Where manor gardens give way to quarry woods and Brunel’s railway below.
This circular walk explores the high ground above Box in Wiltshire, passing the historic grounds of Hazelbury Manor, skirting the edge of the Box Valley, and winding through old quarry woodland with far reaching views towards Brunel’s famous railway tunnel.
One of our favourite walks at Wild And The West. This trail combines quiet lanes, high valley paths and woodland shaped by quarrying, with long views and frequent reminders of the area’s working history.
Practicalities
01. Start
The bridleway
Park in the small lay by on Bradford Road, the main road between Corsham and Bradford on Avon, directly opposite Wadswick Country Store. Begin the walk by taking the tarmac bridleway with a wooden gate beside the parking area.
The bridleway quickly leaves the road behind, running between hedges and open fields with a calm, rural feel. About halfway along, you will see a footpath heading right across a field. Ignore this for now as you will return this way later. Continue straight ahead towards the large green corrugated farm building.
02.
Hazelbury Manor
Just past the barn, the track enters a short wooded section with a more formal, planted feel. Through gaps in the trees on your right, you will catch glimpses of the gardens belonging to Hazelbury Manor.
Hazelbury Manor dates back to the fourteenth century and is a Grade II registered historic park and garden. The house was rebuilt after the Dissolution of the Monasteries and later restored in the 1920s. It has hosted Queen Elizabeth I. The house and gardens remain private, aside from occasional National Gardens Scheme openings, so please stay on the public footpaths.
The track leads you out into the smart manor courtyard. Turn right and follow the driveway towards the manor, enjoying clear views through its grand wooden gates.
03.
Across the Fields
Facing the manor, turn left and follow the stone track past a small pond, with a low stone wall on your right and wooden fencing on your left. Continue towards the wooden gate and stile.
Cross the stile and continue along what becomes a grassy track. The landscape opens up here, with wide fields on either side. A noticeable mound sits in the field to your right. Continue until you reach a dry stone wall and another wooden stile. Cross over and turn right onto the narrow footpath.
04.
Box Valley View
You are now walking high along the top of the Box Valley. The views here are outstanding, stretching down into the valley, over the village of Box, and across to Colerne on the opposite ridge. The church silhouette and water tower are clearly visible, as is Box Tunnel, Brunel’s famous railway tunnel cutting straight through the hill below.
The path is narrow, straight, and well defined, with a dry stone wall to your right and fencing to your left. Follow it all the way to a T junction at the edge of the woods.
05.
Quarry Hill Woods
Turn left and enter Quarry Hill Woods. These woods sit on the site of former stone quarries, and the landscape still bears the scars of extraction. Collapsed shafts, rock faces and hidden openings appear throughout the woods.
The woods are now largely beech, and on warm days you can often feel cool air drifting up from the old quarry workings beneath the ground. There are many paths to explore here.
You can either follow the bridleway along the top edge with open field views to your right, or weave through the woodland paths heading generally right. Mountain bikers use these trails, so keep an eye out.
06.
Box Tunnel Viewpoint
As you leave the woods, walk a tiny bit up Quarry Hill Road and then turn left as it splits by a grassy verge. A set of wooden benches marked with Great Western Railway emblems sit here, perfectly placed for taking in the view down the valley.
From this spot you get one of the best views of Box Tunnel and the railway line below. Designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and opened in 1841, the tunnel was a major engineering achievement, built at the cost of many lives and immense effort.
Optional Stop
Quarryman’s Arms
For those wanting a pub stop, continue a short distance along the road to The Quarryman’s Arms. Originally a watering hole for quarry workers, it later became a beer house in 1865 and still offers one of the best valley views around.
Inside, the walls are lined with original quarrying tools and equipment, a quiet reminder of the pub’s past and the industry that once shaped this hillside.
07.
Return loop
To continue the walk, take the footpath just behind the bench which leads into a small wooded section. Follow the path through the trees and out onto a narrow footpath. Cross an old stone stile and continue until you reach White Ennox Lane.
Turn right along the lane to a crossroads, then turn right again back onto Quarry Hill Road. Pass the Wise Woods Project on your left. Just beyond this is a small parking area with metal farm gates.
Turn left through the metal stile onto a very straight fenced footpath. At the end, turn left at the T junction and follow the path with open fields to your left and a dry stone wall to your right.
After a while, take the footpath on your right through a gap in the wall and cross the field. This brings you back to the original tarmac track.
Turn left and return to the lay by at Wadswick Country Store.
Near by
Forage at Wadswick
Forage at Wadswick Country Store is a great place to finish the walk. Forage serves good coffee, food and seasonal dishes, with outdoor seating on warm days and a cosy interior when the weather turns. Wadswick even has its own private landing strip, so keep an eye out for small planes arriving and departing.
