This 6 mile circuit makes use of well maintained paths around some of the Newmarket studs, quiet country roads and a section of the Icknield Way, supposedly the oldest road in Britain. The latter was already ancient when the Romans came and extends from Ivinghoe Beacon in Buckinghamshire to Knettishall Heath in Norfolk along the chalk ‘spine’ of England. This local walk can be enjoyed during the winter period. Ordnance Survey map 210 Newmarket & Haverhill will provide the necessary re-assurance. You may prefer to carry your own refreshments. The New Cheveley Stores and Ashley Stores are off the route, the latter only slightly. If 6 miles is not sufficiently challenging there are two extra half hours which can be added to the basic route. One is a diversion to Upend which is a there and back 30 minutes; the other is an addition to this described route to include Saxon Street and will add another 30 minutes to the circuit. The total mileage could then approach 8 miles.
Park in the recreation ground in Cheveley. This can be found on the right behind a brick wall on the road that runs from the B1063 south to Saxon Street and Kirtling. Having put on your footwear and collected your rucksack leave the park and turn right up Cheveley high street. Cross a road signposted to Stetchworth and pass the school. Shortly after, and before you reach the church, you will find an ‘Icknield Way’ sign on the left. Take this straight path which leads between hedges and horse paddocks into Ashley. The village stores is 100 steps to the left. On reaching the road turn right and leave the Icknield Way. Use the pavement to go past ‘The Old Plough’ and across Silverley Way and you will be taken into the recreation field. Walk parallel to the road, passing the village hall and car park on the left, to the next corner where you will find a convenient gap through which you must pass. Continue in the same direction to find a path protected from the road by a bank and a stop/start hedge. Follow this path gently downhill. You will be directed right in the first corner and left in the next. This is very pleasant walking along a regularly trimmed and clearly marked stud track.
Eventually you will come to another road where you turn right for a while then take the footpath to the left. The entrance is just before a stunted brick wall and you pass between wooden barriers. Despite there being no fingerpost, it is clearly a footpath with paddocks on the left and tall trees on the right. The path continues gently downhill. After using a narrow pedestrian bridge and handrail join another road and turn right. Pass gate 38 on the right. Find the next footpath on the left (the sign is hidden in a laurel hedge). This takes you down a drive signed Banstead Manor Stud Covering Yard. Go through a pedestrian gate on the left and follow the drive to find and go through a second gate in front of red brick ‘Keepers Cottage’. Continue over a wide stretch of grass, cross one of the stud roads and veer half left to continue to the right of a hedge. The headstone to Gohara Elta’g is on your left. There are waymarks on this section. You should now be walking between the hedge on the left and paddocks on the right. Cross another stud road and continue (waymarks). Eventually you will come to a pedestrian gate and bridge across a ditch (more waymarks). Turn right and take the pedestrian gate to the left of the main entrance.
The footpath veers around a garden, yard and stables. At this point it is possible to divert to Upend (* details later) or walk ahead with a belt of trees on the right and post and rail fencing on the left. You will soon leave the fencing behind but stick with trees or hedge on the right. Eventually you will enter another field. The path continues ahead cutting off the field corner and leading through a gap in the hedge. You are back in paddock country. It is possible to divert to Saxon Street at this point (**details later) Take the path facing you so that you have a fence on your left and a hedge on your right. This track leads through a pedestrian gate and on to a road. Turn right. Facing you is Oak tree corner with another opportunity to sit and rest. Use the verge to reach Broad Green, passing Warren Stud and the road signed to Cheveley and Moulton on the way. At the Green take the footpath on the left. This eventually leads through a kissing gate across a drive to a triangle of grass. Turn right at the main road. This is Cheveley high street again. Pass the church and several grand houses on your way back to the car park.
*Possible Upend diversion.
If you are due for a break take the path on the left which runs behind a hedge (faded waymarks at this point) and then through a gap in the hedge. After a short distance this leads into Fittocks Stud. With the pond on your right follow the drive round to the right. Pass the last building and 70 paces beyond find a gap in the hedge on the left. There are waymarks at this point, on the post and rail fence, but are easily missed. Follow this path down to the road at Upend. Why bother? Two reasons. The first is that on the left under a commemorative oak is a bench (and if you get the timing right a carpet of violets) where you can eat your sandwich. The second is that this is an attractive hamlet of thatched cottages which you would probably never find otherwise. Having rested you must retrace your steps back to the yard and stables.
**Possible extension to include Saxon Street
After passing through the gap in the hedge turn left and follow a hard surface path with paddocks on the right and a mature hedge on the left. This changes to a grass track with hedges on both sides. Stay with this track making two half rights until you pass under cables and stay with them for a short distance. Reach the road near the ‘Saxon Street’ sign. Go straight across and through a small side gate to the right of the main gate. A notice warning ‘Horses bite. Do not touch’ is displayed. Follow the green track ahead and join a stud road. Where this turns right (paddock 242) you must go left through the hedge and then right staying with the tarmac track. At the end, beside stables (Baldwin Boxes), go through a kissing gate to re-join the Icknield Way. Turn right and walk between hedges to reach the road in Cheveley. This last section is the least walkable in winter as it is used by horses. Turn left to return to the car park. The church of St Mary and the Holy Host of Heaven is usually open. The organ was installed in 1897 and is still regularly used for services. The angular tower is worth a glance. Coffee and cake is served every first and third Wednesday between 10 and noon.
Walked October 2024
Roger Medley 01440 820551
Coming Soon to a Fingerpost near you
Suffolk County Council has received funding for a county wide initiative to encourage more people to explore the local area. A field officer has been appointed and volunteers have been recruited to attach plaques to fingerposts in individual parishes. Each plaque (see diagram) displays an app. which can be downloaded to modern Apple and android phones. This will display the local section of the Ordnance Survey map showing footpaths and recognised walking, cycling and riding trails. The information can be stored if walkers are visiting an area where there is limited phone cover. Plaques have been added to 44 stable fingerposts in Wickhambrook and where fingerposts are missing or unstable these have been reported. There are 18 of these and they will be replaced complete with plaques. Wickhambrook is one of the first parishes in the County to complete this task.
W.I.Walking Group
The Wickhambrook W.I. Walking Group meets every Wednesday morning at 10am starting from the MSC car park for walks in the village or slightly further afield. We walk for about two hours and cover about five miles, depending on how much chatting is taking place. There are usually six of us, although we have had a dozen occasionally, dogs are welcome too.