Parish Paths Partnership: Alistair Murthwaite
(Chairman)
01449 720728
Ramblers Association - www.ramblers.org.uk
Suffolk Wildlife Trust (Bonny Wood)
www.wildlifetrust.org.uk/suffolk/nr/sites/bonny.htm
The Woodland Trust (Priestley Wood)
www.woodland-trust.org.uk/news/springwoods/
The Sandlings Walk
www.suffokcoastandheaths.org
www.walkinginsuffolk.co.uk
Suffolk County Council Rights of Way
Ordnance Survey Maps (build your own map centred
just where you want)
One of the
lovely walks in Barking
April Buebells in
Swingens Wood
A Parish Paths
Partnership working party
upon their return from a successful mission
The Footpaths of Barking
There are some 24 miles of public footpaths in the parish which
afford some of the most splendid scenery in the County. The ancient
woodlands of Bonny, Priestley , Swingen's, Park and Ditch Wood are
noted features of the area, and are a natural habitat to flora and
fauna including orchids, bluebells, deer and nightingales.
In 1998 the Suffolk Ramblers Association presented Barking
with its' 'Premier Pleasure to Walk Award'.
Recommended Walks
Walk 1 Distance 2.5 miles
START Barking Church Car Park
Walk down
the lane in front of the old Rectory, turning left onto the
bridleway (The Causeway). After 50 yards take the
footpath signposted left over a stile and proceed through 3
paddocksand aiming for the stile in the far right hand
corner.
Keeping the pond on your left , turn right through a gap in the
fence and follow field boundary for a few yards around the corner.
Turn right onto footpath which leads straight across the field
heading to the left of the large oak at the far side.
Turn left at the signpost and follow the path to a footbridge and
onto the B1078. Turn right and walk along the road for 200 yards
and take the footpath signposted left which has a concrete apron at
the field entrance.
Keeping the hedge on your left, walk to the very top of the field
beside Swingen's Wood. A way marker indicates
steps leading down to a sleeper bridge and across the ditch. Follow
the path to the right until it enters a copse. At the signpost turn
leftalong the edge of the copse and then alongside the edge of the
field.
At the field boundary turn left and then almost immediately left
again into a copse. Follow this path until it re-emerges, turn
right and walk along the field edge until at a large oak tree, a
waymarker idicates a left turn onto the path which crosses the
field.
This will bring one to a hedge with an opening into a small field.
The path runs down the left hand side of the hedge and leads into
Priestley Wood. The wood is owned by the Woodland
Trust and the public are allowed to wander through the woodland
paths.
On entering the wood follow the path bearing left at the first
marker but ignoring the the second pointing left and out of the
wood. Continue on the main path, past a derelict crane , and exit
the wood via a kissing gate onto the B1078. Cross the road and bear
left back to the lane leading to the Church.
Walk 2 Distance 3.75 miles (additonal .5 mile around
Round Wood)
START Barking Village Hall
On leaving the Village Hall, turn right and walk
along the B1078 for 400 yards until the footpath sign (partly
hidden by willow tree) indicating a path to the right and running
down the right hand boundary of a house. Follow this across 2
fields until you come to a bridge.
Do not cross the bridge but take the path which follows the right
hand side of the ditch and eventually comes to a cart track with
signpost. Take the path directly ahead for some 45 yards,
turn right and after 15 yards turn left over a sleeper bridge and
up the steps.
Carry straight on keping a line of willow trees on your left until
you come to a wooden bridge, turn left over the bridge and
continuing up the edge of the field keeping the ditch on your right
hand side you will come to a sign with an old gate to your
left.
Bear right through the hedge and turnuing left keep the copse on
your left until you come to another sign where you turn right and
follow the cart track. To the right is an old hedge with
numerous wild flowers and on the left is Bonny
Wood. The track eventually becomes tree-lined
on both sides with some fine oaks.
Where the track emerges from the wood (wood store and chicken house
in view) turn left at the signpost and follow path around the edge
of Bonny Wood.
At the next signpost, those interested in a longer walk can bear
right and follow the path around Round Wood,
taking care not to miss the path on the last stage where a
waymarker indicates a left turn through the hedge. The
alternative is to turn left into the wood where the path emerges on
the far side with the path indicated by waymarkers on an old tree
stump and where the longer walk rejoins. Turn
left.
Follow this path around the edge of Bonny Wood
until it comes to a wooden bridge. Take the path across the
bridge, branching right onto the old cart track.
This path heads towards Tarston with a fine old
hedge to your left. At the wooden bridge turn left and take
the path over the field to the corner of the wood. Bear right
keeping the wood to your left (see if you can see the site of the
old moated woodsman's cottage) until it eventually meets a
track.
Take the path directly ahead into the copse and the same at the
next waymarker. It eventually leaves the copse over a sleeper
bridge and makes its way straight into the field for some 300 yards
before turning left, aim for the hedge, where it joins up with a
farm track.
Keep to this track passing Overhall Farm on your
left and back to the B1078 where you turn right with the Village
Hall some 400 yards along the road.
Walk 3 Distance 3 miles
START Needham Lake Car Park
On leaving the car park turn left onto the B1078 past Bosmere Mill
and turn right at the river, following the River Gipping Valley
Footpath, passing Bosmere Hall, Riverside Farm and
Pippins.
At the first footpath junction continue on the main footpath until
you have walked 1 mile and come to
Pipps Ford. At this junction take the footpath to
the right and follow the path, taking care crossing the main
railway line until you reach te B1113.
Turn right and follow the road for about 150 yards then turn left
at the bus shelter onto the path which crosses the field.
Follow this path until it joins the private road to
Darmsden (a public footpath). Turn left
going past Darmsden Hall, through the hamlet to
Darmsden Church.
At the church take the track to the right across the fields and at
the top of the rise turn to the right keeping to the path running
along the field edge.
At the next junction bear right and continue down past the chalk
quarry on your right.
At Grinstead Hill turn right onto the B1113 road, crossing over the
road at this point and continue on, going under the low railway
bridge to return to Needham Lake.
Walk 4 Distance 8 miles
START Barking Village Hall
On leaving the
Village Hall turn right onto the
B1078 for about 400 yards and turn left at signpost indicating a
footpath alongside the right hand boundary of a row of houses.
Follow this footpath until it emerges onto the Battisford
Road.
Turn right and then left some 50 yards down the road. Follow this
path along the field edge until you come to a sleeper bridge. Take
the path almost straight ahead over the bridge and which
crosses the field. At the far side cross another sleeper briedge
and turn left following the path alongside a hedge until it comes
to the entrance to
Bungeons Farm. On the opposite
side of the drive is a path waymarked running down the right side
of a hedge.Take this path, bearing right at the junction until the
'T' junction. Bear left in front of
Paddington
Hall and follow this path across the meadows. At the stile
bear left and take the track down to an unmade road, turn left
making your way back to the Battisford Road.
Cross the road and take the path in the field opposite
keeping the ditch on your right. About 600 yards along this path it
bears left and continues until a waymarker directs you into a
copse,
'Clipper Jimmys'. Emerging, the path
crosses a field, over a sleeper bridge. Follow the path with the
hedge on your left, then cross the field making for the waymarker
diagonally to your right, at which point turn left and make your
way down the track to
Lower Farm. Where the path
meets
Barking Tye, turn left and head back towards
the B1078.
Cross over the road and turn right, continue to the drive of
Overhall Farm. Follow the path down the drive
bearing left at the farm buildings. At the signpost indicating 4
footpaths, turn right, follow the path directly ahead for some 45
yards, turn right and after 15 yards turn left over a sleeper
bridge and up the steps. Keeping a line of willow trees on your
left until you turn left over a wooden bridge and continuing up the
edge of the field keeping the ditch on your right hand side you
will come to a sign with an old gate to your left. Bear right
through the hedge and turning left keep the copse on your left
until you come to the 'T' junction.
Turn left and follow this path, passing the entrance to
Bonny Wood, and at the next signpost turn right.
This path will take you along the side of the wood on your right
crossing a field and then a bridge to turn right onto a cart track.
Follow this track along side an ancient hedge and then along the
outside of
Bonny Wood, until you come to a
bridge.
Take the path to the left and follow the field edge until the
signpost indicating to the right. Walk on the left hand side of the
ditch, following this path over a bridge and stile onto
Strawberry Hall. At the next stile turn
left and follow the road down to
Crow Hall, which
you pass on the right, continue straight ahead into a wonderful
tree shrouded old green lane. This leads to a tarmacked lane to
Winneygreen Farm, where you turn left and follow
the track all the way to
Tarston Farm.
Here
you bear left then right back onto an old cart track. Continue on
this track until the next signpost where you turn left, following
the path along the field edge before bearing left. Ignore the first
waymarker right, turning right some 10 yards further on. Continue
on this path and bear left at the next signpost along a tree
surrounded path. At the 'T' junction turn right over a sleeper
bridge, out of the wood and onto the path which crosses the field
making a left turn after some 300 yards which will carry you back
to the track leading to
Overhall Farm. At the
signpost indicating footpaths turn right keeping the ditch on your
right. Do not cross the footbridge but take the path diagonally
left which brings you onto the B1078. Turn left and return to the
Village Hall some 300 yards down the road.
Walk 5 Distance 3 miles (longer walk 4.5
miles)
START Barking Church Car Park
Walk along the path in front of the Old Rectory, bear right and
down onto the B1078. Turn left continuing along the road until the
footpath sign on the right. Do not follow the path but enter
Priestley Wood, owned by the Woodland Trust, by
the 'kissing gate' to the left of the sign.
Follow the path, keeping the woodland boundary on your right,
ignore the waymarker just past the derelict crane and bear right at
the next one. Follow the path which runs between
Priestley and Swingen's Wood
until the next waymarker.
Follow the field edge until a wide gap between hedges and as
indicated by the waymarker, go straight across the field to the oak
tree opposite. Turn right following the field edge and then left
through the small copse indicated by waymarkers. On emerging from
the copse turn left and then almost immediately right and continue
until you reach the signposted 'T' junction. Turn left and proceed
to next signpost at Priestley Cottage.
Take
the footpath straight ahead, keeping Priestley Cottage on your
left, through another 'kissing gate', until signposted 'T' junction
just before Botty's Plantation on the right.
(Those interested in a longer walk should turn right at
Priestley Cottage and follow the cart track until
it meets the Darmsden Road, turn left and contunue until
Darmsden Church, turn left, follow the cart track
until you reach the 'T' junction, turn left towards Botty's
Plantation and rejoin the walk at the next signpost).
Turn left to Titley Hill and rejoin the B1078 and proceed left back
to the church.
You can obtain a printed leaflet detailing all these walks for a
small charge of 30p from the Parish Paths Partneship
via Alistair
Murthwaite
01449 702728.
Alternatively, you can download a shorter version by clicking on
the following link -
Footpaths and Walks in Barking cum
Darmsden
FOLLOW THE COUNTRY CODE:
- Be safe - plan ahead and follow any signs
- Leave gates and property as you find them
- Protect plants and animals, and take your litter home
- Keep dogs under close control
- Consider other people
For more information on the Countryside Code
click here