Hidcote Manor Garden to Batsford Arboretum and Moreton-in-Marsh

We spent some time thinking about our parking logistics for today; we had the option of ending the walk at the car park for Batsford Arboretum, but given that the weather forecast was reasonable we decided to extend the route to Moreton-in-Marsh (using the Monarch's Way from Batsford), so we only had to take one car out at the beginning of the day. Having settled that, we realised that Hidcote wasn't that far away, so even after a (delicious) leisurely breakfast, we reckoned we'd be there before they opened at 10am, and there didn't seem any point in wasting time by waiting. So the plan became to drive to Hidcote Manor Garden and park there, leaving before the gardens opened, but then to visit the gardens after driving back with the other car in the afternoon. So that's what we did.

We arrived at Hidcote (SP429176) just as the volunteer was arriving to take charge of parking, but we were able to leave the car in the out of the way corner that Richard had used yesterday. It was a misty morning so we donned waterproofs and off we set, following the route of the Monarch's Way around the Hidcote Manor Garden, but just as we'd done that I realised I'd left my walking poles behind. We were (rightly) expecting some ascents and descents so Richard insisted on going back to the car for the poles, leaving me to "spy" on staff walking around the grounds using the zoom on my camera. In fact, by the time Richard got back to the car park, they were just opening.

The false start didn't delay us much, but then we had another one...there was a distinct lack of signposts and in taking a route to avoid a fallen branch we took the wrong route. Fortunately we realised quickly and we were able to cut across to the correct path. This brought us out at the road junction at the top of Baker's Hill and much to our delight (though it would not have been to our delight if we had planned to drive this way) what is marked as a minor (yellow) road for the next mile, down to Furze Lane, was marked on the ground as unsuitable for motor vehicles, and it made for very pleasant walking. We were getting quite warm, so soon stopped to take off our cagoules, though we left the overtrousers on for now.

We rejoined the Heart of England Way near Starveill Farm, still on a road that is supposedly unsuitable for motor vehicles, but being passed by a post van and a 4X4. We turned right onto Furze Lane then left onto the attractive tree-lined drive to Mickleton Hills Farm. From here we were soon on the outskirts of Chipping Campden, a delightful Cotswold market town, perhaps best known to us and fellow walkers as the start of the Cotswold Way. We weren't absolutely sure that the two routes would coincide but, to our delight they do, as indicated by a signpost just by the historic Market Hall. Prior to finding this sign we had stopped to remove our overtrousers and afterwards we visited the Co-Op for provisions and then left by way of the Noel Arms Hotel's old coach entrance.

Another mile brought us to the pretty little village of Broad Campden. We passed the Quaker Meeting House and the Church (both mentioned by the guidebook) but it was the Manor House with its topiary which attracted our attention as we sat on a bench for a snack. There were another couple of couples of walkers about, one pair of which were asking a local girl for directions. We turned right past the pub then took a path which climbed up to Campden Hill Farm. We crossed Five Mile Drive and passed the quarry (with an industrial operation of some sort in the quarry - rather smelly and with lorries coming and going) as described in the guidebook, but the correct route from here, although obvious with the benefit of hindsight, did not immediately seem as described in the guidebook; basically you just go straight ahead downhill on the track (but the stone wall described as being on the right hand side was not obvious because it was completely covered by vegetation).

We reached a point at which our route passed right next to the road between Broad Campden and Blockley and continued to descend, now more steeply to a stream. Here we found another couple of walkers, looking distinctly lost, and we realised that it was the couple we'd seen in Broad Campden (who had presumably just walked down the road to this point). They had rather unhelpful photocopied walk instructions, but we were able to direct them on the (almost) right path uphill again and so on to Blockley.

Blockley is a really lovely village, with attractive houses and Church - and a fantastic community-run shop and cafe. They were doing a roaring trade, but we found room to sit for a cup of tea. Unsurprisingly the other couple of walkers arrived too, and we had a longer chat with them - they sounded American (which probably means they weren't) and they were asking about our guidebook (definitely NOT the best if you just want a walking guide to the Cotswolds). We left them behind in the cafe but as we continued our walk we were walking at about the same speed as a larger group of walkers who were definitely American, on a personalised five-day walking tour centred on Morton-in-Marsh. We followed them past a rather large lorry which was causing something of an obstruction in the middle of the village, and directed them to the Mill Dene Garden, which was closed! We carried on walking with the group as we all climbed up the hill out of Blockley, with fantastic views opening up behind us. Eventually (and only as a result of their kindness, I think their natural walking speed was at least as fast as ours) they let us get ahead and we did a dog-leg through a wooded area before climbing more gradually to a road which, we are reliably informed by the guidebook, marks the watershed between the rivers Thames and Avon. On the road we met another couple of walkers, British this time, who asked about the route we'd just followed from Blockley; would we recommend it? (an answer was an unreserved yes!). They too seemed interested in the Heart of England Way official guidebook...

From the road we took a path which descended on a path past the Batsford Arboretum and, after crossing the driveway, we parted company with the Heart of England Way and followed the Monarch's Way across the fields to Moreton-in-Marsh. Indeed it was on this section of path that I first became acquainted with the path that we now know as "The Monarch" and which we've encountered all over the country as it meanders its way for 615 miles from Worcester then north then back to the Cotswolds, before south to Charmouth and Shoreham and many places in between; I walked this section about 10 years ago with three colleagues (with whom I was staying on my one previous visit to the Manor House Hotel) one of whom pontificated about it following Charles II's escape route; ah Steve - I should have known you well enough to realise that your "expertise" came from the fact that you'd read a notice about the route a few minutes earlier!

Returning to 2017, we collected our car from the Manor House Hotel then returned to Hidcote Manor Garden. We've been there before too and if I'm honest I was a bit disappointed on this occasion (probably just not the best time of year), though the water lilies were nice and I had another nice cup of tea and scone! In the evening we had a pleasant meal at the Ask Italian restaurant in Moreton-in-Marsh.

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