Park considerately at the North East end of the village, by the grass triangle and the entrance to Melbury Park

1.                  With your back to the park entrance, bear right towards the village centre. After a short distance, turn right into Back Lane. Continue along Back Lane and turn right on to a footpath just before a group of 4 cottages (St. John’s Villas).

2.                  Go through a gate and, ignoring a gate straight ahead on the opposite side of the field, head for the stile about 100 yds to the left in the top left corner. Go over the stile and cross the lane to go over the stile opposite. Head for a gate in the far corner. Go through this gate and keep along the right hand hedge (passing to the right of a stone trough) to a stile in the corner.

3.                  Go over the stile and turn right along Girt Lane. Keep on this lane as it bends left, then right and downhill. Ignore the track to the left (signed Lewcombe Woods Farmhouse) and enter Girt Farm.

4.                  Just past the large cream farmhouse the path splits. Take the left track, go through a metal gate and between buildings, through a second gate and into a field.

5.                  In the field walk over the hillock and pass to the left of a single row of trees to a hunting gate in the far left hand corner. Unclip (and replace) the electric wire and go through the gate into a copse.

6.                  Continue straight ahead and cross the stream. Ascend the bank to a stile ahead. Go over the stile and head across the field to the right of the buildings on the far side. Go through a gate and past a corrugated metal workshop on to a road.

7.                  Turn right and proceed with care along the road. Ignore the footpath to the left (through the farm) and ignore another footpath several hundred metres further on (also to the left) and pass Oaklands Farm on your right. Shortly after the entrance to Oaklands House turn right on to the drive leading to Lewcombe Manor.

8.                  Follow this drive past the Lodge. Go through the wooden gate to the left of the main entrance to the manor (where you will see a dog halfway down a rabbit hole!). *

(To visit the delightful little church of St. James, continue straight on at this point and follow the sign round to the left. Note the unusual circular windows and sign the visitors’ book. Retrace your steps to pick up the walk at the main entrance*)

9.                  Keep along the fence on your right and pass between a large oak tree and a transformer to a hunting gate in the right hand corner. Cross the stream and pass through another gate.

10.             Here you should take the right hand footpath (the footpath sign is on a tree stump) and continue uphill along this sometimes muddy section (only about 20 metres!). Go through a gate and bear right.   Ignore the small gate on your right (leading into a wooded area), but go through the metal gate ahead. Keep going straight ahead (ignoring tracks to the right and left), go through a wooden gate and, where there is a crossing of paths, continue straight on through a metal double gate.

11.             Go along a sunken path with a hedge on either side. Continue on this path until you reach the buildings of Melbury Osmond. Go downhill to the main road through the village. Turn right along the road

12.     Go over the ford and past Park View. In front of Walnut Tree

                      Cottage turn right and enter Melbury Park

       13      Walk through the park, keeping to the main path and making sure

          that dogs are kept on leads. As you exit the park, continue down

          the lane to the grass triangle and your car.

Continue into the village for about 200 metres to visit the Acorn Public House.

Map

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