Where Georgian parkland gives way to open valleys and countryside.
This short circular walk that follows a permissive estate walk and explores the heart of Hartham Park, taking in walled gardens, formal walks, parkland paths and a rare historic Stické Tennis Court, all set within fifty acres of Cotswold landscape just outside Corsham.
The route follows a permissive estate walk, open to the public from sunrise to sunset, with further sections planned as the estate continues to open up more of its grounds over time.
Practicalities
01. Start
Hartham Park
Begin in the large car park at Hartham Park which sits beside an old walled garden.
Head to the top left corner of the car park, where an ornate brick wall forms a boundary. Look for a doorway set into the wall and step through.
02.
Walled garden maze
Beyond the doorway you enter a formal walled garden containing a low box hedge maze. This is not a maze you can lose yourself in, but it’s enjoyable to wander through its interlocking pathways.
Follow the gravel path tleading past the maze and on through another doorway, drawing you towards the main house.
03.
Lady’s Walk
As you pass through the gateway, the mansion house appears to your left and you’ll see the Lady’s Walk, a long, wide gravel avenue flanked by lawns and tall hedges.
Hartham Park is an eighteenth century Georgian estate. Today the house is best known as a wedding venue and creative business hub, but its formal layout still reflects its origins as a grand country house.
Walk along Lady’s Walk as it heads away from the house. Partway along, the path drops down a short flight of steps onto a flagstone path leading to a semi circular stone bench and viewpoint across the estate.
It is easy to imagine Georgian guests taking a gentile stroll along the promenade, and today it is clearly a favourite spot for wedding photographs.
Return back up Lady’s Walk and look for the large stone sculpture known as the Hartham Urn, set into a break in the hedge opposite the house steps. Pass through the hedge by the urn and follow the gravel path ahead.
04.
Stické Tennis Court
You will pass the estate’s beehives on your right before reaching the distinctive timber clad building that houses the Stické tennis court, one of Hartham Park’s most unusual and rare features.
Built in 1904, this is one of only two playable Stické tennis courts left in the UK.
05.
Parkland Loop
Turn left by the tennis court and follow the grass path, with wooden fencing to your right and open parkland dotted with trees to your left. The route curves left along the field edge, then turns right through a metal farm gate near the stone seating at the end of Lady’s Walk.
From here, follow the well marked grass path as it traces the top of a gentle valley. Views open out towards a nearby church and across the surrounding countryside. Eventually the path meets a more formal stone track leading back uphill towards the house.
End
The Forge & Pheasant
After taking in the grand architecture of the mansion, a good place to finish is at The Forge & Pheasant, the on site café and restaurant situated in the house. It is a relaxed, welcoming place for coffee, brunch or lunch, with menus that champion seasonal food and local produce. A perfect reward after a gentle wander.
Optional Extension
Biddestone village
If you want to extend your walk, you can continue from the estate towards Biddestone, one of Wiltshire’s most picturesque villages. It’s about 1.5 miles there and back. Exit the estate drive, turn left along Hartham Lane and continue past the Hartham farm buildings.
Look for a public footpath on the right and cross the stone stile into the first of three large fields. The route passes through horse paddocks, over small gates and across a wooden bridge, before joining a narrow fenced path into the village.
Biddestone centres around a green and duck pond, with handsome seventeenth and eighteenth century stone houses. The White Horse overlooks the pond and is a lovely place to stop for a drink, especially on a sunny day.
