[1] There are two tracks starting from the east side of Pettiford Lane just south of the bridge. One is a tarmac drive leading to Preston Hill Farm, but this is the return route. You set out along the second track, a green lane, waymaked as a bridleway, with trees and hedges on both sides. The lane is wide enough for there to be side paths as well as the main track. Muddy sections can be by-passed using the side paths. For the first part of this walk you are following part of the Monarch's Way, a 615 mile long route inspired by the journey made by the twenty-one year old King Charles II after his defeat at Worcester.
The lane takes you gradually uphill, over the Stratford canal and up to Austy Wood, which is located on a ridge.
(A) Austy Wood is renowned for its carpet of bluebells in spring. Apart from the occasional open day there is no public access to the wood but you have good views into it from the bridleway.
Emerging from the wood you follow the track along the right hand edge of grassy fields. This takes you downhill to a gateway to the right of the buildings of Cutler's Farm. Carry on past the farm buildings to reach a tarmac lane and turn right.
[2] Follow the quiet lane south for 500 metres. Roadside hedges are left behind as you enter parkland surrounding Edstone Hall. Where the lane comes close to the hedge line on your left look for a bridleway leading left. This crosses a footbridge, goes through a bridle gate and turns left along a field boundary. Almost immediately the bridleway turns right, out across the field towards some prominent trees, presumably remnants of a former hedge line.
At the far side of the field turn right and follow the field edge. A waymarker indicates that the true line of the bridleway heads diagonally across the corner of the next field, but common practice is to continue along the field edge and then turn left when you reach the hedgerow. After 300 metres turn right though a gap in the hedge. You immediately come to a path junction. Here the Monarch's Way turns left, but you should carry straight on with a hedge on your left.
The bridleway descends into the valley of a small stream. Just before the stream, a kissing gate on the right shows where a footpath crosses the bridleway. Your onward route follows this footpath to the left through more bridle gates, although these are initially out of sight. Reach the first gate by following the left hand hedge of the first field you enter for 25 metres, then walk diagonally right to the far corner of an irregularly shaped field to a second gate. You emerge onto a green lane. Turn right and follow the lane to Langley village.
[3] Turn left and walk along the village street to a road junction on the left. Turn left and follow this road to a T junction. Here your route continues straight ahead along a footpath. The path takes you along a hollow way, below the level of the adjacent field but comfortably above the level of a small stream. The spring flowers in this shady section appear a couple of weeks later than those seen at the start of the walk.
Eventually you reach a path junction by a wire fence. Take the right hand path, which soon leads you between private gardens. Go straight across a private drive and down a flight of rough steps to reach a road. Turn left and walk through the hamlet of Kington. Distinctive brick built farm buildings have been given a new lease of life through conversion to residential use.
The road makes a sharp turn to the right and takes you past Cherry Pool Farm. 100 metres beyond the buildings turn left through a bridle gate. Follow the clearly marked route through paddocks to join a green lane leading away from the buildings.
[4] The lane ends at a gate opening onto a grassy field. Head straight out into the field, passing close to a telegraph pole, and find a waymarked gate at the left hand end of the prominent hedge at the far end. To your right is Barnmoor Wood where the trees conceal a small Iron Age hill fort. In the next field walk diagonally right, aiming for the brick built canal bridge which can be glimpsed beyond the far hedge. This is bridge 49 on the Southern Stratford Canal.
(B) As you cross you will notice a gap between the two halves of the bridge. The original bridges all had this gap, which is to allow a tow rope to pass through. The Stratford upon Avon canal was opened in 1816 to provide a link from the canal system around Birmingham to the Avon at Stratford. It narrowly escaped closure in 1958 but was subsequently restored to full working order largely though the efforts of volunteer groups.
Follow the towpath to your left to bridge 50, where you turn right onto the tarmac drive from Preston Hill Farm, which is also a footpath. After a left turn the drive runs alongside the Preston Bagot Brook, one of the tributaries of the Alne. The stream follows a natural course through the fields and you have good views of it where there are gaps in the hedge line. Soon you see Pettiford Bridge on your right and are back on Pettiford Lane with waypoint [1] just to the left.
Extended route starting from Wootton Wawen: Go down the lane just to the left of the General Stores. This lane has a footpath waymark and also a Monarch's Way marker. Carry straight on, though two gates, onto a track on a bank through riverside meadows. Cross the River Alne by a footbridge then walk diagonally right across a field. Go through a gate and follow the fence on your left until you reach a road. Walk left along the road and shortly turn right onto a track leading to a bridge over the canal. Do not go over the bridge, instead turn left and walk along the towpath. You go over a cast iron aqueduct, one of three similar structures on the Stratford Canal. Continue to bridge 51. Here you cross the bridge and join the main route.
Extended route returning to Wootton Wawen: From waypoint 1 continue south along Pettiford Lane. Take particular care when you enter the built up area and the lane bends right on the approach to the junction with Stratford Road. If you opt to visit the Yew Tree Farm craft centre you can get to Stratford Road via a pedestrian exit to the left of the farm shop. Walk west along Stratford Road, over the River Alne and back to your start point. You pass an 18th century mill building which functioned as a corn mill until 1912. Once over the river you have a view of Wootton Wawen Hall, a country house in the Palladian style, built mainly in 1687 and now the centre of an estate of mobile homes.