Easy hikes and walks around Chesterton And Kingston

Take a circuit of Oakley Woods.

Nearby dog friendly beer garden at The Shakespeare pub

We had to double back on ourselves slightly to see the lakes, as they were hidden behind a hedge

Two wheatfields to cycle through, no problem. The final bit to the M40 crossing more overgrown so a bit of Hike A Bike. one point appeard closed off by barbed wire but overgrown willow on path leading to B'way gate to bridge over the Mway

360 views

History of Oakley Wood There has been woodland here since way back in the 16th Century but much of it was replanted with Scots pine. There are now large areas of conifer with some broadleaf trees and scrubland mixed in. Warwickshire Wildlife Trust have longer term plans to restore the wood back to native broadleaf trees.

The Peyto Gateway on the north side of St Giles Church, Chesterton, Warwickshire, England, used by the Peyto Family when their manor house was there. Gateway. Probably 1630's. For Sir Edward Peyto and copy of a design by Inigo Jones. English bond red brick with moulded, cut and rubbed brick. Classical style. Round arch with keyblock, pilasters, entablature and pediment. Pilasters, wall, and arch have intermittent rustication. It is likely that this gateway was built at about the same time as Chesterton Windmill (q.v.). It is a close copy, at about three-quarters scale, of one of the two churchyard gateways flanking Jones' St Paul, Covent Garden, of 1631, see Vitruvius Britannicus (ii, 1717, pl 21-2).

The parish church of All Saints, Harbury. It was first built in the Medieval period, but rebuilt and much altered in more recent times (Imperial period). The church is situated to the south east of Harbury Hall. Church. C13. Tower later C13, with top part possibly 1811. Restored and enlarged 1873: nave largely rebuilt, south aisle widened, north aisle and organ chamber/vestry added. Chancel, south aisle and tower of squared coursed limestone rubble. Chancel has some sandstone and sandstone dressings. South aisle has ironstone dressings. Upper part of tower of Flemish bond brick. Nave, north aisle and chapel of regular coursed limestone with ironstone dressings. Tile roofs have coped stone gable parapets with weatherings and kneelers and remains of cross finials. Stone stack. Aisled nave, chancel, north chapel and south-west tower. 2-bay chancel, 5-bay nave. Buttresses of 2 offsets throughout. Chancel has splayed plinth. Diagonal buttresses. C19 geometrical and bar tracery and hood moulds with block stops throughout. 3-light east window. Small studded plank south door in chamfered surround. 2 straight-headed 2-light traceried windows. Small C13 low-side chamfered lancet. C13 north lancet. South aisle has diagonal and south buttresses. 3-light east window. C19 Early English style double-leaf south door in angle abutting tower has inner continuous roll moulding and roll moulded arch on nook shafts. Two 3-light windows. Nave has shallow south-west and large north-west buttress. 4-light west window. Organ chamber/vestry has 3-light east window. Chamfered north doorway. Lateral stack with offsets. North aisle has east angle, west diagonal and north buttresses. Doorway in fourth bay, similar to south side, has moulded arch with nailhead. 3-light windows; second bay has reticulated tracery. 3-light west window. Tower of 3 stages has massive west setback buttresses of 4 offsets. South buttress has painted sundial. South east clasping buttress. South and west lancets. Second stage, partly of 1811, has south clock face of c.1835 set in lozenge panel. Small round-arched window, largely of brick, above. Small blocked west window. Moulded string course. Third stage has clasping buttresses. Small round-arched bell openings with wooden louvres and cut-out quatrefoils. Plain cornice. Crenellated parapet. Interior: chancel has C19 hammerbeam roof. Wide segmental-pointed arch of 2 chamfered orders to organ chamber and vestry. Wide chancel arch of 2 continuous chamfered orders. 3-bay south arcade of c.1300, of 2 chamfered orders with bar stops, and octagonal piers with moulded capitals. Similar 5-bay north arcade of 1873. Wide south tower arch of 3 chamfered orders, the outer segmental-pointed and the inner with moulded imposts. Nave, aisles and chapel have arched braced queen strut roofs of 1873, with wind braces to nave. Organ chamber has arch to aisle of 2 chamfered orders, the outer segmental-pointed. South aisle has timber internal porch. Renewed west arch to tower of 3 chamfered orders, the inner with moulded imposts, the outer segmental pointed. Fittings: mostly of c.1873. Carved stone reredos. Chancel has encaustic tiled floor. Octagonal font. Timber octagonal pulpit, north aisle screen and benches. Chancel and south aisle have mid C18 communion rails with column-on-vase balusters, those in aisle possibly imported from elsewhere. Early C17 carved chest. Stained glass: east and chancel north windows c.1873. Chancel south east 1890, centre 1899, south-west 1897. Tower south c.1873. Monuments: tower east: early C18. Wall monument with Corinthian pilasters. The work carried out in 1873 cost £4,000.