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WALK 3

Mixon and Butterton

Start/Finish	Onecote
Distance	10.7km (6¾ miles)
Time	4hrs
Terrain	Modest ascent on quiet roads and tracks
Refreshments	The Courtyard Tearoom (weekends only) and the Jervis Arms in Onecote; The Black Lion Inn in Butterton
Parking	(GR 049552) There is suitable off-road hard standing close to the village hall.

First things first: Onecote is pronounced ‘On-cut’. Travellers whizzing through on the Longnor road perhaps only know Onecote from the oak products signs, and maybe stop from time to time at the pub with its scenic footbridge over the Hamps. However, walkers will derive far more pleasure from the setting once they have stretched their legs on this fine outing. The triangular route ventures up the Hamps valley amid a wall-tamed moorland landscape, long devoted to the rearing of cattle and sheep. It then heads east, keeping comparatively high by footpaths and an ultra-minor road to visit Butterton, a lovely upland village, before switching back west over Grindon Moor with its vestige tract of heather.

Follow the road west from the village hall (until 1984 this was a primary school). Pass on by the dignified little church; look right to the steeply gabled Victorian farmhouse associated with the Robertson family.

This family’s bravery is recounted by Dougal Robertson in Survive the Savage Sea. Their voyage around the world in 1972 ended abruptly off the Galapagos Islands when their yacht sank within two minutes of an attack by killer whales. The Robertsons resorted to an inflatable dingy and managed to survive for 38 days on a pitiful diet until rescued by Japanese tuna fishermen.

Beyond the speed limit signs branch off the road right at the handsome Onecote Grange sign, announcing the pedigree Holstein dairy herd, the caravan club site, and free range eggs! A little further along the road lies the Courtyard Tearoom, a relish at the walk’s end if you’re here at a weekend.

Follow the lane signed ‘footpath to the Mermaid via Mixon’ to the Grange, crossing the Hamps bridge. Admire the handsome farmhouse with staddle-stones set on the edge of the lawn – these originally were placed under thatched stacks of corn sheaves to inhibit rodents. Pass close by the farmhouse, via two gates, to join the open roadway leading on to a cattle grid. Where the road forks keep right, the open road leading up the Hamps valley with good views down to the meandering stream. Cross a bridge and a third cattle grid (with every chance of encountering Charolais beef cattle as keeneyed observers of any walker who passes their way). Cross a fourth cattle grid; where the roadway takes a right-angled turn left continue forward upon the rougher track with a pony paddock to the right. A fifth cattle grid occurs as the track enters the wooded environs of the old Mixon copper mine, with a welcoming field-gun pointing directly at oncoming walkers. Mixon derives from ‘mixen’, meaning ‘dung heap or midden’.

Follow the track to the left of the gun, going through the gate to pass up by the cottage, to find a wall-stile to the right of the stone barn. Pass on through the nettlebeset paddock to a stile, and drift down the clinkered ground to pass a double-gate access to a lorry park. Continue to a stile in a fence, and cross over into pasture. Keep along the top edge of the field following a dry dike; at the field corner stride across the open pasture, maintaining the same course to a galvanised gate and crude stile. Cross the next field in the same direction, stepping onto the top of an old dam. The dam is breached, so dip at the fence and hop across the brook using the stone as a firm launch pad.

The meandering Hamps above Onecote Grange

On reaching the next fence go through the wicket-gate beside the field-gate. Cross the next field to a wicket-gate, and the next field to a metal field-gate. Now with heaps of concrete rail sleepers and broken concrete piles to the left ignore the open track. Instead bear right under the power lines and descend right to a long rail stile (yellow waymark attached). Descend into the valley bottom through the burdock to cross a metal footbridge over the Hamps.

Bear left, arriving at a galvanised gate into the wooded bank; ignore this and cross the railing stile at the fence end. Head up the pasture through the gate, and at the top of the next field slip through the wall squeeze-stile. Continue uphill to a light fence-stile, crossing the open farm track to Meadows Farm. Aim slightly right to a further wall squeeze-stile where you join the open road. Turn right, passing the gate signed to Cave Farm, descending either the pasture or sticking resolutely to the minor road… and why not? The road, little troubled by vehicles, leads by Breach Farm, enjoying fine views towards heather-clad Revidge across the Warslow Brook valley. Pass through the environs of New Hillhouse, by gates. The road continues to where it swings right at Hayes Farm cottage; keep right, duly arriving at the Warslow/Onecote road.

Revidge, seen across the Warslow Brook valley from Breech

Cross straight over by the stone-lined verge to a wicket-gate, quickly followed by a fence-stile. Keep the fence right to a further wicket-gate where you enter a rough patch of ground defined by a paling fence, with the spire of Butterton church prominent ahead. Two more wicket-gates lead into a pasture with the brook close to the left; pass to the right of a field barn and advance to a wall-stile just beyond a low projecting wall corner. Continue to a galvanised gate beside corrugated sheds and join a track, which leads by cottages onto the village road by a phone kiosk and bus shelter.

The cobbled ford at Brookside, Butterton

Turn left to enter Butterton, which has a prosperous air about it, and pass the Post Office, with Calor gas banner. The place name derives from ‘butter don’ meaning ‘the hill with rich pastures for the production of milk and butter’, obviously noted for such since Saxon times. Make a point of bearing up left to visit the parish church, passing the The Black Lion Inn. Descend from the pub down the single-track lane by Stoop House Farm to the dale-bottom cottages and the attractive ford/footway beside Brookside Cottage.

Immediately after the cottage find the footpath signed right through the cottage grounds and along a confined path to a wall-stile into a pasture field. Keep left to traverse a series of long pasture crofts by a sequence of four wall-stiles and three wicket-gates, followed by a further wall-stile; eventually reach a stile beside the cottage garden hedge at The Twist. Pass under the garden wall with a brook close left; step down over a ditch to reach a wall-stile into pasture proper again.

Ascend the damp pasture by Little Twist. Pass up between a derelict cottage and integral barn left and a further stone barn over to the right. Gaining height look back towards distant Ecton Hill. Arrive upon a wooden field-gate and stile and pass Twistgreen Farm, joining its access track. At the path crossways take the left-hand option, not the open track. Traverse the pasture to the fence-stile onto the road beside the neat field-wall.

Turn left to reach the open track right beside the National Trust’s Grindon Moor sign. Follow the track on down; where the more regular way swings left, keep forward to descend by thickets of gorse, coming down onto a metalled road leading by Home Farm to meet the Warslow road. Cross to the far side to face oncoming traffic. Notice the green footpath sign on the Old Hall side directing to the 47th Squadron Cairn, an RAF memorial situated further up this path above the village

The walk crosses the Hamps once more, perhaps via the pub footbridge and bar!