Great Saling Walk

Gt Saling village lies tucked away in the midst of picturesque scenery. There is a Hall whose gardens to this day are of great interest, though not generally open to the public, and the church is a 14th century building. Shining in the tower window is a red robed St James, to whom the church is dedicated. Saling Hall is a grade II listed building of special Architectural or historic Interest, as are Mounts Farmhouse, Picots Farmhouse and its adjoining barn. The Hall is less elderly than the church though still 300 years old. It is a noble building with two gable wings.

Details of Walk

• Date of Walk: 24/07/2011

• Distance: 4.58 Miles

• Level of Difficulty: A Fairly Easy Walk

• Car Park: Grove Villas Roadside Parking CM7 5DX

• Refreshments: Near by Blake House

• Photos Taken on Walk

The White Hart pub is also of interest being of Tudor times with a timbered gallery in the saloon bar. For nearly a hundred years life in the villages hereabouts was transformed by the craft of straw plaiting. The craft was started about 1790. When established the industry proved a source of unheard of wealth to the poorer people. In 1943 a new airfield, RAF Great Saling, was opened as a US air base. Very soon the field was renamed Andrews Field in honour of General Andrews of the US Air Force. As a bombing unit it was very successful but in 1944 relocated in France for better access to German targets.The field was then occupied by British Fighter command. The airfield closed in 1945 after the war and in 1972 Clive Harvey, who farmed the field got approval for light aircraft to use the field. We started the walk up the road from the White hart near the water tower the walk took us past fish ponds and around Yarney wood.

Just before we got to Yarney wood we went wrong I do not know how but the directions from the book did not make sense but after walking wrong for a while we worked it out and got back on track again, until we got to Yarney wood and yes again we went wrong and ended up on a road and walking along this till we picked up the walk again. Mind you no consolation but we met another couple doing the same walk and they also went wrong where we did. 

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