at Rushway Farm for a fine return north along the River Stour through Barcheston. The pretty church at Barcheston is worth a short detour before Shakespeare's Way brings you back to Mill Street and the bridge into town. A thoroughly enjoyable walk with real historical interest.