CIRCLE THE VILLAGE
Appox 6.5 Miles
As we saw in the walk to Assington it is possible to connect with a distant village
by footpath and we shall explore other such routes in later updates. Previous
footpath wardens worked hard to establish or retain and maintain a footpath
network which is actively used today. It's continuance into the future is only
assured if we value and use these footpaths.
For this walk, OS Explorer 196 covers the area and a notice board practically
opposite The Fleece provides a large scale map of Boxford and vicinity, including
paths, if you wish to see the route, or plan your own.
We are going to begin by leaving Boxford, as we did before, by climbing School
Hill to the A1071, turning right and then crossing the A1071 almost immediately
to the path opposite on the left. Climb up the steps, turn left and then left again at
the field end. Walk on down the valley ignoring the path on the right and the path
lower down at the field edge bearing left. Continue instead straight down to Stone
Street Road where you turn right (you can also turn left here back to Boxford if
you wish) then walk along to a footpath on your left. By the way, you may wish
to pause a moment in Stone Street, once a self contained hamlet with shop and
public house, and see if you can spot where they were.
Afterwards, join the foot path and continue through a gate, over a bridge(the River
Box) to a stile in the meadow corner. This meadow may be soggy and if so, you
will have to pick your way. Cross this stile, then climb the valley following the
path to right and left until, at the top,the path bears to the right beside a track
which becomes a driveway. Ensure you keep on the footpath with the track to
your right and continue until steps which take you to the A1071. Cross the road,
turn left and walk along to a footpath on your right where you go down and across
a field.
You can turn left to return to Boxford along the bottom of the field but we
continue right along the path, through a copse which can be wet and difficult to
negotiate, until we reach a field where we turn left and then right around its edge.
Walk 150-200 meters and a path is signposted by a bridge pointing up a wide field
edge path with a hedge on it's right. At present this post is awaiting replacement
and, if missing, be assured, the path leads up the field. The path joins a road to the
right of a house and on the road you turn right to join a footpath on the left going
down between a dense hedge on your left and Cox Barn on your right to cross a
field, an active yard with agricultural implements and then two meadows. This
stretch of the walk has both delights and difficulties: it has one of the most
pleasant views of Boxford and evokes an unspoilt and undeveloped landscape
which, with it's stiles, is a reminder of when livestock, particularly sheep,were a
commonplace. Along the way there are five stiles to cross. The top stile, at Cox
Barn, necessitates the removal of the top three bars to cross. After replacing the
bars, walk down to a garden gate and across a field to a stile. Cross the stile and
then across the yard to a stile which, at present, has a broken rail and, more
seriously, a broken step. Be aware,cattle are sometimes grazing here. The next
stile down also has a broken step and is difficult to cross. The final stile is fine and
gives access to the footpath which, if one continues straight ahead, leads to Clubs
Lane where, at the end, you turn right into Ellis Street and then Broad Street.
Completing this circular walk, you have completed the most challenging walk
around Boxford at present.
This second circular walk takes in part of Groton parish. Well defined and used
paths link the two.Inevitable really, resulting from the proximity of Boxford and
Groton and that from as early as the Eighteenth Century they shared the same
Priest: as communities they were bound together, even then.
After the rigours of the previous walk this second part is more relaxing.There are
no stiles and to the North and West of Boxford the roads and paths climbing out
of the valley are gentler. You can continue with this walk or walk this section
separately another time.
On your return to Broadstreet, before you reach The Fleece, there is a Bridleway,
nearly opposite the lockup, which you can take up to the playing fields. Beyond
the playing field pavilion, which the footpath crosses in front of, is a hedge. Pass
through the gap in the corner and then turn right immediately on the path to take
you beside the playing field hedge up the top corner. The hedge is the Parish
Boundary. Turn left and continue to the road along a grassy and then concrete
path. At the road turn left and then up to the junction where you turn right and then
bear left to enter the church yard ahead.There is much of interest in those last few
steps- remains of the village cattle pound on your left before the junction, the war
memorial in the center of the junction and a mounting block meters away from the
churchgate.
Keeping the church on your left, walk to a gate on the far side of the churchyard
to pass through to a footpath where you turn right and then left along a path with
bushes and trees. Reaching another gate you enter a meadow, Groton Croft, which
has in its center an ancient and significant Mulberry tree. Read the information
about it if you have time. Leave the Croft by the path between a hedgerow and a
paddock to join a road where you turn right and walk for 150m or so to a footpath
on your left.
Continue along the footpath into a field where you turn left along a path, with the
hedge on your left, walk down through hedges until you meet another path
forming a T junction. Turn left here, walk to, and cross,
a road into a field, where you can turn right along a fieldside path which takes you
back to Boxford. At the edge of the village the path becomes paved and you can
continue down the road- Swan Street -until you reach the starting point of
Broadstreet at the bottom.
Nicholas Bristow