Car Colston

The Basics Length of this circular walk is 3.1/2 miles (5.5 kilometres) mainly over grassy paths, with 1/3 mile of road at the start and 1/2 mile in the middle. It is flat easy walking on agricultural land, with an interesting curiosity at Scarrington. Horses and cattle are rare, birds and rabbits a-plenty.

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The walk start

1. Bearing right, cross the road you have just left, to pick up the signed Screveton road through Car Colston, past the parish church. After negotiating a neat double bend at the Old Hall, reach a little green on the right side ahead of you. 2. This sign gives you a choice, but take the bridleway, diagonally crossing the green, then turn right be- fore the corner to reach a farm gate.

Cross the fenced footbridge

Pass through (making sure you shut it) and follow the hedge on your left over two fields, separated by a gate, to cross a ditch over a fenced footbridge on your right. Bear left after, shortly to reach a fairly quiet road, Car Lane. Walk straight forward along the road, for about half-a-mile. There is no footway, so keep well in to the right. It’s a slightly boring stretch, so sing or play ‘I- spy’ among yourselves! At the top of a slight rise, go under a power line, pass one field and take a waymarked footpath right, 3. crossing this field diagonally towards the church.

Meeting Car Lane

Waymarked footpath right

It was full of massive sugar beets in September 2013 and almost impassable, so it may be necessary to take the field edge to right or left. At the far corner, head slightly left of the church spire to find the stile that leads into Scarrington. Turn right on to the village street, down to the next corner.

At this corner, by the church, deviate left for a few minutes to reach the Old Forge 4. where you’ll find Scarrington’s little curiosity (and local claim to fame) – a 17ft stack of 50,000 discarded horseshoes. The County Council’s display board tells you (among other things) that it was constructed by the local blacksmith between 1945 and 1965. Did you think this is a tall storey?

Retrace your steps to the church and turn left, following Main Street through this typical quintessentially English village. Oddly enough, you may notice what appears to be a famous U.S. presidential home on your right, but you are not likely to see a helicopter on the lawn there.

The Methodist Chapel

By the Methodist Chapel turn right, then very shortly left, off the lane on to a waymarked footpath 5. opposite a barn conversion. Cross the field diagonally, and at the far side, pass through the hedge, turning slightly right to continue in the next field. At the end of this field, by the signpost, bear right on a wide grassy track.

Bear right this wide grassy track

Cross the bridge, follow round

Over the slight rise, bear left to cross the Car Dyke by a footbridge, then follow the path round to the same direction as before, with the hedge on your right. You’ll eventually reach a double farm gate, with a metal kissing gate on the right, followed by its twin soon after. Keep straight on down the clear farm track to a gate that opens on to Car Colston’s village green, with the Royal Oak on your left for an excellent meal.