Cam & Dursley Station
To Slimbridge/Shepherd’s Patch
summary
A fine circular from the station via Slimbridge
In wet weather it is likely to be muddy and even boggy.
Details and start point
Distance: 7 miles
Distance: 11.3 km
Walking time: 3.5 hours
Grid Reference: SO752021
What 3 Words: forecast.latter.escapades
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Step by Step Directions
1
From the station yard turn left, go carefully over the railway bridge. Continue along the road past the entrance to Waterend Farm and, at the fingerpost just after the red brick house, turn left over a stile and then another after 100 metres.Proceed beside the River Cam to the right-hand corner of the field and after two stiles take the tunnel under the motorway. Emerge, cross the stile, go left and then turn right along the edge of the field to cross a bridge.
With the River Cam on your right, go through the trees to the right of the hedge. Pass a metal field gate on the left, and then go left into the field over a stile. Turn right and follow the field edge to the far corner of the field, and then turn left until you can leave the field by a stile on the right. Aim for the gate between two metal sheds where a stile leads to the road.
Cross the road going slightly left, and then go between houses and hedge, continuing through a static caravan park to the main road (A38).
2
Cross with care and go right to the footpath sign and turn left into Ballards Lane. Then, almost immediately, turn left alongside a row of cottages. Follow the path right at the end of the row, which then passes fences before going through a small wood to a T junction of paths.Go left and follow this path as it turns right between hedges and along to a stile on the left. After crossing the stile go straight ahead across the field to a kissing gate next to a metal gate. Bear slightly right across the field towards the red brick houses and walk behind their gardens to a stile which leads to a short track by Longaston House.
Continue on this line to cross the road and by Greenacre cross a stile in the field gate and continue ahead through another gate and on to cross another stile. Then, bear half left, aiming just to the right of the double field gates to cross, one after the other, a stile, a track and a footbridge. Turn right and follow the field edge to cross the double stile in the corner next to the stream and then turn left.
Hold this line through three fields, crossing two stiles next to gates, and then a kissing gate joining the path from the car park, to reach the road at Shepherd’s Patch. This is an ideal place to stop for a refreshment or food either at the Tudor Arms pub just to the right, or at the Black Shed which sits opposite on the canal-side by the lifting bridge.
3
Our route goes left along the road to a footpath sign on the right at the bend. Go over the bridge and stile to a second stile and then head slightly right, aiming to pass close to the electricity pole and towards a gap to the left of a conspicuous tall tree at the end of a hedge to come into another field.Continue ahead towards a conspicuous pair of trees to find a stile leading to a road. Follow the road to the right for 250 metres and at the fingerpost cross a footbridge and a stile on the left and go ahead to leave this field at another stile. Now aim just right to find another stile in the field boundary by a gate, but do not cross it. Instead, turn around, and with the church spire now at your back, cross the field to a stile next to a metal gate leading to a road.
On the road, bear right and walk to the signposted path on the left, opposite Moorend Farm. Follow the left-hand side of the field to cross a stile near the corner. In the next field go half right towards a house to step over a fence. Then turn left towards the corner and two telegraph poles where two stiles lead to the road.
4
Go left along the road and at the T- junction cross to enter the field by a gate with a fingerpost. Pass well to the left of the two large trees and head for the brick bridge topped by a metal railing to find a stile at the edge of the trees.Go through to the road and turn left before carefully crossing the road beyond the barriers. This is a busy road and extra care should be taken. Once safely across, turn right and walk behind the road safety barrier to cross the bridge. Then, follow the finger post, turning left and down along a short track and cross a stile beside a metal gate. In the field turn half right to cross the field to find a tunnel under the motorway.
Once through the tunnel turn right, ignoring other signs, and go around outside the field hedge to a stile on the left between two power lines
5
Cross the stile and go diagonally across the field towards the factory buildings, and, when visible from the brow, towards the stile in the dog-leg of the hedge. (When this large field is in crop an alternative is to turn right after the stile to follow another path inside the field hedge to the corner where there is a stone stile. Here, stay in the field and turn left to follow the hedge line until you find the stile at the dogleg).Cross this and go ahead to find a narrow path between the houses leading to a road. Turn left along this to the main road and cross carefully at the refuge. Go left to a gap in the hedge on the right and find a footpath into a trading estate. At the road turn left and cross to find another path on the right going down between buildings, under the concrete bridge and then left to a kissing gate alongside the River Cam.
Go into the field ahead and bear right to a gate just left of the electricity sub-station. This gate leads to a tarmac track where you go right and then immediately left onto a tarmac path. Follow this footpath through the open space alongside the River Cam until you emerge from the new development area onto Halmore Lane.
Turn left and in 100 metres reach a road. The station, where the walk began, is across the road.
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