This is a short family-friendly route around the heart of Sutton Benger village, pointing out places of historical interest.
This trail provides more information about places that are listed on the two 'Welcome' signs, one located on the Village Hall and one in Draycot Cerne.
This is a circular cross-country walk from the Village Hall, to Gate Farm and then to Chissell Brook, and back via Sutton Lane Meadows to the Village Hall.
This is a walk from the Village Hall, to the Draycot Park entrance, to Draycot Cerne, and return.
This is a walk from the Village Hall, to Sutton Lane, back along the High Street and Seagry Road to La Flambé, then along the footpath (the old Barrett Lane) to the B4069 bridge over the River Avon, and then into Christian Malford. Return via the Christian Malford meadows to the Avon Weir, back across the Avon to Sutton Lane, and along Sutton Lane to return to the Village Hall.
This walk takes you past various locations associated with the Romano-Saxon history of Sutton Benger; but note that there is no visible evidence of this history. Also, close to the walk, are remains of pillboxes from World War II; but please remember to stay on Public Rights of Way at all times.
This a long walk, uphill from Sutton Benger along Seagry Road, to cross the M4, left along the footpaths to Harding's Farm, into Upper Seagry along Scotland Road and Henn Lane, to Goss Croft Hall, then back through Upper Seagry along the roads to Seagry Hill, returning to Sutton Benger Village Hall.
If you would like to see some autumn colours, take the optional loop through Seagry Woods; follow the optional directions from Scotland Road, after leaving Harding's Farm.
As another alternative, you could start this entire walk from Goss Croft Hall, to Sutton Benger, returning to Upper Seagry via Harding's Farm.
This is a circular cross-country walk from the Village Hall, to Gate Farm and then to Kington Langley, stopping for a cup of tea or coffee at the Workshop Cafe at Kington Langley's Church Farm.
Return to Sutton Benger via the 'old road' from Kington Langley to Draycot Cerne - the 'road' that was replaced by the 'Draycot Straight' in the 1700s and is now just footpaths / bridleways. (Caution! - it can get muddy.)
If starting from the eastern end of Sutton Benger (from the Village Hall), you could take an alternate route, either from Queens Close alongside the Big Field, or via Sutton Lane, to Sutton Lane Meadows; then pick up the old bridleway west to Kington Langley.
An anti-clockwise cycle route from Sutton Benger Village Hall, north across the M4, past Lower Seagry to Great Somerford, left to Startley, then left to Upper Seagry and back to Sutton Benger.
Enjoy the Wiltshire Countryside on this scenic circular walk. Apart from a few hundred yards along Sutton Lane, the route is along public rights of way (PRoW) footpaths and bridleways across fields and tracks. The trail includes Avon Weir and Sutton Lane Meadows.
NOTE: As the Ordnance Survey notes, meadows near the River Avon are 'liable to floods'. If the weather has been exceedingly wet recently, some of the fields may be too flooded to walk through safely, and you are advised to re-route via Sutton Lane and then along the bridleway to Sutton Lane Meadows. Although note that the bridleway may also be flooded at times.
A Sutton Benger Christmas Trail
This Christmas Trail follows a route around Sutton Benger, starting at the Village Hall there is a pictorial clue to find at the 12 locations. You can wander the route in any direction, solving the clues in any order that you want. Email the answer to hello@bengertrails.co.uk
The Parish of Draycot Cerne originally consisted of two hamlets, the smaller of which was Upper Draycot.
Lower Draycot included the church and rectory and several houses, and was in the parkland. It lay between Draycot House and the main road to Sutton Benger. The hamlet of Lower Draycot was demolished in the 1870s to allow Lord Cowley to landscape his park. Only the church of St James' remains standing.
Lord Cowley built some extra houses in Upper Draycot, similar to those on the HIgh Street in Sutton Benger, and the villagers were given new homes.
The 1920 Ordnance Survey map still showed the name of the village as Upper Draycot, but it became known as Draycot Cerne from around that time.
The Draycot Straight was a new road created in the 1760s to bypass Upper Draycot. Originally, the road from Chippenham to Sutton Benger followed a tortuous route from Kington Langley, through Upper Draycot (now Draycot Cerne) to the Draycot crossroads. The majority of that road still exists today as usable footpaths, although they can be quite boggy after rain. The ‘new’ road can be seen on the 1773 county map, complete with what appear to be Toll Gates at either end. The fact that the road has a dotted outline means that there are no hedges along it, suggesting that it is still new.
Sir James Long’s map of his Kington Langley estate, also 1773, marks the road as ‘New Turnpike Road to Draycot’ with the original road marked as ‘Old Road to Draycot'. The old road out of Kington Langley is still known today as Sutton Road.
Evidence that the road post-dates the fields alongside it can be seen by looking at the field patterns on the OS map, or by looking at an aerial view of the area using any mapping program.
Note also that the 1808 turnpike map still shows a 'road' to the west of Draycot, linking it with Kington St Michael.
The majority of the older houses in Draycot Cerne date from the later 1800s, when the village was relocated from Lower Draycot. Some of the construction dates can still be seen in the crests in the eaves.
The details from the 1920 Auction Catalogue describing a 'Block of three cottages' were of Lot 41, the houses on the corner of the lane.
The photo of the pair of houses, and details of the 'Picturesque Modern Cottages', are of Lot 43; this is the pair of houses on the B4122, just north of the brook. They were built in 1903-1905.
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