Explore the peaceful countryside and woodland around Moreton-in-Marsh on this 6.9-mile/11km circular Moreton-in-Marsh to Blockley walk, which is particularly beautiful in autumn. And as Moreton-in-Marsh has a mainline train station, you can easily do this walk without a car.
Blockley is known to fans of the BBC TV series Father Brown as Kembleford. The show is based on the novels of GK Chesterton and stars Mark Williams as a crime-solving Catholic priest. Blockley’s Church of St Peter and St Paul and vicarage both feature in many episodes of the show.
The route starts in Moreton and runs across fields past Batsford Arboretum before climbing onto a ridge with lovely views of Blockley. After visiting Blockley – which has two pubs and a café you can stop at – you climb back over the ridge before descending to Moreton via Batsford village.
The Moreton-in-Marsh to Blockley walk takes around three hours and is moderately difficult, with some up- and downhill climbs and muddy stretches in winter. It follows part of the route of two long-distance walks – the Monarch’s Way (625 miles from Worcester to Shoreham in West Sussex) and Heart of England Way (100 miles from Cannock Chase to Bourton-on-the Water).
Moreton-in-Marsh to Blockley walk details and map
- Distance: 6.9 miles/11km.
- Time: 3 hours.
- Elevation: 784 feet elevation gain.
- Difficulty: Moderate.
- Paths: Grass, dirt and stone paths, farm tracks and country roads (including a stretch along the Batsford to Moreton road where you may need to get onto the verge to avoid cars).
- Accessibility: Several stiles and kissing gates. Beware the route can be wet and muddy in some stretches in winter or if it’s been raining.
- Map: OL45 The Cotswolds*
- Toilets: Public toilets in Moreton-in-Marsh next to Redesdale Hall near the start/finish point (cost 40p – cash or card) and free toilets next to Blockley’s shop and café.
- Facilities: There’s a shop and café in Blockley, which serves breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea, as well as two pubs – The Great Western Arms and The Crown Hotel. There’s also a café at Batsford Arboretum, just off the route, and lots of places to eat and drink in Moreton.
Click on the map above to be taken to Wikiloc, a free app where you can download a map and GPS directions for the Moreton-in-Marsh to Blockley walk.
Start/finish point
The starting point for the walk is the junction of the High Street and Corders Lane in Moreton-in-Marsh (GL56 0AH), next to the Victoria Coffee House and in front of Redesdale Hall.
If you’re travelling by car, there’s paid parking at the Old Market Way Car Park (GL56 0JY) and the train station (GL56 0AA), plus limited free parking on the High Street (except on Tuesdays).
If you’re travelling by public transport, Moreton-in-Marsh has a mainline train station with direct trains to London and Oxford. The train station is a five-minute walk from the start of the walk. You can also get to Moreton from Stratford-upon-Avon on the Stagecoach 1/2 or 51A buses, or from Cheltenham, Bourton-on-the-Water and Stow-on-the-Wold on the Pulhams 801 bus.
Moreton-in-Marsh to Blockley walk route
Stage 1: Moreton-in-Marsh to Blockley
Start your walk on the High Street in Moreton-in-Marsh, next to Redesdale Hall. Turn down Corders Lane, which has a brown sign saying ‘Batsford Arboretum 1.5 miles’. At the end of the lane, cross the road and go straight on down the footpath ahead, marked with another arboretum sign.
Follow the path past allotments and through a gate into a field (this can be muddy if it’s been raining). Cross the field then go through a metal kissing gate on the left – it’s a bit hidden away in the hedge but there is a wooden post just after it which can help you spot where it is.
Once through the gate, turn right following the public footpath and ‘Moreton Eight’ signs.
Keep going straight ahead through the next few fields, with several gates and bridges – there are also various public footpath, Monarch’s Way and Moreton Eight signs.
When you reach a gate with two public footpath arrows on it – one pointing right and one straight on – it doesn’t matter which path you take as they end up in the same place. Head towards the stone cottage in the right-hand corner of the field. Once you get there, go through the wooden gate (which has a Heart of England Way sign) to the left of the cottage, onto Batsford Arboretum’s driveway.
If you want to visit Batsford Arboretum or café, turn right down the drive. Otherwise go through the wooden gate ahead marked with Monarch’s Way and Heart of England Way signs and climb uphill. At the top the path goes through a gate and splits – keep right next to the arboretum wall.
Climb uphill on a stony track. Just before the track curves around to the left, turn off to the right onto a smaller path marked with a public footpath/Heart of England Way signpost (if you do miss it and go too far, there’s a ‘private’ sign on the track to show you need to go back a bit).
The path climbs uphill along the edge of a plantation. Once you come out of the trees onto a road, cross over and follow the path ahead. There are two metal gates – go through the one on the right and walk along the edge of the field until you reach a stone wall with views over Blockley.
Turn left and go through a wooden gate marked with a Heart of England Way sign. Follow the path then go through a stile on the right which takes you across fields down towards Blockley. Head towards the church – there are a wooden posts along the way to mark the route.
At the bottom of the hill, go through a gate then over a stile onto a stony track, which leads to the road. Turn right and walk into Blockley (there’s no pavement so watch out for cars).
Look out for a bridleway sign on a road to the right – you’ll need to come back here after visiting Blockley. Just before a house called Pear Tree Cottage, take the steep footpath on the left to reach Blockley church, village shop and café. Or go straight on for The Great Western Arms pub.
The Church of St Peter and St Paul is one of the main filming locations for Father Brown, where it features as St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church. You can see photos of the cast inside. The vicarage next door and various other locations around the village are also used in the show.
Stage 2: Blockley to Moreton-in-Marsh via Batsford
Retrace your steps back through Blockley and turn left along Pasture Lane, which is marked with a bridleway sign. Follow the road uphill which turns into a farm track. Just before you reach a barn, you’ll see a post with a public footpath sign pointing left and a bridleway straight on.
Go straight on following the bridleway sign, walking down the right-hand side of the barn. The path climbs up along the edge of fields – it’s used by farm vehicles and horses so gets muddy.
At the top of the hill the path turns to the left and runs along a ridge, with views down to Blockley. Follow this path as it goes through a gate, then carries straight on, passing through another gate before cutting across the field, heading to the right towards a metal gate onto the road.
Take the road straight ahead which runs downhill towards Batsford. When you come to a junction with a road on the right – marked ‘Batsford village only’ and ‘Slow, children and horses’, turn down this road to visit Batsford village and church (otherwise you can continue straight on).
The road into Batsford passes the Batsford Stud farm on your right. Then when you get to a junction, go right into Batsford village, where you can take a look around St Mary’s Church.
The Batsford Estate was once owned by the Freeman-Mitford family. Algernon Freeman-Mitford – the first Baron Redesdale and grandfather of the infamous Mitford sisters – rebuilt Batsford Park and set up the original arboretum. The family also funded the building of the church.
When you’ve finished in Batsford, retrace your steps to the last junction and go straight on down a tree-lined road. When you meet the main road, turn right and follow it towards Moreton (this is busier than the previous road so you may need to get onto the verge to avoid passing cars).
Just before you arrive into Moreton, turn off the road through a gate on the right into the Queen Victoria Garden. Walk across the garden, cross the bridge then go right down Hospital Road.
When you reach Corders Lane on the left (just before a house with a sign 1 Alpha Terrace), turn down there and you’ll be back on the High Street at the start point. If you fancy a drink, the Black Bear Inn is opposite, or the Redesdale Arms and Rixy’s Cotswold Tearoom to your right.
* This site contains affiliate links, where I get a small commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.
Save for later
You might also like
