Horseshoe Wood

Dating from 1713-14, built for Sir Whitmore Acton, probably to the designs of Francis Smith of Warwick. The pinkish-red brick facade is divided into a 2-3-2 rhythm by giant rusticated pilaster strips. Grade I listed. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the C18th architectural hierarchy, Smith (1672-1738) lay somewhere between the London elite and the breed of skilled, provincial builder-architects who created substantial parts of the built fabric of the country that we see today. It's likely that brick dust ran in his veins - his father, also Francis, and his brother, William, were bricklayers, his elder brother Richard was also in the trade, and Francis's son, William, inherited his practice. Centred around Warwick, Francis built up a substantial practice, designing numerous country houses for the Midlands gentry, covering every county in the region except Nottinghamshire, as well as churches and the odd public building. After the catastrophic fire of 1694 in Warwick, he and William were contracted to supervise rebuilding and rebuilt parts of the town themselves. Francis assembled a small band of talented craftsmen to whom he returned time and time again. Whilst not particularly innovative, his commissions were secured on the back of building attractive houses to high standards of craftsmanship, his trustworthiness and reliability. Two members of the London elite, James Gibbs and Thomas Archer, entrusted Francis to execute several of their designs, and it seems likely that in at least one of these cases he modified the building to his own designs.

Callaughton farm and village houses.

An OS cutmark on a cornerstone of an outbuilding to a farm just outside the village; originally levelled at 141.89m above Ordnance Datum Newlyn.

An OS cutmark on a footing stone of the large roadside barn just southwest of Acton Round Hall; originally levelled at 143.308m above Ordnance Datum Newlyn.

Rather surprisingly, this fine barn does not appear to be amongst the listed buildings in the complex at Acton Round Hall.

A GR wallbox set into one of the village walls.

An OS cutmark on the lefthand gatepost of the churchyard entrance; originally levelled at 161.065m above Ordnance Datum Newlyn.

There were plenty of young birds in the pens, and no shortage of older pheasants in the rest of the wood. Daft Dog, being a Cocker Spaniel, thought this was a great place to explore.

An OS cutmark on the wall of Lower Spoonhill house; originally levelled at 132.247m above Ordnance Datum Newlyn.

Easy walking once the wheat has been harvested, but this might have felt less 'open' when the crop was still in the field.

The paths hereabouts are not particularly well signed, nor well used for that matter. Which is a shame, as it's a lovely area.

An OS cutmark on the northern, rubble-built wall of a small barn at The Floors; originally levelled at 172.48m above Ordnance Datum Newlyn.

The track leads to a small cottage in the woods just northeast of here.