The Cople Trail

ALL SAINTS CHURCH, COPLE Dates back to 1450. Within the church is a 15th Century traceried screen leading to a chancel where the stalls are decorated with poppy heads. The church contains an excellent gallery of brass portraits. Included in the church monuments is one to Sir Waiter Luke, one of the judges of the King's Bench, who married Anne, daughter of and one of the heirs of Launcelyn of Oxenbridge. She was nurse to the young Henry VIIl.

1. From the village church, All saints, follow the Northill road past Clare's Garage, the site of the old forge. After passing Woodlands Close, which stands on the site of the Old Manor House, take the turning right marked 'Water End'.

2. Follow Water End Lane for a short distance (350 metres), leave the lane by the sign posted footpath immediately after the thatched cottage on your left.

3. Straight across the small grassed enclosure and through the gap in the hedge adjacent to the garden fence. A waymark post is situated at this point.

4. Take the south-easterly of the two paths waymarked which diagonally crosses an arable field and takes you over a small field drain. There is a waymark post at this point.

5. Follow the waymarked path for over a mile to the southern end of tree belt. This point is waymarked on an old fence post. Following this section of path you will be able to see the Cardington Hangers.

6. Turn sharp left at waymarked junction and follow the headland path down to the road. (For a short cut turn right after the waymarked junction and follow the route A - B - C - D - E).

A. Follow the headland path, with a hedgerow on your right, past the waymark post at point A, proceed straight ahead until you meet a stile at the next field junction.

B. Proceed over the stile to your right, carry on straight ahead through an avenue of trees, on your right is a hedgerow and to your left a small plantation of trees. Follow this tree lined track, which is gated at its northern end.

C. Proceed through the gateway between two fenced off fields to the waymark post at point D.

D. Proceed directly ahead through a gateway, to your left is a pond with trees growing around its edge, keep to the right of this. You will pass Wood End Farmhouse which is on your right, follow the field edge path to your right, eventually coming out at a signpost junction adjacent to Wood End Farm.

E. Carry on straight ahead along a narrow road with wide verges and hedges either side. This lane - "Water End lane' - eventually comes out at Cople. If you wish to rejoin the Cople Circular Walk at point 14, this is possible by turning left at the sign posted bridleway before you meet the first cottages on your left on Water End Lane.

7. Turn right at the road and follow for a distance of some 680 metes uphill past Sheerhatch wood, the top of the hill offers fine views across the vale. Past Oak Farm take the bridleway on your right indicated off the end of the farm track.

8. Follow the sign and waymarked bridleway that is treelined for nearly a mile. The Greensand Ridge Walk joins the route halfway along its length. Leave the treelined bridleway at the point the Greensand Ridge leaves it, turning right and crossing a wooden footbridge.

9. Crossing the footbridge, follow the waymarked headland path for a distance of a third of a mile to the waymarked junction with the Old Warden Circular Walk, Greensand Ridge Walk and a public footpath. If good ground conditions prevail continue straight ahead to point 11.

10. Winter alternative to using Park Lane - turn immediately right and take route waymarked "Public Footpath", follow the field edge with a line of trees to your left then follow the waymarked path across the next two fields, with a pond on your left over the first field and on your right over the second. This path joins the Cople Trail "short-cut" at point B - a waymarked stile.

11. Turn right at the Bridieway Crossroads, leaving the Greensand Ridge Walk and follow the waymarked field headland for a distance of 600 metres past a small treelined reservoir and then follow the path into what becomes "Park Lane".

PARK LANE OR PORK LANE? In historical documents the lane is known variously as Park Lane or Pork Lane.The former may have been the original name, deriving from the adjacent deer park created in the 12th century. The latter name may have been acquired in more recent centuries from a gentleman known as Porke, referred to in a 17th century document. The lanes antiquity is demonstrated by the deep hollow which has been worn as it runs up the hill south of Wood End Farm boundary.

12. The route now follows the length of the bridleway known as "Park Lane" for a distance of some 1.5 miles - the path is quite narrow and muddy in parts and is treelined.

13. At the end of "Park Lane" turn left at its junction with Water End lane and follow the lane for 500 metres. Turn left at the signposted bridleway before the cottages on your left.

14. Follow the signed bridleway for 20 metres and turn right. Follow the waymarked footpath that diagonally crosses an arable field, coming out onto a headland bridleway. A winter alternative to this section of path is to continue for 240 metres along the bridleway rather than turning right along the crossfield footpath. Then turn right to follow the waymarked headland bridleway.

15. Follow the bridleway straight ahead back into the village. Turn left and right and follow the path adjacent to the sportsfield. The path exits onto Grange lane.

16. Turn right at the bridleway's junction with Grange Lane and follow the lane back into Cople village to the Church. Note the Bedford Estates cottages on your left.

	WOOD END FARM Formerly a "Link Farm" demonstrating practical examples of how landscape and wildlife conservation can be combined with modern farming. The present farmhouse and field boundaries date from the 1850s, following the purchase of the land by the Duke of Bedford. The medieval manor of Wood End was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086.
The present farm, which is situated on higher clay land away from the better river gravel's, was probably opened up in the 12th century. The manor building with its moat would have been established during this or the medieval period.