Rugsta one

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I completed this walk yesterday walking westwards from Stanford on Avon. It only gets (a generous) three stars from me - mainly due to the noise levels whilst walking the section adjacent to the A14, and the unmaintained nature of the route between the A5 and Buckwell Lane. When I did the walk it was also really boggy after Lilbourne Gorse and on the way to the A5, and the final route to the A5 was across an unmarked field. These additional issues almost led me to give it just two stars, but that feels a bit harsh and it would be better after dryer weather, but do go prepared to get muddy if it hasn't been dry!

The route leaves the pretty village of Stanford via the road (photo 1) to the old rail station where it cuts across farmland (photo 2) as it makes its way towards the A14. The A14 is practically a motorway and the footpath runs adjacent to it for a mile with all the unenjoyable noise you would expect from such a road. The route is ridge and furrow to where you go under the road (photo 3), and on the other side of the road it follows a fence (photo 4) to an open field.

As the route enters this field, there is a path which cuts off the corner of the mapped right of way which would be a short cut if it was permissible. This section takes you close to a couple of the wind turbines (photo 5) on the way to the subway under the M1 (photo 6). On the other side of the M1 lies the village of Lilbourne. Unfortunately, we found the pub (Head of Steam) only opens from 4pm which meant there was no chance for a pit stop at the time we arrived.

The route out of Lilbourne climbs a hill towards Lilbourne Gorse and along Shakespeare's Avon Way. At the top of the hill the route skirts the edge of the woodland and then surprisingly for a long distance walking route, the path loses the way markers. It was here that the route got very boggy (photo 10) so if it has been raining recently prepare to get wet and muddy. The route down the hill towards the A5 was also unmarked so I had to rely on my phones GPS to navigate to the road.

Crossing the A5 requires a heightened sense of awareness and wouldn't be fun in rush hour! On the other side of the road, the path is very unmaintained (photo 12), and I can imagine doing it in spring or summer would be very difficult and tough. It really was a relief when reaching the old Buckwell Lane. The village of Clifton on Dunsmore has a shop and a pub for refreshments (although the pub was closed for refurbishment and due to open 8/12/23).

The route after Clifton then takes you through footpaths, again some of which were not well maintained, before you eventually reach Butlers Leap and pass the station on the way into the town centre.

In terms of recommending the route, I would suggest it is suitable if you absolutely have to walk between the two points, however I wouldn't recommend it as a particularly enjoyable walk. It has one or two brief nice sections, but if there is any chance of an alternative, it would be very welcome! There are a few gates, steps and a footbridge to negotiate, but by far your biggest physical obstacle would be the overgrown sections (especially in spring/summer).

I second everything the first reviewer has said about this route! Easy to follow using the gpx file, but waymarkers were often missing.

The description of the tricky bits was very accurate. There was one particular field that was very close to being impassible with nettles, brambles and thistles all waiting to scratch our ankles. Certainly not suitable for wheelchairs or buggies. The gate before this field was also unusable, and probably has been for some time. I might try to contact the local council and ramblers about this.

The footpath next to the M6 took us along the perimeter of the field before coming back on ourselves (presumably just the way the footpath is on the map?). The route around the village of Lilbourne could have been a little more direct, we couldn’t see a particular benefit to the route that had been chosen there. The A5 was a busy and fast road to cross, so caution must be taken there.

As the first reviewer mentioned, at least two pubs en route, a coffee shop and village store, but nothing at Stanford so I would suggest getting something earlier on in the walk.

A really enjoyable route otherwise with only one incline really, some lovely villages too, although I am feeling the nettle stings now!.

This was a really enjoyable walk. A variety of pathways, through fields, forests and villages. The map was accurate and it was easy to follow which is good because the signposting was poor. There are some pubs and cafes along the way as well as really nice churches in Lilbourne and at the end in Stanford. There isn't much else in Stanford so it's worth getting lunch along the way.
There was one field which was severely overgrown, we managed to push through but I can imagine many would be put off and you certainly wouldn't have got a wheelchair or buggy through it, the undergrowth was up to our heads! There was also another place as we approached the A5 where the pedestrian gate was very overgrown and we had to climb over the vehicle gate.
The A5 was a very busy road to cross in the middle of the walk. The map also took us needlessly across a field and then back on ourselves as we approached the M6 towards the end.
But overall it was a really nice day. I don't think the overgrown areas would be so bad in winter and as this hasn't been reviewed before I wouldn't want to put anyone off walking it.

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