(A) Barrow Court stands on the site of a 12th century nunnery, though only the central portion of the house and an adjoining tythe barn remain from that era. The nunnery was converted into a house in the early 16th century and over the next two hundred years was enlarged to its present form. Henry Gibbs, who lived at nearby Tyntesfield, eventually acquired the house in 1880. He began a major programme of restoration on the house, church and gardens, employing Inigo Jones to design the latter. The property is now divided into a number of private residences whose owners share the use of the communal gardens. These are best viewed from the footpath through the stone balustrades; there is no public access to the house and grounds.
Keep to the right boundary to a climb a stile in the right corner of the field, which gives access to a surfaced path. Go left here to the road (right will take you to Barrow Gurney church).
[2] Follow the road right, until you come to a footpath sign pointing left. Climb the stile and walk with the hedge on your right to another stile, go over and descend to the valley bottom, where you go through a field gate on the right, before continuing in the same direction, fence left, to a further gate with a small waymark post on the left half way up the hill. Go right here and walk ahead, parallel with woodland to your left, and passing a large oak tree to reach a stile in the far hedge. Now go ahead over two more stiles to reach a lane.
[3] Walk left on the lane for a short distance to a junction, where you go through a metal gate on the right, then follow an ascending path, boundary left, to a gate. Pass through and continue, fence right, through a field gate, then onwards, aiming for the conifer plantation ahead.
[4] When you reach a signed path junction turn left and follow the track with the conifers on your right.
If you find the route too muddy, you can walk ahead, conifers left, to a wall corner [5].
As the plantation ends, go right, then right again, walking now with the plantation to your right, and passing the ‘Jubilee Stone’. Keep the boundary on your right to approach the field corner, where you climb a gate on the right and walk a few yards half left to a wall and a signpost.
[5] You now follow a track through woodland, with the wall to your right. Go through a metal gate, after which, the track splits with farm buildings in the fork. Keep right here and beyond the farm, pass through another gate and follow the track through the woods, eventually descending to a T-junction. Turn right, the track shortly returning you to your starting point.