26/08/25 - Sheepwalks with the Ramblers

The Templar Mysteries of Enville

Normally a Ramblers walk, led by an 82 year old with no map and much disregard for the niceties of Public Rights of Way, would not warrant a blog. This is not a missive on "biting your tongue". I wanted to offer advice but realise it is a short step from that to be a walking leader. No, this is more about a little bit of local knowledge passed on from one of the 11 on the walk.

Which was a familiar beauty - the Staffordshire Way, over some rolling hills known as the "Sheepwalks". The views stretching across the West Midlands, where the Netherton flats can be mistaken for a Medieval tower. The English countryside at harvest-time.

The Walk Start - Enville Church

Ancestral Home of the Earls of Stamford - Enville Hall

The poor harvest of 2025

The conversations on route piqued my interest enough to ignore the temptations of The Cat (the best place to experience Enville Ale) in favour of the Church.

The academic world seems to be split on the origins of three graves on the roadside of the Churchyard. 

Three and ancient

Edward Dyas, an amateur historian from Stourbridge, claims they are one of the most significant Templar graves in the country. The rest of the academic world disagrees. His basis? The Templar Cross on the right hand grave that certainly has the most visible markings.

A broken Templar cross on the bottom stone

All very interesting in a warrior monk, Indiana Jones kind of way and certainly adding extra detail to an already fine walk.

And the length of time it would have taken me to enjoy a pint spent perusing the "Doors Open" church.

St Mary’s Church in Enville is a mainly medieval building with origins in the 12th century, though much of its present appearance reflects later additions and restorations. The church retains Norman stonework in its walls, while the tower, a dominant feature of the village, is largely fourteenth century. Inside, there are examples of fifteenth-century woodwork, monuments to the Grey family of Enville Hall, and Victorian stained glass from the nineteenth-century restoration

Nice tiling and stained glass windows. No snob screens.

C19th Font 

Carved Head on the North Wall

Should you be interested in discovering for yourself, use the map below carefully. It's easy to see where the walk leader had us doubling-back in enclosed fields. Less so, where we were off the Public Rights of Way.

Walk Details

Distance - 6 Miles

Geocaches - 0