Cnrunl AND Aucterur CnusewnvA easy 6 mile walk, with lar reaching views, to the tranquil riverside village ol Swarkestone - through a landscape carvedthrough by river, canal and railway.

parking: In car park in Melbourne town centre. Retreshments en route: Crewe and Harpur pub at Swarkestone.

ll starting lrom Melbourne, begin route at point A. lf starting lrom Stanton by Bridge begin route at point C. lf starting from Weston-on-Trent follow the canal towpath to join the walk at Sarson's Bridge'.

Cross the churchyard and turn left at its entrance gate,ignoring the footpath sign on the other side of the road.Head towards the River Trent and at the riverbank turn rightand head lor the Crewe and Harpur pub.

Cross the Georgian bridge and turn right down road signedto Ingleby. You will shortly see a stile on the left by theentrance to the sailing club. Follow the tarmac road (until itveers into the Club) alongside Swarkestone Causeway.

Swatkestone Causeway is a scheduled ancient monument'h nile long, dating nainly from the 13th and 14th cen\rry.

Do not turn right towards the club, but take the metal gatein lront of you and pick up the path alongside a stream thatheads west away lrom the last arches of the bridge. Mounta stile and continue on the path ignoring the first stile 0nyour left. At the second stile, head uphill and into Stanton byBridge.

A Leave the Market Place and head down Church Streettowards the Parish Church past the Bluebell Inn. Turn leftinto Castle Street and right into Castle Lane (beyond CastleFarm) them immediately left into The Lilypool. Walk rightalong Station Road lor a couple of hundred yards then leftinto Jawbone Lane. At the crossroads with the village crossin Kings Newton go straight over down Trent Lane.

Kngs Newton nay be an older settlenent than the pr$entday town of Melboume. And an impoftant Anglo Saxoncremation cemetery was discovered here in 1867.

Just before a railway bridge veer left down to the railwaytrack, turn left and walk along the track (once a branch linebetween Derby and Ashby, but closed in 1973), watchingout lor bikes, as this is a cycle route too. A few hundredyards past the viaduct over the Biver Trent leave the track(to the left) and head down towards the canal bank. Turnlett along tne Trent and Mersey canal (completed here in1777) and walk for jusl over a mile until you reach a canalbridge just after a canal mileage marker.

Climb the track by the bridge and turn left along a pathwhich almost immediately takes a turn right across a tield.Follow th's well marked way for about half a mile t0 theBullring at Swarkestone - an unexpected and amazing sightin this location.

Sonetines called tte Balcony, the Stand, the Fhvili,n, theBu ting or Bowl A ey House, this strange building rivals ffieUidge as Swakestone's best know strudure. lt was builtin 1632 in the style of John Snythson, who was paftlyresponsible for the rebuilding of Wi iam Cavendish'sfairytale castle at Bolsovet lt served nainly as a gnndsbndt1r the bowling green in the rcctangular walled enclosure infront (known N 'The Cuttle'), a pavilion to retire to afterfeasF at nearby Swarkestune Hall (denolished), hone ofthe Haryur family beforc Calke Abbey. ft has been restorcdby the LandmarkTrust who let it as a holiday N1perty'

B From the Bullring head to the back of the parish church,passing on your lelt the 'Tithe Barn', now a house ltsgardens back onto the site 0f the Elizabethan hall and thewalled enclosures once housed gardens.

Swatkestone church was virtually rcbuilt in the 1870s,h1wever the 15th centtry tower and Haryur Chapel arefrom an earliet building. The font and fragnents in the eastaisle Mll arc Nornan.

Swarkestone Bridge [photo: C Beech]C Visit the Anglo Saxon church here it you have time, then

head east uphill along the main street until you reach themain road. Cross with care and turn right towardsMelbourne. After 200 yards, turn left through a metal gateand head towards the Victorian pumping station Almostimmediately join a footpath to the right uphill towards anelectricity pylon. Follow this path until it meets a trackcoming up from the Causeway and keep on this 'laggers'

track into Kings Newton. With the Packhorse Inn in front 0fyou, turn right along the main road - within a few yards afinger post points to l\4elbourne. Follow this by the backs ojthe houses and market gardens until you reach Derby Road.Turn left and head back into Melb0urne.

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Cnrunl AND Atucterur CRusewRv

Swaftestone Pavilion