From the car park turn right and follow the main road through Beenham; this changes its name several times, becoming Picklepythe Lane for a stretch, past the recreation ground, to Clay Lane. Veer left and left again by The Willows. Follow the byway (ignore all footpath signs) and eventually pass the two brick pillars that mark the entrance to Oakwood Farm.

Continue downhill through a natural tunnel of  trees. Some 100yds (91m) after you’ve emerged back into the light, where the trail swings left turn right at the bridleway sign. Follow it to the left along the field perimeter, steadily climbing to the top of the field. At the top Malthouse Farm is on your right. Continue on this rough byway to meet the road, with a paved drive leading off to your right to Malthouse Farm.

Turn right and walk along the main road, Cod’s Hill (a corruption of God’s Hill), leading to the abbey. Take the first footpath on the left, which almost immediately crosses a drive and seems to disappear. Look to the left of the barbed wire fence and the path continues through a gap, across Douai Park playing fields. Head towards the white cricket pavilion, and look to the left for the kissing gate into the churchyard of St Peter’s, Woolhampton (hidden behind trees). Look right for your first view of Douai Abbey.

Visit the church, then exit right, out of the gate back onto the road. As the road nears the bend, take the path which runs parallel to the road and continue as far as the main road, opposite the main entrance to the old part of Douai Abbey. Bear left here, with the Abbey buildings on your right and a row of late 17th-century thatched cottages to your left. The older red-brick buildings of Douai are not open to the public (the old church may be visited by appointment), but continue along the road to Douai Abbey where you can visit the new church.

Beyond the church, continue along the road to some cottages and barns. Turn right at a footpath sign, soon passing a galvanised gate, and follow the track round to the left into the next field. Keep to the field-edge, and when you reach the corner by the footpath sign, go straight over into the woods. Fields can be seen close by on the left. Follow the path through the trees, then between paddocks, until you reach the track that you took near the start of the walk. To return to your car turn left, then right by Jayswood Cottage, and right again to the main road. Alternatively, go left by Jayswood Cottage, turn left at the junction, and The Six Bells pub is just a few paces away on the other side of the road.