[1] With your back to the Memorial Hall, go left, along the road, then ahead at a junction. Pass kennels owned by the Beaufort Hunt on the left and continue to enter Badminton Park.
(A) Badminton House dates from the early 17th century and has been the principal seat of the Dukes of Beaufort since the late 17th century. The parkland hosts the world famous Badminton Horse Trials, and it is thought that the game of Badminton was invented in the house in1863.
Follow the driveway, taking the left fork at a point where a small lake is off to your right then continue without deviation, to the far end of the park where you go through a gate to reach a road.
[2] Keep on in the same direction, passing an ancient stone dovecote in a field on your right then ignoring a turning on the right. When you reach a waymarked footpath sign pointing right, take the surfaced driveway, going ahead through a gate onto a track where the drive swings left.
[3] Keep on this track, crossing a surfaced drive and eventually passing though a gate. A short distance further, the track becomes a lane, which you follow as far a footpath sign on the left. Go through the field gate here and walk diagonally over the field to a stone stile half-way along the hedge on your right. Climb this and cross the field to a further stile, then on again a short distance to climb another. Continue now, boundary right, passing farm buildings on your right, then finally dropping down to a lane.
[4] Walk right for a few yards, going left through a signed field gate and continuing ahead, boundary right, to a stile on the far side of the field. Climb this and head diagonally right, across the field, aiming to the left of the squat church tower to reach a stile giving access to a road. Turn left along the road as far as a driveway on the right, just before the bend. Don’t follow the drive, but instead walk across the grass a short distance to a track leading to a stile by a gate.
[5] Climb the stile to enter a field. Walk across, heading towards the roofs of cottages and squeezing through the paddock fence. Continue ahead, climbing a stile at the far side and dropping down to a lane. Walk right, soon on a raised causeway with stream left, and passing a fine house on the right – the rectory. Beyond here, turn right towards the church and go through the gate into the churchyard. Follow the path around the church, leaving via a gate then following the path ahead with Luckington Court to your right, to reach the road.
(B) The church and Luckington Court were used in the filming of the BBC’s adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.
Turn right and follow the tarmac into Luckington village, bearing right to the village green. A little further right, The Old Royal Ship makes a suitable lunch stop –real ales and a comprehensive menu!
[6] To continue the walk, go to the road junction by the Post Office, and climb steps to a signed footpath that you follow between properties. Climb a stile, then go half- left, with a wall and conifers to your left, then continue across the field, picking up the stone wall on your right. Climb a stile in the far right corner, then walk left alongside the wall to a stile in the field corner. Climb this, and then go half-right to reach a kissing gate in the lower, right corner of the field. Beyond this, walk a short distance to a stile, cross this and a stream beyond, then walk ahead, boundary right, to a further stile. Climb over and keep with the right boundary to a corner, where you go ahead across the field, down to climb a stile in the bottom right-hand corner. Now go left, crossing a stream, then through a field gate to reach a road.
[7] Straightforward walking now, following the road back to Badminton, with glimpses of the House away to your right. The three-day horse trials follow a course that crosses this road – look out for the horse jumps either side of the road. Take the turn on the right as the road bends left to return to the Memorial Hall.