Richard Tyson follows a route around two scenic villages
Park the car then walk downhill and just round the corner. Take the footpath on the right along a grassy headland. In five minutes change to the other side of the hedge and 200 yards further turn left then right towards the farm. The farm road is a right of way; go only 30 yards to the right then turn left again on grass headland. Behind the barn a hedge is again on the left as you head towards a gap. Keep straight on as you descend to “Wash Lane” which is a path across your route. Go straight uphill then, nearing a house, follow signs to the right then turn left at a waymark so that you pass through a gap in a hedge to reach a tarred lane.
Turn left along this lane and pass Hawthorn Farm yard. Look for two footpath signs ahead going right and take the second one, which is a dirt road to Dovehouse Farm. Reach the front of the farm and go left. Open a green metal gate to continue (please secure it carefully) and go ahead with a hedge on the right. After 150 yards there is a kink in the hedge and your route is through a ramshackle wooden gate here turning right (note the footpath sign on the other side). Keep ahead, now going southeast and pass through wooded Plumtreeshills Covert. Still keeping straight descend along the side of a field then straight on at the path junction and uphill to reach a tarred road at the entrance to Theberton Hall. Turn left along the road and reach the B1122 in about ten minutes.
We did not visit the pub or church in Theberton but crossed the B1122 and almost opposite and a few yards to the left passed into a field where permissive path signs indicate that you can follow either side of the field avoiding the road. We elected to go ahead towards a white cottage where a footpath bridge is on the right. Do not cross the bridge but go left up the field as the right of way goes to the left hand end of a row of large trees. Next the path goes straight ahead on a grass headland. Keep straight again over a stile then a footbridge and another stile. Emerge past some metal statues on to the B1125 and bear right up to the hilltop; take the footpath here on the left just past the first house and soon pass a playing field. Turn right then left just before a tarred lane and right again on a narrow road into the centre of Middleton.
It was a warm day so we paused for a drink at the welcoming thatched Bell Inn. We then walked back a few yards to take the road marked as “The Causeway”, now heading northwest. Keep along this road until it goes sharp right then go straight on up the path ahead (signpost in the hedge) bringing you to open access Middleton Moor at the top. Turn left and left again at the main road. Cross over and just after passing the Thatched House go into the trees on the right and continue downhill to the bottom of the wood then cross straight over to the start.
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