A walk through woodland and fields in Stoven. Walked by: Sue Rusack
Getting there: Take the road marked to Stoven from A12 at Wangford. Park near church. Map: Explorer 231. Reference: TM448816. Distance: Six miles
This is a delightful wander through fields and delicate woodland; the paths follow many streams and pass a multitude of ponds. We walked through a watery world after an extremely wet March but all the paths were passable. The banks and hedgerows were filled with primroses, at last a sign of spring.
Take the lane east out of the village, leaving the church on your right. Pass the old pub with latticed windows, and fork left (signed Frostenden and Wrentham). As the lane bears left beside a pink house, keep ahead on a footpath signed Block’s Lane Track.
Follow this past three small ponds to reach a field entrance blocked by a fallen log. Take the footpath signed right along the field boundary. At the copse with a pond the marked path goes over a cultivated field, we followed the field boundary and met the path the far side. Keep alongside the hedge line of the next field to meet a metaled driveway. Turn left here to pass Stone Cottage and Primrose Farm. At the T-junction turn left and follow the track alongside a wood. Ignore a farm track on the left, and continue on through delightful woodland.
Past the wood keep ahead to reach a small country lane and turn left to pass Turner’s Farm and Barn. Here we bought some delicious jams from a wayside stall. The lane makes a sharp right, then before the left turn, keep ahead on a drive to Northgreen Farm. Follow the drive over a ford to reach some large fallen logs, continue on and over the open meadow, keeping well to the left alongside a hedge, and head towards a line of trees. In the trees, turn left to follow a small stream on your right. Continue along this dappled woodland path until it turns sharp left and follows a stream now on your left. Very shortly bear right, again following a stream.
Once out of the wood keep to the field boundary and continue onwards to cross a large meadow. Keep ahead to over a road beside a white cottage onto the track opposite. Continue to the end of the field, ignoring the drive to Hood’s Barn, and turn left downhill to meet the farm track and turn right towards a new pig unit.
The OS map shows the footpath entering the wood from this track; we found it impassable. So bear left behind the pig unit, keep to the edge of the wood, and you will shortly emerge into a field to join the path that should run through the copse. Follow the field boundary with the hedge/wood/stream on your right. Very shortly take a small gap in the hedge on your right onto a grassy path and keep ahead until reaching the road. Turn left to return to Stoven church. (Route walked March 2018).
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