The route starts at Sutton Benger Village Hall. It then goes down Bellside, across the main road, and then up towards the motorway.
Unfortunately, the majority of the route is along roads that have no pavements, so it is not ideal for children. There is also a section that is along a muddy footpath and then uphill across fields, so it is not suitable for pushchairs.
If it is raining, or if it has been raining in the last few days, you will definitely need waterproof shoes for the section on the footpath and across the fields.
Take care as you leave Upper Seagry and approach the junction with Seagry Road; you will be safer if you walk on the left side of the road towards the junction, because cars coming up from Sutton Benger tend to come round the corner towards you quite fast.
Across the road is Hungerdown House, which was built in 1914, in an 18th-century style of red brick and stone with a tiled roof. Brick stables north of the house were also built in 1914, but were converted into a separate house in 1947.
The Chestnuts dates back to the early 1700s, and was originally part of the Manor Farm; it was previously called Hide House, and then Home Farm. The house was built of red brick with ornamental stone dressings. It is a Grade II listed building:
House, mid C18, red brick with ashlar dressings, stone slate roof and ashlar end stacks. Two storeys and attic, five-window range. Ashlar plinth, string course, cornice and parapet, ramped up each end. Ashlar angle piers with mouldings carried around and raised moulded surrounds to 12-pane sashes. Centre 6-panel door with overlight in raised moulded surround with scroll pediment on brackets and centre urn. Brickwork between upper windows has some blank brick decoration. Three gabled dormers. Brick south east rear wing, 3-window range of large 12-pane sashes, upper sashes breaking eaves. Range parallel to front in north east angle, with north end stack.
The house was sold in the 1920 Draycot Estate sale.
Manor Farm, Seagry, dates back to the 17th century; it was owned by several generations of the Bayliffe family before being sold to Lord Mornington (of Draycot Manor) in 1900. It was subsequently sold again in the 1920 Draycot Estate auction.
The farmhouse is Grade II listed, as follows:
Farmhouse, early C17, rubble stone with stone slate roofs and ashlar stacks on north side wall and south end wall. 2 1/2 storeys, 5-window range, the three bays to left with recessed chamfered mullion windows of early C17 type, the two bays to right with cyma- moulded recessed mullion windows of late C17 type. Left section has two gables with 2-light windows, two first floor 3-light mullion-and-transom windows with relieving arches, centre 2-light window and ground floor centre door and C18 or early C19 sashes each side, relieving arches over. Paired sashes in architraves to left, single sash to right. Door is C19 in C19 surround. C19 timber gabled porch with date plaque IH 1632. Right section has two-window range of 2-light mullion windows, single hoodmould over lower windows. South east rear wing with hipped east gable. Parallel gabled range to south with east stack and west first floor 2-light mullion window.
A Dovecot at the farm is also Grade II listed:
Dovecote, late C17, rubble stone with stone slate roof and small pyramid-roofed lantern on ridge. Rectangular plan with flush quoins. Outside stairs to upper door on north side. West end lower range with two oval lights in west wall and north side door.
The Mount is a large red-brick house which was built in about 1897 and extended northwards in about 1905. It is one of the properties of the Bayliffe family which were sold to Lord Mornington (of Draycot Manor) in 1900. It was subsequently sold again in the 1920 Draycot Estate auction.
Seales Court, formerly Seales Farm, is a Grade II Listed Building, as follows:
Farmhouse, C17, heavily remodelled in mid C20, rubble stone with stone slate roofs. Two storeys and attic. Main range has large centre ridge stack, two hipped dormers and front largely C20 in C17 style. Projecting gabled porch bay to left with Tudor-arched entry and 2-light window over, single light each floor to right of porch bay and 3-light each floor beyond. All windows except ground floor right are C20, recessed cyma-moulded, original window is early to mid C17 recessed chamfered. Hoodmoulds except to upper centre and right windows. Attached to left is lower 2-window 1 1/2 storey range with south stack, two gables and recessed cyma-moulded mullion windows, 2-light above, 3-light with hoodmoulds below. Heavily renewed, but corresponding to range shown in old photographs. To north of main range are extensive C20 additions in matching style. Rear of main range has similar early to mid C17 3-light ground floor window. A rear wing, mostly renewed, has dove-holes in angle to main range. Interior: large moulded Tudor-arched hall fireplace, small stone fireplace on side of main stack and large stone fireplace with depressed arch in north room. Deep chamfered beams. South range has large timber-lintel fireplace at south end.
Seales Farm had been bought by Lord Cowley, of Draycot, in about 1890; it was then sold at the 1920 Draycot Estate auction.
From Hungerdown House walk carefully - very carefully - along the road to the M4 bridge; at the far side of the bridge, on the left, take the footpath down into Seagry Hill.
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