A huddle of stone cottages beneath the sheep-grazed slopes of the wolds, Snowshill is close to the halfway point of this scenic walk from Broadway, making it an excellent place to take a break.

Though an attractive destination in its own right, it is most famous for Snowshill Manor, a 15th-century house which belongs to the National Trust.

From 1919 until 1951 it was the home of Charles Wade, who collected an extraordinary range of objects - anything from samurai armour to Victorian earth closets.

It's this collection which attracts most visitors to the manor, though others come, principally, to enjoy the terraced gardens.

Snowshill Manor gets very congested, but the surrounding countryside is much quieter, as long as you avoid the Cotswold Way.

Apart from a brief 200 metres or so, this walk does just that, using less crowded paths to explore the fields and woods which lie to the south of Broadway.

One of the loveliest of these paths is Coneygree Lane, which is really a narrow strip of woodland threaded by two parallel paths and bursting with bluebells in the spring.

It rises up the Cotswold escarpment to meet a path leading to Broadway Tower, but our route avoids the tower, running south instead, to pass elegant Middle Hill House (built c1725) before plunging into woodland and climbing uphill to meet a quiet road traversing the top of the escarpment at 313m.

This road is almost certainly of Stone Age or Bronze Age origin.

Prehistoric people preferred ridge-top routes such as this and they were certainly present in the area - a Bronze Age barrow excavated near Snowshill has yielded a collection of artefacts which is now in the British Museum.

directions

Walk east (towards the hills) along the High Street as far as the Millennium Garden. Immediately after this turn right on a footpath signed "swings and things and old church". The path is easily followed along an avenue of pear trees bordering a playground, then across fields to Snowshill Road. Turn left.

When you reach St Eadburgha's Church, join a footpath almost opposite, signed to Broadway Tower. This path is Coneygree Lane and it leads to a T-junction, where you turn right, soon entering a field.

Bear left up a slope towards a bungalow then join a track.

When you come to a junction go straight on between stone gateposts into woodland. Turn left when you meet a Tarmac track, soon passing Middle Hill House and a cluster of converted outbuildings.

Before long, a waymarker sends you left into woodland. There's a climb before the gradient eases as the path turns left. Soon after this, take care not to miss a stile/gate on the left where the path enters a field, running by the outer edge of the wood. Turn right when you reach a road.

Turn right at the next two junctions. Just before you reach the entrance to a timberyard, join an unsigned but well-trodden bridleway on the right which runs beside a stone wall.

Come to a galvanised hunting gate and go diagonally left across a field - look carefully, you should be able to see a waymarker at the far side. Go

through a gate and proceed along the bridleway until a footpath (yellow arrow) branches left. Follow it to a road and turn right. Go straight on into Snowshill at a crossroads.

Pass to the left of St Barnabas' Church then turn left by The Old Forge. After passing Oat House take a footpath on the right which undulates through fields and copses before steps climb to a track on Laverton Hill. Turn right.

Eventually the track enters a field and a footpath branches left. You can stay on the track but the path is nicer and leads across a field to a disused stone gatepost. Turn right here on the Cotswold Way. Turn left at a signpost, rejoining the track.

A few paces on you'll see three stiles and two footpaths on the right. Leave the Cotswold Way and take the left-hand one of the two paths across two fields. In a third field a sign on a tree appears to direct you straight down towards St Eadburgha's Church. Don't take any notice - you should go down diagonally left, towards Broadway. The path soon becomes clear again and continues in the same direction, cutting across some pronounced ridge and furrow formations.

Turn right when you reach a lane, then left on Snowshill Road. After about 200m cross a stile to join a footpath on the right. After passing through a kissing gate at a junction take the left-hand path into Broadway.

FACTFILE

Start: High Street, Broadway; GR095375.

Length: 7.5 miles/12km.

Maps: OS Explorer OL45, OS Landranger 150.

Terrain: undulating, but mostly gentle, with one moderately steep slope; good paths.

Stiles: 22.

Parking: public car park in Broadway.

Public transport: by bus or train to Evesham then Castleways 559 to Broadway on Mondays to Saturdays or Edgington's 165 on Sundays and bank holidays. You can buy a combined Thames Trains/bus ticket (Cotswold Bus) which is supposed to be valid on the 559 - but some Castleways drivers are reluctant to accept it so check with the company first; Castleways 01242 602949/603715, Traveline 0870 6082608.

Refreshments: pub at Snowshill, pubs and tea rooms in Broadway.

DISCLAIMER

This walk has been carefully checked and the directions are believed to be correct at the time of publication. No responsibility is accepted by either the author or publisher for errors or omissions, or for any loss or injury, however caused.