Two circular walks from ufto, both of 9km (5 1/2 miles). Route A (Ufton, Southam & Harbury) or Route B (Ufton & Bascote)
Route A - Start at The White Hart, Ufton. Cross the car park with the petanque court on the left. Cross diagonally> to a kissing gate at the woodland edge. Ufton and long itchington wood is an ancient woodland- one of the best examples in the midlands. It is first recorded in 1001. Its size and shape have not altered, and it dictates the parish boundaries. Follow the path along the edge of the wood to a lane. Cross the lane to a stile. Keep the hedge on your right and in the next field pass through some trees. Cross the Stile into the next field where there is a choice. The official route goes to a stile diagonally >, crosses two fields, then heads slightly diagonally> downhill to the next field corner. For the alternative go straight ahead to the edge of a small wood, cross a stile and follow a very clear route through the trees, coming out througha gate into a pasture.Walk down the hill, pass through two nmetal kissing gates and diagonally> downhill, through a gap, along the bottom of another pasture frield to rejoin the other route. Pass through the gate or stile, with a mill pond on the left, and follow the path across the bridge over a weir. This is the river itchen.the weir marks the piont where the mill race splits from the main river. The watermill site has been used since before domesday, though the most recent structure was c18. It was demolished in the 1960s after vandals set fire to it. Turn diagonally> through an avenue of trees, cross a stile to the right of a gap, continue diagonally> across the next field to a double stile. Keep the river on your right, past holy well until you reach a metal bridge. The holy well was mentioned in a chapter of king ethelred in 998. The water was regarded as a cure for bad eye sight. The water has been intermittent in recent years due to lower than average rainfall. Cross the bridge and take the path diagonally> to a stile, uphill to another stile and follow the path past a dereelic stone barn. This is a building of some importance. It once had a stone mullion windows, suggesting that at some time was a chapel. Cross another stile into a pasturedotted with trees. This area is known as Mill Pits., and it was once quarried for building stone. the avenue of lime trees of lime trees leads towards Stoneythorpe Hall rebuilt in c17 though incorporating some earlier features. Cross diagonally< across the avenue of mature trees to a gate next to the river bridge and the A425. Cross the bridge and take the stile <, crossing the field parallel to the river. Go through a gate and head uphill< to a marker in the hedge. This fenced path leads into the quarries, part of wich is now being used for landfill. In this area is a wide range of wild flowers, including wooly thistle, which is an unusual plant for these parts. The quarries were owned by the Blue Circle Cement. The stone was crushed and taken to harbury works. Keep the fence on your right. Cross a causeway rounding the site to your right, slightly uphill to a cross a stile in the hedge. Turn> and immediately < towards Upton Hill Farm. Skirt the farm on your right, cross a stile and in this large field bear diagonally to the furthest corner, pass through a very thick hedge, follow the pathalong the field edge and into a paddock near some farm buildings, and out onto the road. Turn < then > into Hall Lane to its end. Turn > downhill towards Bull Ring Farm. Beyond the railway bridge the path goes towards a barn, but then slightly > through an area of trees to skirt the farm. The railway was construted about 1850 for the great western Railway. It was originally broud gauge. The cutting was the largest by volume in europe when it was dug. The engineer for this project was Brunel. At the end turn onto a wide track, and follow along the edge of several fields to come out onto the lane at the southern edge of Ufton village. No.1 Ufton Fields, on the right about halfway through the village, has recently been dated and listed as of 14th century foundation, with evidence of a central hearth. Keep straight ahead through the village, cross into the churchyard, pass left around the church, and out through a gateway to the White Hart. The church is c14, but a saxon church was on the site in 1042. As a result of a bequest, in 1679, most of the village used to belong to Balliol Collage, Oxford.
Route B
Start at The White Hart, Ufton. Cross the car park with the petanque court on the left. Cross diagonally > to a kissing gate at the woodland edge. Follow the path along the edge of the wood to a lane. Cross the lane stile. Keep the hedge on your right and in the next feild pass through some trees. Cross the stile into the field and go straight ahead to the edge of a small wood, cross a stile and follow a very clear route through the trees, coming out through a gate into a pasture. Walk down the hill, pass two metal kissing gates and go slightly < to a stile in the bottom corner of the field. Enter a wooded area, and follow the path until it crosses over a substantial footbridge. Cross the Welsh Road and proceed uphill through a wood. At the top, cross into a field, and go straight ahead until you reach a concete drive. Follow this to the > and downhill to a lane. Turn > and immedediately < on a paved road past Bascote Lodge Farm. Bear > beyond the farm to the canal. Take the towpath < from the bridge, passing under the Welsh Road bridge, to the next bridge(no.31). Turn left across the bridge. This wide track is the Ridgeway. This is the old road from Ufton to hunningham and Wappenbury Fort. It is called The Ridgeway, Southwards, it links up with other ancient trackways at the corner of Itchington Holt. It is now part of the Centenary Way which crosses Warwickshire from Kingsbury Water Park to lower Quinton. Follow it for about 2km to come out on the A452 on Ufton Hill. Just before the A452 on the right is the site of a brickyard. The kiln was on the site of the present bungalow. Turn < and < again into White Lane. By the churchyard wall is a set of stocks. stocks were last used in the mid- C19.