A walk from Evenlode to Moreton-in-Marsh (6 miles)

Published: July 23, 2021 - Last updated 17 July 2024 - Please note: This blog was first published more than a year ago.
Sue McGreal

Starting in the peaceful little village of Evenlode, we walked the 3 miles to Moreton-in-Marsh quite easily. There are very few slopes and although the quiet country lanes get progressively busier as you approach Moreton, there are pavements so it's quite safe.

Evenlode

There is written evidence of a settlement on this site as far back as the 700s when the land was given to the Abbey at Worcester. Nowadays, it?s a fine example of a picture-book Cotswold village, built of mellow Cotswold stone and surrounded by farmland. The River Evenlode, celebrated in one of Hilaire Belloc's poems, rises near Moreton and flows just to the west of the village on its 45 mile journey to the Thames. The neighbouring village of Adlestrop was made famous in the poem of the same name by Edward Thomas, capturing the perfection of a quintessential English village, just months before the outbreak of the First World War.

Church of St. Edward, King and Martyr, Evenlode

The church is Grade 2* listed, built in the 12th century, enlarged in the 14th century and restored in 1879 by J E K Cutts. A clock was added in 1911 to celebrate the coronation of George V.

Moreton in Marsh

Moreton was noted as a Saxon settlement in 577 AD and after being granted a charter making it a market town in 1227, its economy thrived, largely due to the wool and clothmaking in the area. There is still a busy market held in Moreton-in-Marsh on Tuesdays.

The town is in a prime position to benefit from trade - it's at the crossing of two busy roads (the A44 and the Fosseway A429) and, as such, sees a great deal of traffic. It also has a mainline station linking to London Paddington.

It's a popular destination for tourists too and has plenty of accommodation, cafes and restaurants. It has had its share of famous visitors too - There's a sign on The Bell Inn commemorating a visit by author J. R. R. Tolkien.

Another of the pubs, the White Hart Hotel, also has a claim to fame, in that King Charles 1 used it as shelter after the Battle of Marston Moor in 1644 and famously left without paying his bill!

The Redesdale Hall

The Victorian Redesdale Hall was built by Sir Algernon Bertram Freeman Mitford, (Lord of the manor of Moreton at that time, 1st Baron Redesdale and father to the Mitford sisters), in honour of a kinsman. It was donated to the Cotswolds Rural district council in 1951. Today it's a prominent landmark in the centre of the town, standing proudly in what sometimes seems a sea of traffic.

Church of St David

The origins of the church are unclear but it was definitely in existence by the 12th century. It was said to have been rebuilt and reconsecrated in the middle of the 16th century and then, in 1858, most of the church was rebuilt again and the tower replaced in 1860.

Just outside the town is the Fire Service College, training firefighters from all over the UK. This is on the site of RAF Moreton in Marsh, a training airfield in 1940, mostly training pilots on Wellington Bombers. This history is preserved in the Wellington Aviation Museum

And so, after an easy stroll back, leaving the busy town behind, we return to the peace and quiet of Evenlode.

Sue McGreal