{"id":2610,"date":"2023-03-11T05:11:55","date_gmt":"2023-03-11T04:11:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/?p=2610"},"modified":"2023-03-05T07:49:50","modified_gmt":"2023-03-05T06:49:50","slug":"bledington-church-westcote-icomb-glos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/?p=2610","title":{"rendered":"Bledington, Church Westcote &#038; Icomb, Glos"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script type=\"text\/javascript\">function popwalk(walk) {var url = \"\/Walks\/amap.php?f=\"+walk; varwalkwindow=window.open(url,\"walkwin\",\"height=740,width=1220,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes\"); if (window.focus) {walkwindow.focus()}}<\/script><br \/> First published in: The Times <a href=\"javascript:popwalk('Bledington.jpg');\" rel=\"nozoom\" title=\"Click here to view a map for this walk in a new window\">Click here to view a map for this walk in a new window<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/52717164624_114da570a5_z.jpg\" title= \"field path approaching Icomb\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/52717164624_114da570a5_s.jpg\" alt=\"field path approaching Icomb\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/52717330530_222a606246_z.jpg\" title= \"view from Icomb over the Evenlode valley\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/52717330530_222a606246_s.jpg\" alt=\"view from Icomb over the Evenlode valley\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/52717164709_bc8abd1958_z.jpg\" title= \"Bledington\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/52717164709_bc8abd1958_s.jpg\" alt=\"Bledington\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/52716900941_c3975ca430_z.jpg\" title= \"view over Evenlode valley from fields near Church Westcote\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/52716900941_c3975ca430_s.jpg\" alt=\"view over Evenlode valley from fields near Church Westcote\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/52717387568_98556c6183_z.jpg\" title= \"medieval ridge-and-furrow near Church Westcote\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/52717387568_98556c6183_s.jpg\" alt=\"medieval ridge-and-furrow near Church Westcote\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/52716380817_05d907e941_z.jpg\" title= \"fields near Church Westcote\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/52716380817_05d907e941_s.jpg\" alt=\"fields near Church Westcote\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/52716900776_aac93d7151_z.jpg\" title= \"broad vale of Evenlode near Icomb\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/52716900776_aac93d7151_s.jpg\" alt=\"broad vale of Evenlode near Icomb\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/52716900871_fb88b43908_z.jpg\" title= \"Church of St Mary, Icomb\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/52716900871_fb88b43908_s.jpg\" alt=\"Church of St Mary, Icomb\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/52716386527_34d3f8007b_z.jpg\" title= \"muddy lane near Bledington\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/52716386527_34d3f8007b_s.jpg\" alt=\"muddy lane near Bledington\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/52717170609_03ef8b203d_z.jpg\" title= \"Bledington's church in winter sun\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/52717170609_03ef8b203d_s.jpg\" alt=\"Bledington's church in winter sun\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/52717170614_4864d16051_z.jpg\" title= \"bird kneeler in Icomb Church\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/52717170614_4864d16051_s.jpg\" alt=\"bird kneeler in Icomb Church\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/52716906726_9090a7fab0_z.jpg\" title= \"field path approaching Bledington\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/52716906726_9090a7fab0_s.jpg\" alt=\"field path approaching Bledington\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/52716900966_b798049a29_z.jpg\" title= \"young oak plantation between Church Westcote and Icomb\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/52716900966_b798049a29_s.jpg\" alt=\"young oak plantation between Church Westcote and Icomb\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"javascript:pwindow=window.open('\/Walks\/prn.php?f=2610','pwin','height=700,width=1000,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes');\" title=\"Click for printable version\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/Walks\/print.gif\" align=\"right\"><\/a><br \/>\nIf you were looking for a clutch of Cotswold villages that typified everything enticing about this part of the world, you could hardly do better than those that look into the Evenlode Valley between Stow-on-the-Wold and Chipping Norton.<\/p>\n<p>Bledington is the perfect place to start, a collection of fine large houses and thatched cottages in the beautiful local stone that weathers to a rich creamy gold. From here our path ran across the wide fields of the vale, ribboning across the corrugations of medieval ridge-and-furrow. <\/p>\n<p>We passed Gawcombe Farm\u2019s scrubby preserves and followed a muddy green lane up to the neighbouring villages of Nether and Church Westcote. A blackbird sang for nesting time in the hedge at Church Westcote, then gave a chakker of alarm and fell silent as we passed.<\/p>\n<p>Dark slaty blocks of cloud were slashed across great pillows of white on a pure blue field of sky. We passed through a plantation of young oak and silver birch, where stacks of abandoned logs gave off a fruity savour of damp moss and rot. Dogwood twigs glowed a brilliant crimson as the low afternoon sun glanced across them.<\/p>\n<p>The mellow walls and gables of ancient Icomb Place stood ahead on the ridge. Beyond them we came to St Mary\u2019s Church at Icomb, its tower topped with a little pitched roof of stone, as though a tiny house had been plonked on top. Inside, exquisitely worked hassocks lay ready for the knees of worshippers. One was embellished with birds we\u2019d seen or heard today \u2013 chaffinch, tree creeper, nuthatch, goldfinch and wren.<\/p>\n<p>Sir John Blaket lay recumbent in effigy, stone sollerets pointed like winklepickers, moustaches overflowing his helm, a martial hero of Agincourt. Less honourable residents of Icomb were the Dunsden brothers, the original Tom, Dick and Harry, highwaymen of the 18th century who ended their careers behind bars and dancing the hangman\u2019s jig.<\/p>\n<p>Out in the open air we descended from the ridge into the vale once more. The first skylark of the year poured out a silvery song high and invisible over a turnip field, and a black horse cantered neighing around its sunlit paddock as though injected with pure essence of the oncoming spring.<\/p>\n<p>How hard is it? 7\u00bc miles; easy; field paths<\/p>\n<p>Start: The Green, Bledington, Oxon OX7 6XQ (OS ref SP244227)<\/p>\n<p>Getting there: Bus 802 (Kingham to Bourton)<br \/>\nRoad: Bledington is on B4450 between Stow and Chipping Norton<\/p>\n<p>Walk (OS Explorer OL45): Follow Church Street. Right beside church; follow \u2018Oxfordshire Way\u2019\/OW signs. In 1 mile, left across footbridge (235221, yellow arrow\/YA). Follow path (\u2018Diamond Way\/DW on map) across fields. In \u00bd mile meet green lane (230214); left for \u00be mile to road at Nether Westcote (227203). Right; in 100m fork right down path (226203, fingerpost). In 50m fork left on path to Church Westcote. Right at road (221204) past post-box. At \u2018Middlemarch\u2019, right down track (220207); in 100m, left over stile (YA). Follow DW. In 200m into plantation (218209); keep ahead at fork (YA) and on. In \u00bd mile cross OW (216216); in \u00bd mile pass reservoir on right; in 50m fork left uphill (215223). In 30m, right (gate, YA) to Icomb Church (214226). Return along path and on. Approaching Middle Farm, left (217226, fingerpost) on path across fields. In \u00bd mile cross Lower Farm drive (225227) and on; in \u00bd mile, right down driveway (233229). In \u00bd mile at right bend, left (234221, kissing gate) on OW\/DW to Bledington.<\/p>\n<p>Lunch\/Accommodation: King\u2019s Head, Bledington OX7 6XQ (01608-658365, <a href=\"http:\/\/kingsheadinn.net\">kingsheadinn.net<\/a>); Feathered Nest, Nether Westcote OX7 6SD (01993-833030, <a href=\"http:\/\/thefeatherednestinn.co.uk\">thefeatherednestinn.co.uk<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>Info: Stow-on-the-Wold TIC (01451-870998)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you were looking for a clutch of Cotswold villages that typified everything enticing about this part of the world, you could hardly do better than those that look into the Evenlode Valley between Stow-on-the-Wold and Chipping Norton.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2611,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2610","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-walks","category-3-id","post-seq-1","post-parity-odd","meta-position-corners","fix"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2610","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2610"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2610\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2611"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2610"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2610"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2610"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}