It was a crisp winter’s day over Warwickshire, the sun picking out the gold in the Cotswold stone houses of Ilmington. A whiff of applewood smoke came down on the breeze as we followed Middle Street past medieval fishponds to the cruciform Church of St Mary.
Among the oak pews of this beautiful Norman building scurry Arts and Crafts mice, the signature speciality of the Yorkshire master carver Robert Thomson. The carpenter set these humorous little rodents in the pews and pulpit of St Mary’s in the 1930s, and they still raise a smile today.
In the nave hangs a wonderful embroidered map of the orchards of Ilmington, its hem sewn with the names of apple varieties found here — Howgate Wonder, Laxton’s Superb, Siberian crab. A green lane took us up the hill from Ilmington between the orchards, our boots wobbling among cookers and eaters long fallen to ground.
From the crest of the hill a glorious view opened, down slopes deeply indented with the ridge and furrow of Middle Ages strip farming, away over a low-lying vale of lush green meadows to the prominent hump of Meon Hill. The Devil created the hill when he missed his aim while chucking a sod of earth at Worcester Cathedral, and it’s well known that at the darkest hour of night you can catch the howling of the red-eared hounds of King Arawyn, Lord of the Dead, as he conducts his wild hunt around Meon Hill.
After a stretch of road between hedges hung with scarlet necklaces of bryony, we swung off southwest along the well-marked Monarch’s Way. Fat white sheep cropped the pastures around Hidcote Combe, the low winter sun backlighting their fleeces into spun gold and making dark trenches of the medieval furrows.
Advertisement
At the foot of the lane to Hidcote Bartrim we turned east for home, leaving the wonders of Hidcote Manor gardens — “outdoor rooms” of rare beauty — for a spring visit some other day.
An ancient trackway climbs the slopes to the crest of the hills and a view west as far as the Malverns, Bredon, the Caradoc hills and into Wales. We followed this ridgeway, then descended through ribbed pastures to Ilmington, sunlit and sleepy in its cradle of trees.
Start Howard Arms, Ilmington, Warwickshire CV36 4LT (OS ref SP 213437)
Getting there Bus: 3A (Banbury to Stratford-on-Avon). Road: Ilmington is signed off A3400 between Shipston-on-Stour and Newbold-on-Stour.
Walk 7 miles, field paths, slippery in places, OS Explorer 205. From Howard Arms, right along Middle Street; at T-junction, right, passing church to road (209435). Right, in 30m, left; follow yellow arrows (YAs). Near top of rise (207436, stile on left), bear right, follow Centenary Way for ¾ mile (YAs, yellow-topped posts) past Newfoundland Well (205437) to road (197440). Right to road (198442, “Park Lane” on map); left along road (walkable verge). In 500m pass lane to Admington (195446); in another ½ mile, left off road (187447, fingerpost) and follow Monarch’s Way (MW) southwest for 1¼ miles to reach road near Hidcote (177430). Left here up restricted byway, heading east for 1¾ miles, passing two installations of radio masts (187426 and 195426). Half a mile beyond second mast, left at gate (204425), downhill beside hedge to road at Ilmington.
Advertisement
Lunch/tea Ilmington community shop, Grump Street (café closed Mondays).
Accommodation/dinner The Howard Arms, Ilmington (01608 682226, howardarms.com).
More information Hidcote gardens (01386 438333; nationaltrust.org.uk/hidcote); shakespeares-england.co.uk; detailed directions, maps and more walks at christophersomerville.co.uk; satmap.com, ramblers.org.uk
