An easy-to-navigate simple route, and under seven miles making it a nice couple of hour’s hike. Though with a stiff climb to finish (whichever way you walk it – you’re starting at the top of a hill!) it’s not quite as swift as you may expect. No doubt lovely views and definitely some glorious woodland – though you can see we did it on a very wet October day with more mud than scenic vistas!
Leaving the top of Bulbarrow via the path through Delcombe Wood (we find it more interesting than the Ice Drove, but you can take your pick), you circle the bottom of Bulbarrow, touching upon Hilton, Lower Ansty, pleck before making your way back to the top again with a steady plod up Cuckoo Lane.
We accidentally created this route on a gloomy, overcast October day which quickly turned to torrential downpour. We swiftly re-assessed our planned 11 miles, mapping a shortcut which ended up being a happy accident by finding a lovely new route which we intend to revisit when the sun is shining! The final hill climb up Bulbarrow Hill was inevitable, seeing as we parked at the top, but it wasn‘t too horrific, and the lane made it feel comparably easy after the mud we’d had!
The ancient holloway at the bottom of Green Hill.
The short sharp uphill through the trees from Hilton is guaranteed to get the blood pumping – and the lungs gasping!
Pretty Hilton Church is worth stepping into for a few minutes.
The long straight track with the final climb back up to the top of Bulbarrow – I suspect on another day there’ll be amazing views from this spot!
The final hill climb up Bulbarrow Hill into the clouds.
