Start: Beaudesert Lane, Henley-in-Arden, B95 5BA Start Grid Ref: SP151 660. We start on the main Millennium Way trail.
(S/E) With your back to St John the Baptist church on the corner of High Street and Beaudesert Lane in Henley-in-Arden, we go right (past the Guild House). After a few yards cross the road at the pedestrian crossing and go left along High Street for 30 paces to turn right up the alleyway signed to The Station.
Stay up the alleyway and through the car park of the White Swan. Continue following signs to station into Swan Croft. At the end of the alleyway cross the road bearing slightly left then go up the slope on your right to cross the station railway bridge.
(1) Continue forward on the fenced path with allotments on both sides and take the metal kissing gate. Go ahead through a further metal gate and then along the tree-lined passage (be careful of low branches) to go left through another metal gate.
Ignore the kissing gate immediately on right and go with the trees right to find a footbridge with metal rails. Cross footbridge over a ditch, under the fallen branch, to take the kissing gate. Go slightly right along the tree-covered path with a hedge on the left and right and into the sunken way up to a stile.
Cross the stile and go up the steps to reach the field. Go up the field over the summit, then stay ahead to pass through a fence gap and past an isolated piece of fencing with waymarks and continue down to take tricky stile to the road opposite Well Cottage.
(2) Cross the main road carefully, then go up the drive to the right of Well Cottage (take a moment to look down the old well) and cross an interesting stile in brick wall to the right of the gate. Go ahead over a stile into the small orchard.
Continue forward over a stile into the paddock and cross another stile into a field. Go diagonally left down field keeping trees right to reach another stile near field corner. Cross the stile and go right down steep steps, then left across the culverted ditch to cross another stile then forward to a metal footbridge over a stream.
Turn diagonally right across the field to pass the marker post and on to the stile in the hedge. Cross the stile and go diagonally left across the field, maintaining the same direction, to cross a stile in the hedge and continue diagonally left to take another stile by the gate in the hedge. (There is a commemorative wooden bench to Jim Chambers here if you would like to sit a while and enjoy the wonderful view).
(3) Go diagonally right down the field to cross a stile and wooden planked footbridge over a deep ditch. Continue forward to cross the damaged stile in the next hedge and stay ahead towards a narrow field corner gap by a solitary oak tree. Take the gap and continue along with the hedge right. Go through the gap in the hedge at the field corner and stay along the next field with the hedge right. At the field corner, where there may be noisy dogs, go through a gap in the hedge to reach the lane (here we leave the Millennium Way).
(4) Turn left and walk up the lane for 3/4 mile, passing the edge of Five Acre Wood. Continue past a farm on right to where a side road joins from the right. Ignore the side road and continue along the lane for 250 yards to take the waymarked public footpath on left through a "gate in a gate".
(5) Proceed along the track and stay ahead with the hedge left. Where the hedge ends continue ahead on a wide grassy path. Go through the metal gate ahead and continue with the wire fence and hedge right. Where the hedge turns slightly right stay ahead to take the kissing gate just to the right of the large tree. Stay ahead on the enclosed path to take the next kissing gate into a field.
Bear right here and go along the field edge (which can be overgrown in summer) with wire fence left and hedge right. On reaching the field corner go through a metal gate and continue ahead on track between trees. Stay ahead past the open hay barn to pass through the next metal gate to the T-junction of tracks. Go sightly left to take the metal gate then turning left to go through another metal gate keeping the wire fence on your left. Continue past farms to take stile to road.
(6) Cross the road and take stile slightly right opposite continuing up the slope with the hedge and trees left. At the top of the slope take a metal kissing gate and go ahead between wooden fences to take the wooden gate just to the left of farm buildings.
Go ahead across the driveway (avoid walking into the private property) and take a very small gap in the fence, and then go a short distance with fence left to exit by the awkward gate in the corner. Take the gate and turn right on track to cross the railway bridge. Stay ahead on the track to pass the old Warwickshire College building right until you reach the main A3400 road.
(7) Turn left and go across the traffic lights into Henley High Street. You will pass the famous Henley Ice Cream Parlour and Tea Room on your left and the Nag's Head on your right - both worth a visit. Soon you will arrive back at St. John the Baptist church opposite the White Swan. (S/E)
