Compton Verney Parkland Walks The walks and trails in the parkland are open throughout the year, between February and early December. There are several routes for you to discover and explore and find out more about Compton Verney s wildlife, historic landscape and architectural history. You will be within sight of the mansion house for much of the time, so you don t need to worry about getting lost. There are three circular routes, two from the gates into and one from the Welcome Centre. Sorry, no dogs are permitted on the walks or in Compton Verney s grounds (except assistance dogs). However, you can walk your dog on a lead on the public right of way, across. Parkland Walks Click for details Ice House Coppice Circular Walk Gentle Stroll - Easy Circular Walk Longer Walks Moderate North Park Park Circular Walk Longer Walks Moderate Old Town Old Meadow Car Park KEY Gates Gates Gates Viewpoint Viewpoint Public Buildings Public Public Buildings Picnic bench Picnic Picnic bench Fence Lake Fence Fence Lake Lake Gates Public Buildings Fence Trees Trees Trees bench bench Road Road Road Viewpoint Picnic bench Lake Non public Non Non public Buildings Buildings Paths Paths Paths Public right Public Public right right of way of of way way @CV_Hire Hire
Ice House Coppice Circular Walk Approx. 700 metres Approx. 20 mins. Old Town Me Gentle stroll on flat, smooth paths (some tarmacadam areas) Accessible to all ages, buggies and wheelchairs Suitable for wet weather use Start: Welcome Centre 1. Leave the Welcome Centre through the exit doors. Take the path on your left. 2. Follow the path around until you can see the Pond Dipping Platform and pause to look at the Interpretation and Identification Board. Retrace your steps then walk along the board walk to the Bird Hide. After leaving the bird hide, retrace steps along the boardwalk and walk straight on, passing the large, forked London Plane tree on your left; look up and you will see the bat boxes. 3. Continue on the path and look to your left, across to the road bridge (believed to have been built by Capability Brown in c.1772) and the modern ferry. The road bridge was originally designed for carriages, and beyond the bridge the water drops rapidly and enters the lower pool, eventually making its way into the River Avon at Charlecote Park. 4. Continue on the path, which smoothly curves to the right; the main house comes into view on the left across the water. Before you reach the junction in the path, you will see an orienteering post (numbered 53V) to your right, immediately behind this an English Yew Tree (with metal tag and description label), which could date back to the early 18th century formal garden or earlier. Its many stems and evergreen foliage acted as a screening and shade-giving plant for this woodland garden area. 5. Continue on the path moving straight ahead. The twists and turns of the path are not historic;, they were added during the restoration of the path network in order to navigate around a large and protected badger sett. The badgers are still very active each evening. As you continue along the path you may notice to your right more ornamental planting, which act as a nectar bank for wildlife. The ornamental planting exhibits a range of plants typically found in gardens of the late 18th century. 6. When you emerge from the wooded area, and the parkland comes into view, take the path immediately to your right, passing the Ice House to your left and Willow Tunnels to your right. 7. Continue straight on to the Welcome Centre. To your left the impressive Wellingtonia Trees of c.1860 come into view, and to your right the hollow Oak Tree shows sign of a significant lightning strike many years ago.
Circular Walk Approx. 1.25 Kilometres Approx. 40mins A pleasant circular stroll along mown grassy paths and through woodland. Mostly moderate walking; includes an incline and crossing a bridge. Beware of livestock. Can be muddy in sections during the Winter season and after rain. Please keep to the pathways where possible. Sturdy shoes or walking boots Caution - Steep drops in woodland area care with children needed! Enter via either of the pedestrian gates, between the Ice House and the Adam Bridge: both lead into *. 1. Go through the gate into and follow the mown path which skirts around the lake side and woodland. The landscape all around is largely as designed by Lancelot Capability Brown between 1768 and 1774. The trees with their deer guards are a mixture of Oak, Ash and Lime trees, planted in historically correct positions, and the grassland is being managed for wild flowers.* (Click for more info) 2. Follow the path parallel to the woodland, and at the mown intersection take the path that leads to the kissing gate (far left corner of the meadow) where the woodland meets the tall hedgerow. Follow the track directly through the woods, taking the right hand fork across the old footbridge. This more recent bridge takes the place of a collapsed, brick 18th century bridge, most likely used to allow carriages to circulate around the parkland. Continue towards the kissing gate and out of the woods, into. 3. Turn to the left and follow the tree line, looking for the mown grass path if available and watching out for rabbits. Before long the main house will come into view head for the house. While crossing, look for the picture view of the house and two bridges in one scene. Historically there was also a small temple on the distant hilltop, although this is now ruined and unseen. Ahead of you on the managed lawns are a number of more exotic trees such as Cedar of Lebanon, intentionally planted nearer to the house to distinguish the gardens from the landscape. 4. Passing through the pedestrian gate (directly in front of the main house) concludes the Circuit Walk. Please be aware of passing cars on the drive. Please note kind permission for use of this walk across and the Boat House Coppice has been given by the landowner.
Circular Walk Approx. 1.5 Kilometres Approx. 45 mins Can be muddy in sections during the winter season and after rain. A pleasant circular stroll along mown grassy paths. Mostly moderate walking; includes an incline. Beware of livestock. Please keep to the pathway. Start: Enter via either of the pedestrian gates, between the Ice House and the Adam bridge both lead into *. 1. Go through the gate into and take the mown path directly ahead. Immediately take the right fork in the path to follow an anti-clockwise route around the meadow. As you proceed along the path you will see the Ice House, installed by Lancelot Capability Brown during his landscape improvements c1771. 1* (Click for more info) To the left of this the impressive Wellingtonia Tree avenue begins. These very tall conifers from North America were planted around 1880 to form a new avenue exit from the estate. Ahead of you on rising ground is the woodland known as Kennels Coppice. 2. As the footpath heads to the top of the hill, curving to the left of Kennels Coppice, Lodge Farm comes into view. Around the field are many trees protected by deer guards; many of these have been sponsored over the years and many feature personal notes from their adopters. Tree adoption is a great way to add your personal message of support for Compton Verney or to the memory of a loved one. Do enquire at reception if you d like more information. 3. Follow the mown path along the top of the hill, towards the bench at the very far corner. This Old Town Meadow is one of two fields (73 acres in total) that are managed by Compton Verney House Trust as wild flower meadows. The lower portions of the field were the location for the medieval village of Compton Murdak the name Compton describing a settlement in a valley. 4. From the bench, the view of the valley opens out with the main house sitting centrally. The ridge beyond the house and buildings marks the line of the Roman Fosse Way. From here it is also clear to see the ornamental tree planting that is nearer to the main house, this distinguishes the manicured centre of the estate from the more natural countryside around it. 5. From the bench, proceed downhill, along the mown path which loosely follows the hedgeline. Above these fields Buzzards can often be seen and occasionally Red Kites and Ospreys. Nearer to ground, Skylarks can be heard singing but often are hidden amongst the meadow grass. 6. Continue along the mown path that curves to follow the line of the woodland ahead, known as the Boat House Coppice. The boat house has long since disappeared and the woodland is private, but it contains substantial Black Poplar trees dating form Capability Brown s work in the 1770s. 2* (Click for more info) 7. As the ground rises slightly and the house comes into view, 3* (Click for more info) you will have reached a key viewpoint in the designed landscape. The view along the upper pool and across the bridge to the mansion house was recorded on a blue and white Staffordshire plate, as part of a series of landscape views produced in c.1800. One of these can be found in the Compton Verney collection. 8. Continue along the path towards the house. Passing through the pedestrian gate concludes the Circular Walk. Please be aware of passing cars on the drive.
More Information/ Continued reading * This is one of two fields - 73 acres in total - that are managed by Compton Verney House Trust as wild flower meadows. The lower portions of the field were the location for the medieval village of Compton Murdak, later known as the Old Town the name Compton describing a settlement in a valley. 1* The Ice house was restored in 2011 and is home to the rare Lesser Horseshoe Bat, which nestles in the shade of evergreen trees to provide cover from the afternoon sun. Servants would cut blocks of ice from the lake during the winter and store them in the Ice House. Straw was used to layer the ice, which was then retrieved during the summer to make ice cream and to cool drinks. 2* The trees are a mixture of Oak, Ash and Lime, planted in historically correct positions. The grassland is being managed for wild flowers. 3* The Cedar of Lebanon which stands in front of the house, and partially obscures it, was part of the original planting. But it was not planted as a sapling: it was a mature tree grown in a nursery and transported to Compton Verney by one of Brown s ingenious tree-moving machines large, robust carts. As you approach the Adam or Upper Bridge, note that part of the lake is sheltered from the wind and the reflections of the trees and livestock are captured in the water. The Adam Bridge has four sphinxes. These are reproductions remoulded in lead in the 1980s from the bullet-pocked originals whichprobably made of Coade stone, had been used for target practice by the Pioneer Corps in the Second World War and were badly damaged. @CV_Hire Hire