Great Sampford Walk

The walk started in Great Sampford and went Little Sampford via Mount Hall and returned along the River Pant with some great views across the valley. This was supposed to be a six mile walk but we did go wrong and added another mile on to the walk, I have included both maps the right way and the way we went, but hey its all the fun off finding your way back on to the right route, well that's what I say.

Details of Walk

• Date of Walk: 05/05/2020

• Distance: 5.73 Miles

• Car Park: Gilbert Way on road CM7 9UD

• Refreshments: Cup of tea round mine LOL

• Photos Taken on Walk

Today we wanted to go on one of our walks and picked one out of the Year Round Walks book as we seemed to be busy most Sundays lately and had not been able to go on one. When we got to Great Sampford we found a place in the road which was under a crab apple tree and it started to rain quite heavy. So we sat there wondering whether we would go on the walk as we don't mind if it rains when we are already on one but not at the start. We must of sat there waiting for at least 30 minutes and from time to time we heard a bang on the roof where a Crab apple had fallen and finally the rain stopped and we decided to risk it and booted up.

We walked back to the main road and turned right and followed the road round at a junction and opposite a barn we went left through a six bar gate and alongside the left hand side of an old garage and then the lower edge of a garden with a stream on the left. We then emerged at a field corner and continued along the left edge of this field and the next and at the field boundary we turned right to go up to the road. We crossed and went forward to the right of a line of conifers and where they ended we carried straight on under a power line to reach the field boundary.

We then went left with a ditch to the right passing the field boundary to the right and soon came to a blanked bridge over the ditch. We then walked around this ornamental meadow the directions said straight across but the owners had mowed paths around it so we kept to them, it was part of the Maynards house garden which they had left as a meadow for the wild life and plants. after leaving the meadow over a earthed bridge and then right alongside a hedge with the odd glimpse of the moat that was green with algae to reach a lane. We turned right going past Maynards and we were now walking amid a Roadside Nature Reserve. These are special verges planted with wild flowers to encourage wild life and this one was a mile long and is part of the 27 miles of little known nature reserves. After walking about 1/2 mile along the lane we came to Mount Hall and turned left to walk down the drive and then keep forward to the far left-hand corner of the field. We went through a gap and then right along a field edge, passing under another power line we went left at the field boundary. Then we turned right at a way-marker to walk alongside Bliss Grove, and then continued along a wide grassy track. Here we turned right and went wrong as you can see on the track map named Great Sampford Extra which put a extra one mile on to the walk.

But we should have veered right keeping the hedge on the left and continue to the road. Immediately we would have turned at a footpath sign a sharp left here to leave the road along the right edge of a field then crossed a bridge in the corner to walk alongside Little Almond's Grove, then crossed a track and continued with Long Almond's Grove on the left . We reached a hedge which was jutting out and went left just before it along a track to the right of a ditch. We then arrived at a junction of tracks where we had to turn right, and it was here I said we had been here before and from here we were walking on the same path through the woodland to the road as we did on the Finchingfield walk but the other direction. At the road we turned right and there was a sloped green area which was ideal for our picnic break so after having our picnic we carried on up the road for about a 1/4 mile till we came to Garlands Farm on the left and just past the barn we went left alongside an open fence and continued along the left field edge to reach a gap and bridge in the far left corner. Then we kept to the left in the next two fields, gradually we were descending into the valley with lovely views until we reached the bottom ignoring a path to the left and a track to the right to go forward over a bridge. We kept walking forward to the River Pant and turned right to follow the river along the bank. When reaching a concrete track with a bridge to the left we turned right following the woodland edge as it eventually swings left at a way-marker.

When reaching the end of the field we went right with a ditch and trees to our left and then went left at a way-marker alongside a barn where here they restore vintage cars. We veered left across the field to a prominent bridge and after crossing it we walked up the centre of the field to a stile. After crossing it we were in a paddock and then another stile to enter the Churchyard of St Mary the Virgin in Little Sampford. Here we went left round the boundary of a garden and through the gate to turn right down the lane and forked left at a junction. A little way down the lane we turned right down a track to Little Samford Hall and went between the farm buildings with the hall well over to the right. The hall is a lovely old building but showing its age and neglect which is a shame.

We carried on till we came to a seven-bar gate alongside a bungalow and then immediately cross to a stile but when we done the walk the stile was there and no fence so we just walked round it and there was a combine harvester parked up on the field. We carried straight across this field going over the straw that had been cut and left in rows to a gated bridge to the right of a clump of trees. We then walked straight heading towards a large dead tree and swung right to a stile. Once over this we headed towards the Millfield Plantation and gradually veering left to walk beside it. At the end we turned right and walked along a well defined path with the river to our left and the wood to our right which then went into a hedge and when the hedge swings to the left where we saw a stile and ahead was the Old Rectory. Turning left along the edge of a meadow we carried on walking with the river to reach a stile and once over this we kept to the left edge of the next field, ignoring a concrete bridge and then later crossing a bridge/stile combination. Now we were heading slightly diagonally right to the left edge of a wood ahead to join a wide track alongside the River Pant and passing a weir on the left we turned away from the river. After going under the power lines again we went left through a gap in the hedge over a planked bridge. We then turned right with the backs of the houses in Gt Samford in the distance and walked beside a hedge for a short distance. We went left into a field on a clear path then forked left to reach the road, then it was just a matter of turning right and right again by the the church to return to the road where our car was.