Week St. Mary
NORTH CORNWALL, UK

50° 45'03.84"N 4° 30'01.39"W
Elevation: 142m OS: SX237977

CALOR VILLAGE OF THE YEAR
County Winner
2009

Week St. Mary Village Community Web Site

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Week St. Mary Parish Footpaths

Footpath 1: Pigsdon to road North of Bakesdown Footpath 2: Leigh to road South of Kitleigh Footpath 3: Road South of Kitleigh to junction with Footpaths 4 & 5 Footpath 4: North of Steele to parish boundary (Oddmill) Footpath 5: Week St. Mary to North of Steele Footpath 6: Road North of Waxhill to parish boundary (Trefrouse Mill) Footpath 7: Week St. Mary Churchyard to Waxhill Footpath 8: Ashbury to Lambley Park Footpath 9: Week Green to parish boundary (via Ashbury) Footpath 10: Week St. Mary to Swannacott Footpath 11: Swannacott to road East of Week Green Footpath 12: Timberlake/Newpark to road South-East of Week Green Footpath 13: East of Goscott to parish boundary (near Sudcott) Footpath 14: Road West of Creddacott (Exworthy) to parish boundary Footpath 15: Little Exe to road West of Higher Exe Footpath 16: From Footpath 15 to Trefursdon with spur to parish boundary Footpath 17: Witheven Bridge to road North of Exe Water bridge Footpath 18: Week Green to Lambley Park • Scroll down to view the following circular walk.... (approx. 3 miles)

Footpath Walk A circular walk of 3 miles, taking approximately 1 hour (with two steep uphill sections). Boots are recommended as some paths are rough and there are muddy patches from September to April. Please remember to close gates after you. 1. Start on the right hand side of Lower Square (with your back to the village) and take the right hand track (made-up to start with) passing Hartham Lodge, House & Grange on your right. Go down the hill and straight on at the fork at the bottom of the hill into the woods and follow the path over the bridge and then up the hill to Swannacott. This historic route was used to move livestock to the old Cattle Market, as were many of the village's other footpaths. 2. At Swannacott, go through the gate, turn right past another gate and then turn right onto the made-up track which leads to the main road back to the village. As you look across the valley over the eastern side of the village, you can see remnants of one of Cornwall's surviving strip field systems, often the result of late medieval farming. 3. Turn right at the road and go back into the village. Take the road to left just after the Green Inn (signposted Wainhouse Corner), go straight over the next road and straight on again where there are two public footpath signs and then over the style into "Back Lane". 4. Go through the gate at the bottom of Back Lane and straight ahead along the main road (Bude direction) passing both the tennis court at the side of the playing field and a bungalow (Butlers Meadow) and then go over the style into a field to your right. 5. Keep close to the hedge on the right and go down the slope, over a style, a bridge and another style, and then up the hill towards the Church, still keeping the hedge to your right. Notice how the Church stands on the high ground across the valley. When you get close to it, you can see a circular embankment known as Castle Ditch, marking the site of a Norman castle built towards the end of the 11th Century. 6. After following the field boundary round where it turns 90 degrees left, exit through the gate at the top and cross the next field to the style leading into the yard of St Mary's ancient Church. The Church building, with its 99 feet high tower, dates back to at least the 17th Century and stands on the site of its Norman predecessor. 7. Either go straight ahead through the Churchyard to return to Lower Square where you will see a castled wall surrounding The College or turn right to exit the Churchyard into the main square by the Post Office and Treetops. A village girl, Thomasine Bonaventure, married a mayor of London and sent money to the village to found a free school 'The College' in 1506, one of the earliest in England to be founded by a woman.