| Monarch's Way | |
|---|---|
 Waymark on a public footpath | |
| Length | 615 mi (990 km) |
| Location | Warwickshire,Worcestershire,Staffordshire,Sussex,Gloucestershire,Hampshire,Shropshire,Somerset,Devon,Wiltshire andDorset, England. |
| Trailheads | Worcester –Shoreham-by-Sea |
| Use | Hiking |
| Sights | Cotswolds,Mendip Hills |
The Monarch's Way is a 625-mile (1,006 km)[1] long-distancefootpath in England that approximates theescape route taken byKing Charles II in 1651 after being defeated in theBattle of Worcester.[2] It runs fromWorcester viaBristol andYeovil toShoreham, West Sussex.
All of the route iswaymarked,[3] using a logo with a drawing of the shipSurprise above a Prince of Wales three-point feathered crown on a silhouette of theRoyal Oak tree (which is atBoscobel House). The route is shown as a series of green diamonds on theOrdnance Survey (larger scale) 1:25000 maps, and of red diamonds on its 1:50000 maps.
The route was established in 1994 by Trevor Antill,[4] and was published in a three volume guide (seeFurther reading below). The trail is maintained by the Monarch's Way Association in partnership with local highway authorities.[5]
From its starting point atWorcester the route travels north toBoscobel and then south toStratford upon Avon. It then continues south toStow on the Wold before turning south west towardsBristol viaCirencester.
South ofBristol the route is almost directly south across theMendip Hills toWells, continues throughSomerset almost toYeovil and then south west toCharmouth in Dorset. There is then a short section along theDorset coast before turning north again to Yeovil, before turning east and following much of the escarpment of Cranborne Chase, the Hampshire Downs and South Downs toShoreham-by-Sea where it has a short extension to neighbouringBrighton and Hove, being its historic port and today a main yachting centre inSussex.
The Monarch's Way is an approximation of the King's route using available public rights of way and visiting places noted in the historic records. Most of the route has been radically changed in the intervening centuries byenclosure, mining, urbanisation and the building of roads, canals and railways. Use of canals and disused railways allows a more pleasant walk than taking to the public highway and provides an insight into industrial history particularly of theBlack Country.
A memorial near Powick Bridge commemorates the thousands of Scots who perished in theRoyalist cause at theBattle of Worcester.Powick Bridge saw both the first and last engagements of theEnglish Civil War. From here the footpath follows the banks of theRiver Teme andRiver Severn across the battlefield to enter the 'Faithful City' ofWorcester . The King watched the battle unfold from the tower of the cathedral before fleeing with Colonel Charles Giffard of Chillington and others.
The Monarch's Way leaves the city past the Commandery, now a museum, on the towpath of theWorcester & Birmingham Canal then crossing to theDroitwich Canal, toDroitwich. Heading north it passesChaddesley Corbett andHagley on its way toStourbridge. Here it joins the towpath of theStourbridge Canal negotiating the four locks atStourton to join theStaffordshire & Worcestershire Canal. Continuing north along the canal to the Bratch Locks atWombourne to pick up the trackbed of the formerOxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway now the South Staffordshire Railway Walk toOaken. Leaving the railway the northerly route continues passing Pendrell Hall andBoscobel toWhite Ladies Priory. The King was hidden overnight in the house by Richard Pendrell.
The next part of the route traces the King's unsuccessful attempt to cross theRiver Severn to escape into Wales. Leaving White Ladies and the nearby Pendrell home at Hubbal Grange the route turns west viaTong to Evelith Mill andKemberton. ReachingMadeley it became apparent that the river crossings were well guarded and the King spent a night in the 'Royal Barn' before beating a hasty retreat. Retracing the route throughNorton andBeckbury toBoscobel House where the King hid in an oak tree to avoid capture. A descendant of theRoyal Oak stands in the grounds of theEnglish Heritage property.
An alternative plan was hatched for the King's escape and the path now heads east. Crossing the grounds of Chillington Hall and using sections of theShropshire Union Canal andStaffordshire & Worcestershire Canal it reachesMoseley Old Hall, now a National Trust property, where the King was hidden in a 'Priest hole'. FromMoseley Old Hall the King left in the night for Bentley Hall with Colonel Lane. The Monarch's Way passes Northycote Farm andEssington before entering the fringe of the urban West Midlands. The route follows theWyrley & Essington Canal the 'Curly Wyrley' and the ancient forest atRough Wood to reach Bentley Hall atBentley, West Midlands.
The Monarch's Way picks up the closedAnson Branch Canal. This section of the Monarch's Way follows the canal system through the heart of theBlack Country usingWalsall Canal,Wednesbury Old Canal,Netherton Tunnel andDudley Canal toHalesowen. ThenBromsgrove,Headless Cross,Alcester,Wootton Wawen,Snitterfield andWelcombe Hills Country Park. Finally following theStratford-upon-Avon Canal until it joins theRiver Avon in the centre ofStratford-upon-Avon.
TheRoyal Shakespeare Theatre inStratford-upon-Avon is the start of this leg of the Monarch's Way. Following the west bank of theRiver Avon south and passingHoly Trinity Church, with its connections toWilliam Shakespeare.[6] Crossing both the River Avon then theRiver Stour near toStratford racecourse.[6] The path then follows the route of theHoneybourne Line toLong Marston.[6] Leaving east on the route of theHeart of England Way and passing throughLower Quinton andUpper Quinton to meet with theCentenary Way which it follows east roundMeon Hill at the start of theCotswolds.[6] Leaving the Centenary Way in a south westerly direction it entersGloucestershire and passesHidcote Manor Garden, owned by theNational Trust, before rejoining the Heart of England Way.[6] The path crosses Campden Tunnel on theCotswold railway line and enters themarket town ofChipping Campden.[6]
Moreton-in-Marsh,Stow-on-the-Wold,Northleach,Cirencester,Tetbury,Chipping Sodbury,Wick.
The Monarch's Way entersSomerset, having crossed theRiver Avon atKeynsham, where it diverts from the route taken by Charles II intoBristol and instead runs alongside theRiver Chew, where it shares the route with theTwo Rivers Way, through theChew Valley toChewton Keynsham,Compton Dando andWoollard.[7] It then crosses the river atPensford and turns north toNorton Malreward, skirting the prehistorichenge monument ofStanton Drew stone circles, the second largeststone circle in Britain, and travels alongDundry Down to the village ofDundry.[7] From Dundry there is a northerly loop toLeigh Court atAbbots Leigh whereCharles II stayed on the night of 12 September 1651. The path then returns to Dundry and heads turns south toWinford and passesRegil before passing betweenChew Valley Lake andBlagdon Lake toCompton Martin,[8] where it climbs up into theMendip HillsArea of Outstanding Natural Beauty, passingEast Harptree before entering theForestry Commission plantationStock Hill.[7] On leaving the woods the path skirts thePriddy Mineries andPriddy PoolsSite of Special Scientific Interest[9] and continues south toWookey Hole before entering the city ofWells, where it passes theCathedral andBishop's Palace.
South of Wells the Monarch's Way crosses theRiver Sheppey and passes throughTwinhills Woods and Meadows before enteringNorth Wootton,[8] continuing across theSomerset Levels and theA361 andA37 roads, throughEast Pennard, toHornblotton. It then crosses theRiver Alham and travels east crossing theRiver Brue and theA371 before enteringCastle Cary.[10]
The King was sheltered by Colonel Wyndham at Trent Manor House. The next part of the journey leads down to the Dorset coast where a ship had been found to take the King to France.AtMontacute the Monarch's Way passes in front of the Grade IlistedAbbey Farmhouse,[11] which incorporates the gateway of the medievalMontacute Priory.
Ham Hill,Crewkerne,Drimpton,Hawkchurch,Charmouth The King stayed overnight on 22 September 1651 at the Queen's Armes before taking passage; the plan fell through and the King beat a hasty retreat inland, returning to Trent.
From Charmouth the Monarch's Way follows theSouth West Coast Path east along theJurassic Coast ofDorset past St Gabriel's Mouth, overGolden Cap, the highest point on the south coast,[12] throughSeatown, overThorncombe Beacon and pastEype's Mouth toWest Bay. From here it heads north up theRiver Brit toBridport, swinging west and north toPilsdon Pen, briefly joining theWessex Ridgeway eastwards before reachingBroadwindsor. The King hid overnight in the George Inn, Broadwindsor on 23 September 1651.
From here it continues eastwards to the north ofBeaminster, before zig-zagging north and east to Winyard's Gap nearChedington, where it meets the head of theRiver Parrett Trail. Continuing north the path entersSomerset and passes Hardington Marsh, swinging east fromHardington Mandeville toEast Coker and then north throughYeovil andMudford.
Crossing theRiver Yeo and back intoDorset, the path returns like the King toTrent. The King stayed here before setting out for the south coast and exile in France.
Skirting north ofSherborne toSandford Orcas then re-enteringSomerset the path passes to the south ofCorton Denham toCharlton Horethorne andSouth Cheriton, then north to pass under theA303 toWincanton. From here it continues north-east toPenselwood.
After crossing theStour Valley Way andRiver Stour, the path entersWiltshire atZeals. From here it crosses theA303 dual carriageway and passes Zeals House before reachingMere, passingWest Knoyle and climbing Cleeve Hill. Crossing theA350, the path continues east toHindon,Berwick St. Leonard,Fonthill Bishop and through part ofGrovely Wood to reachGreat Wishford. Here it crosses theRiver Wylye toStoford before heading north and east nearStapleford to cross theA360, dropping down into the valley of theAvon atMiddle Woodford before crossing atLower Woodford. Traversing the country to the north ofSalisbury, the path next crosses theA345 and theRiver Bourne atWinterbourne Dauntsey. After passingFigsbury Ring the path crosses theA30, to follow the course of the former Roman road fromWinchester toOld Sarum. As it approachesMiddle Winterslow, the path is joined by theClarendon Way, the two paths following the Roman road over the county boundary.
EnteringHampshire, the Monarch's Way and Clarendon Way continue to run together over thechalk throughBroughton, crossing theRiver Test atHoughton. East of the Test the Clarendon Way continues east towardsKing's Somborne, whilst the Monarch's Way joins theTest Way, heading south down the Test Valley along the bed of the formerSprat and Winkle Line pastHorsebridge. The two paths re-cross the Test toMottisfont, heading south to cross theRiver Dun atKimbridge, where the Test Way continues south and the Monarch's Way heads east to cross the Test again to theBear & Ragged Staff and climbs toMichelmersh. From here eastwards for many miles the route skirts the northern rim of theTertiary sediments of theHampshire Basin, alternating between chalk downs to the north and heaths and woodland to the south. FromBraishfield, the route crosses the wet clay of Ampfield Wood, passing through the hamlet ofKnapp to the north ofAmpfield, before heading forHursley. The path continues east through the hamlets of Bunstead and Silkstead, passing under theM3 and passing thestation atShawford. Here the path crosses theItchen Way before crossing theRiver Itchen toTwyford. West of Twyford the path crosses more chalk downs, now part of theSouth Downs, toOwslebury, before using short sections of Roman road in places to reachUpham. East of Upham the path heads northward for some miles, before joining theSouth Downs Way (and briefly theWayfarers Walk) heading east. AtBeacon Hill, the Monarch's Way takes a route north of the hill toWarnford, whilst the South Downs Way splits into alternative routes to Warnford orExton. After crossing theRiver Meon andA32 the two routes rejoin further east before climbingOld Winchester Hill. To the east the routes diverge, with the South Downs Way continuing eastwards and the Monarch's Way heading south to theBat & Ball Inn, Clanfield, then west pastBroadhalfpenny Down towardsHambledon, before again striking east toHorndean. After crossing the town andA3(M), the path crosses The Holt toRowland's Castle, where it passes thestation.
EnteringWest Sussex with theSussex Border Path atStansted Park, the Monarch's Way passes throughWalderton andStoughton, crossing Stoughton Down toWest Dean. Here it crosses theA286 andRiver Lavant before climbing to theTrundle, on top of St Roche's Hill. Continuing east along a ridge the path passesGoodwood Racecourse andGoodwood Country Park. East of Goodwood the route diverts briefly north towardsEast Dean before heading south-east toEartham. Here the path heads north-east along a section ofStane Street through Eartham Wood, before passing through theNeolithic camp belowGlatting Beacon and heading east down to theRiver Arun atHoughton. Remaining west of the river pastSouth Stoke, it heads south through the park ofArundel Castle to the town ofArundel, where it crosses the Arun toWarningcamp. From here it continues east across the parish ofPatching toFindon, passing nearCissbury Ring and climbing to meet theSouth Downs Way aboveSteyning for a short distance. Passing to the south of Steyning it crosses theRiver Adur atBramber toUpper Beeding. After crossing Beeding Hill andThundersbarrow Hill the path approaches the northern edge of the built-up area nearMile Oak, before doubling sharply back to the north of theA27 to continue east across the downs, before heading south down the former route of theDevil's Dyke railway towardsWest Blatchington. Crossing the built-up area south-eastwards towardsHove, it crosses Hove Park nearBrighton & Hove Greyhound Stadium, before zig-zagging through the streets ofBrighton toBrighton Pier. From here it runs westwards along the sea-front throughHove andPortslade, toShoreham-by-Sea.
The Monarch's Way Association has published revised editions (2020 and 2021) of Antill's three books.[1]
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