Two Dogs and an Awning

Tag: Shakespeare’s Avon Way

  • Mills on the River Avon

    Mills on the River Avon

    After yesterday’s exploits with flooded brooks Lynnie has decided that a wander into Pershore is more attractive than the proposition of venturing far today.  I have decided to walk from the caravan site again and plan to do a variation on a walk I did during our last stay at Goodleigh Hill CL.

    Leaving by the pedestrian access I walk down to the road and then turn left heading uphill into Pensham Hill and continue until I reach a road junction where I turn left and follow the lane out of the village on the route of Shakespeare’s Avon Way.  

    Soon the lane turns into a farm track and the route continues between fields with the snow still covering the top of Bredon Hill in front of me.

    After passing junctions with two other paths the map shows the footpath going diagonally across a field, however, clearly a route around the edge of the field is well walked so rather than damage crops I follow the field margin to reach a footbridge over a stream.

    The path now goes to the right and then left around the edge of a recently ploughed field and then turns to the right to walk a grassy path besides the site of a former golf course currently being turned into a mobile home park.

    After going through a kissing gate the path descends to the River Avon where I turn left to head along a broad grassy path beside the river. The river level is still very high, but hopefully there will be no more rain today. 

    After going through another gate the footpath turns away from the river and heads up a lane towards Great Comberton.  At a junction with a road I turn left and walk along the pavement to pass the village War Memorial.

    I ignore a road on the left which leads back to Pershore and continue a few hundred yards to where the road bends sharp to the left, here I go through a gate in front of me and follow a path across fields towards Little Comberton.

    As I near the village I cross an old ridge and furrow field which is being grazed by sheep.  Ridge and furrow fields are a consequence of ploughing with non-reversible ploughs on the same strip of land each year. They are found on land that was ploughed in the Middle Ages, but has not been ploughed since then.  It is always a treat to come across one on a walk.

    The footpath heads diagonally across the field and enters the village by a stile.  This leads to a path between properties and then reaches a road in the village where I turn right towards a crossroads where there is a village information area.  This logs the history of the village and serves as a reminder that communities had a whole range of services that no longer exist.  The list includes a dairy, bakery, laundry, forge, cheesemaker, post office, shops, petrol station as well as the village policeman and district nurse.  

    I continue my walk by turning into Manor Lane.

    After passing the church I turn left along the pavement and then take a footpath on the right leading into a field.  

    St Peter’s Church dates back to the 12th century and over the years there have been many additions to the original structure.  In 1871 the then rector Reverend William Parker paid for a clock to be installed in the tower which still chimes the hours.  In 1886 major restorations were undertaken to create the church as it now stands.

    I follow the well-used footpath alongside fields heading east toward Bricklehampton,.  Away to my right I get a glimpse of Bricklehampton Hall behind trees.  This is an interesting Italianate house built in 1848 which, has now been converted into a care home.

    Arriving in Bricklehampton I turn right along a road to reach St Michael’s church and take a footpath through the churchyard.  This Norman church was restored in 1875.  It has started to drizzle so I decide to press on rather than take a look inside.

    Apparently Bricklehampton lays claim to having the longest village name in England that does not repeat any letters.

    From the back of the churchyard the path heads east across a field and then alongside horse paddocks to reach a minor road.  At the road I turn left and head north to pass Lower Field Barn.  As the road bends sharp left at Lower End I take a bridleway on the right.

    I stay with this track until I reach a footpath on the left that follows a broad path between fields heading in the direction of Cropvale Farm.

    After crossing a bridge the path turns to the left and heads north towards Cropthorne and I soon pass a fine old barn.

    Staying with the waymarked route I continue through fields with a stream to my left.  This footpath leads to the B4084 which I cross and turn right and then almost immediately take a footpath on the left which goes besides Rowlings Nurseries.

    The path goes over a field and then crosses a footbridge and then at a junction of paths I continue north to enter Cropthorne where I turn right along the road and soon pass Holland House which is a Christian retreat.

    Further up the road I pass St Michael’s Church.  I have previously visited this church which has a number of interesting features, but today Crosby and I are both wet and muddy so I decide not to go in.

    From the church I turn left into Neigh Lane which is signposted to Fladbury.  I follow this road out of the village and then downhill to reach a junction where I turn left and cross the River Avon.

    On the far side of the bridge I join a permissive path on the right crossing meadows besides the river, heading to Fladbury Mill.  

    The flood waters in the meadow mean I have to take a circuitous route to reach a gate in the corner of the field close to the mill.

    The oldest part of Fladbury Mill dates to 1650 when Fladbury Lock  and weir was built to make the River Avon navigable.  In 1888 electric turbines were installed in the mill which used the power of the river to provide electricity to some houses in the village.  By 1900 two turbines were installed and these provided enough electricity for homes and street lighting.

    The mill is now in the ownership of the Society for Protected Buildings (SPAB) , it was donated to them in 2021 in a bequest from the then owner David Wynn.

    I turn right along the road and pass the mill and then take a brief diversion to look across the flooded river towards Cropthorne Mill.  This mill was built in the early 18th century and operated as a mill until the 1930’s.

    Continuing through the village I pass the Anchor pub and the Fladbury Pie Shop which is opposite the 1340 St John the Baptist church.

    I then pass the Social Club and almost immediately take a footpath on the left leading down Coach Drive.  This passes houses and then allotments and follows a concrete driveway heading towards Spring Hill Farm.  I’m on the Shakespeare’s Avon Way an eighty-eight mile long distance path following the river Avon from its source at Naseby to its confluence with the River Severn at Tewkesbury.

    As the path nears Spring Hill Farm I go to the right past farm buildings and then west to cross a minor road.  The waymarked route heads towards a static caravan park.  The path is clearly signed and passes caravans dotted around disused gravel pits.

    Staying with the waymarkers for Shakespeare’s Avon Way I continue on to skirt around a sewage works and then Lower End Farm, ignoring other footpaths, to reach Wyre Piddle.

    The path joins a road where I turn left and wander through the village passing the Anchor Inn to reach the village medieval cross.

    I go left at the cross and follow the lane past the small church of St Ann.

    The lane heads out of the village, going downhill past the entrance to Wyre Boatyard and then reaching Wyre Mill, this old corn mill dates from the early 1800’s and originally had three wheels.   It is now the base of Wyre Mill Club a social club for locals and visiting caravanners and boaters.

    After passing the mill and the entrance to a caravan and camping site the path continues on to follow a footpath across meadows heading towards Pershore.

    I have a number of options on reaching the edge of Pershore and choose to walk around past the entrance of Pershore Football Club and then wander through a car park besides Asda supermarket to join the High Street where I turn left and continue along the road through the town and then across the River Avon before turning right to return to Goodleigh Hill CL.

    You can view this  12.8 mile walk on OS Maps and download the GPX File here.

    To follow this walk, you will need Ordnance Survey Explorer Map – 190 – Malvern Hills & Bredon Hill

    11th March 2023

    © Two Dogs and an Awning (2023)

    All information on this site is provided free of charge and in good faith and no liability is accepted in respect of damage, loss or injury which might result from it.  To the best of my knowledge the routes are entirely on public rights of way or within areas that are open for public access.
    Walking can be hazardous and is done entirely at your own risk.  It is your responsibility to check your route and navigate using a map and compass.

  • River Avon Loop via Nafford

    River Avon Loop via Nafford

    A good book has captured Lynnie’s attention so Crosby and I are venturing out on our own today.   It is an essential part of our packing to ensure the caravan contains a sufficient number of books to open a small library.  Both of us have a bit of a book habit and can’t be trusted to walk out of a charity shop without having acquired more reading material.  The idea of an undisturbed day to read is, therefore, ideal as far as Lynnie is concerned.

    I am walking from the site with a rough idea of a circuit but no clear route planned.  I refer to days like this as “jamming about”, I just go where the mood takes me.  As long as I’ve a flask of tea and some lunch there is no need for a strict route.

    Leaving the site by the pedestrian access I walk down to the road and then turn left heading uphill into Pensham Hill and continue until I reach a road junction where I turn left and follow the lane out of the village on the route of the Shakespeare’s Avon Way.  

    Soon the lane turns into a farm track and the route continues between fields with the snow covered Bredon Hill in front of me.

    After passing junctions with two other paths the map shows the footpath going diagonally across a field, however it is clear the route around the edge of the field is well walked so rather than damage crops I follow the field margin to reach a footbridge over a stream.

    The path now goes to the right and then left around the edge of a recently ploughed field and then turns to the right to walk a grassy path besides the site of a former golf course currently being turned into a mobile home park.

    After going through a kissing gate the path descends to the River Avon where I turn left and head along a broad grassy path besides the river.

    After going through another gate the footpath turns away from the river and heads up a lane towards Great Comberton.  At a junction with a road I turn right to walk into the village and then fork right by a telephone box to continue through this attractive village.

    At a way-marker for a footpath to Nafford I turn right following the path to a wooden gate which I go through and continue downhill.

    I am still on the route of the Shakespeare’s Avon Way, this is an eighty-eight mile long distance trail following the River Avon from its source at Nasby in Northamptonshire to Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire.

    At the foot of the hill I go through another gate and then follow the path as it turns to the right and heads through a field of sheep pasture.

    After another gate into a field I get fine views over the River Avon.

    Keeping the fence line close to my left I continue through the field and then descend to reach a footbridge over a stream.  Over the bridge I cross a field to a gate and another field.  The path heads towards Nafford House and then after going through a kissing gate reaches a minor road.

    I keep straight on to pass Nafford House and then take a footpath on the right heading downhill to reach the River Avon at the sluice gates.

    Crossing the sluice gates I reach Nafford Lock which makes the River Avon navigable at this point.  According to the Avon Navigation Trust’s website it was back in 1636 when William Sandys of Fladbury came up with a plan to make the river navigable from Tewkesbury to Stratford.  In the 1830’s the Worcester and Birmingham Canal company leased the river, but like many canal companies suffered from increased competition from railways.

    By World War II the route was barely navigable but in 1950 restoration commenced and by 1962 the Lower Avon Navigation was reopened to Evesham and then in 1974 it reopened  all the way to Stratford.

    Crossing on a swing bridge I continue to the weir over the Avon.

    After crossing the weir I had intended to turn left and follow the footpath towards Birlingham, however, I spot a permissive path way-marker and follow this to the right heading towards the river.  The permissive path then enters a field beside the river.

    This path is not marked on the map so I am unsure where it will lead me. But then as luck would have it I meet a chap walking in the opposite direction who explains that the path follows the river for a few miles and then heads back to Birlingham via Woodfield Farm.  Comfortable in this knowledge I continue along the path.

    This is pleasant walking with nobody else about as I follow the frequent way-markers.

    The river is very tranquil and there are cracking views of it as the path heads north.

    After crossing a footbridge over a stream, with a plaque saying it’s “Baker’s Bridge” I decide to stop for lunch in a spinney which has a great outlook over the river.

    I am soon heading along the river on the opposite side of the bank from where I was walking earlier as I headed to Great Comberton.

    The land in this area is mainly used for growing vegetables and there are extensive irrigation systems which use water pumped from the river.  To facilitate the extraction of the water, pump houses sit close to the river.

    I stay with the river until reaching a fence into a field, here the permissive path goes left towards Woodfield Farm which has a number of static caravans, presumably used by agricultural workers.

    After passing the farm I reach a road where I turn right and walk along it heading west.  I ignore a minor road on the left and carry on to a T-junction turning right and then almost immediately take a footpath on the left, initially through trees, to reach an open area and then continue through a field.

    The path joins a driveway passing properties and then continues along a track.

    Near the end of the track I take a footpath on the right way-marked to Upper End.

    This path leads along the hedge line of a field to reach a minor road where I cross and continue on the hedge-lined footpath besides a property.  At a kissing gate the path enters an old orchard, Rough Hill Orchard, and turns left with good views across to the River Avon.

    Rough Hill Orchard is owned by the People’s Trust for Endangered Species and contains 30 old apple trees, 65 young apple trees and 25 plum trees.  Apparently on this site nineteen nationally scarce species insects have been recorded.

    Initiatives like this are great for the environment and educating people on the importance of maintaining habitats for flora and fauna.

    The path leads to an information board beside a gate.  Here I leave the orchard and cross the busy A4104 with care and follow a path into Tiddesley Wood.  

    This area of woodland was once an enclosed deer park owned by the Abbots of Pershore Abbey. In the 1950’s the Forestry Commission took ownership and planted coniferous trees making it a commercial woodland.  Now in the ownership of the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust they are in the process of clearing the remaining coniferous trees and replacing them with traditional deciduous woodland.

    The path leads through the trees to reach a track where I turn right and head down to reach the A4104 again.  I cross and take a way-marked footpath on the far side turning left to walk along the grassy verge to reach a kissing gate leading into a field where I head towards the River Avon.

    At the river I turn left and follow a path beside it heading back towards Pershore.

    It has started to rain, but luckily I don’t have far to go.  After walking besides fields the path goes along the edge of a copse and then reaches open land.  I keep by the river and climb steps at the end of Pershore Bridge to the road where I turn right across the bridge.

    At a road junction I turn right and walk the short distance back to the pedestrian entrance to the caravan site.  

    You can view this  9.5 mile walk on OS Maps and download the GPX File Here

    To follow this walk, you will need Ordnance Survey Explorer Map – 190 – Malvern Hills & Bredon Hill

    9th March 2023

    © Two Dogs and an Awning (2023)

    All information on this site is provided free of charge and in good faith and no liability is accepted in respect of damage, loss or injury which might result from it.  To the best of my knowledge the routes are entirely on public rights of way or within areas that are open for public access.
    Walking can be hazardous and is done entirely at your own risk.  It is your responsibility to check your route and navigate using a map and compass.

  • Bredon Hill in the Snow

    Bredon Hill in the Snow

    When we arrived at Goodleigh Hill CL yesterday it was a cracking afternoon, but overnight the weather has changed and the predicted cold wintery spell has arrived.  I had planned for us to walk on the Malvern Hills today, however the fall of snow in the early hours has put Lynnie off.  So instead we are going to walk from the caravan and head onto Bredon Hill.  

    We walked to the top of Bredon Hill on our first stay at this site, but today’s route to and from the summit will bit different.  Leaving the site by the pedestrian access we walk down to the road and then turn left heading uphill into Pensham Hill.  As the road levels we take a footpath on the right beside a post box.  The path follows a driveway and then goes through a gate to enter a field.

    This is the route of the Wychavon Way, a forty mile long distance route between Droitwich Spa and Broadway.  We go through the field with the hedge to our right to reach a kissing gate. We now follow a clear path across fields heading towards Home Farm in Pensham.  

    The path leads to a minor road where we turn left and walk through the village.   At a junction of roads we continue straight on.

    At the end of the lane we turn left, still on the route of the Wychavon Way and follow the farm track which passes glasshouses at Sandilands. After passing a barn which is being converted into a home we reach a junction of paths.  Here we turn right still on the route of the Wychavon Way.  The map shows the footpath going diagonally across a field but there is a permissive path around the field edge which we choose instead.  When possible I prefer to take a route that avoids damaging crops.

    The permitted path turns left at the corner of the field and soon rejoins the main footpath continuing along the edge of the field.  We reach a point where the footpath goes through bushes, when we walked this path last year the path was overgrown and impassable, so I continue along the edge of the field towards glass houses and then turn right to follow a track downhill to rejoin the main footpath which goes over a footbridge into a field.

    Over the bridge we turn to the right and the path soon turns besides the River Avon and we continue along with the river on our right.

    Through a gate we keep going along a broad grassy path besides the river.

    After going through another gate the footpath turns away from the river and heads up a lane towards Great Comberton.  At a junction with a road we turn right to walk into the village and then fork right by a telephone box to continue through this attractive village.

    At a way-marker for a footpath to Nafford we turn right following the path to a wooden gate which we go through and continue downhill.

    We are now on the route of the Shakespeare’s Avon Way, this is an eighty-eight mile long distance trail following the River Avon from its source at Nasby in Northamptonshire to Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire.

    At the foot of the hill we go through another gate and then follow the path as it turns to the right and heads through a field of sheep pasture.

    After another gate into a field we get fine views over the River Avon.

    Keeping the fence line close to our left we continue through the field and then descend to reach a footbridge over a stream.  Over the bridge we cross a field to a gate and another field.  The path heads towards Nafford House and then after going through a kissing gate reaches a minor road.

    We turn left along the road to reach a junction where we turn left and then within fifty metres take a minor road on the right, Woollas Hill, going towards Woollas Hall.  After passing Woollas Hall Farm we reach a gate by a cattle grid, here the footpath continues on the tarmac drive still heading towards Woollas Hall.

    At a crossing of paths we leave the tarmac driveway going over a stile and continuing uphill on a grass path.  We have now rejoined the Wychavon Way and it has started to snow.

    We reach a gate besides a cattle grid and continue along a track until we reach a junction, here the footpath goes to the right into a field and the route is well waymarked as it ascends the hill.

    After going through a gate the track heads uphill towards trees.

    We go through another gate and quickly reach a junction of paths where we turn left and follow a broad path in the shelter of trees.

    Leaving the trees we are exposed to the full force of the wind and snow.  It is suddenly a bit bleak and the visibility is significantly reduced.  We go through a gate and continue to Parsons’ Tower.  

    The tower was built in the mid 18th century for John Parsons, he was the local MP and squire at nearby Kemerton Court, apparently he intended to use it as a summer house so he could enjoy the views over the surrounding countryside.  

    The tower sits on the edge of an Iron Age hillfort known as Kemerton Camp, we are unable to see any of the fort because of the poor visibility.

    Our route continues in a north easterly direction to reach a toposcope, I recall from our last visit enjoying some good views, however we can’t even see Parsons’ Tower from here.

    From the toposcope we continue in a north easterly direction to reach a stone wall and then continue on the Wychavon Way with the wall to our left.  

    After passing through a gate we continue along to reach a junction of paths where we fork left staying with the Wychavon Way as it descends to a crossing of paths at which point we turn left to follow a path heading north downhill towards the edge of Doctor’s Wood.

    The path leads to a pasture field which we cross to reach Comberton Wood.

    In the woods the route descends steeply on a path, which has been well used by horses, and then reaches a track where we go right.  Soon the track leaves the trees and heads downhill between fields.

    We stay with the track at a crossing of paths and then at the next junction of paths turn left on a bridleway with a well-hidden fingerpost pointing towards Great Comberton.

    We keep with the bridleway to Great Comberton, it is easy to follow, passing through a couple of fields to join a track into the village.

    In the village we turn right at a junction and reach the telephone box and then go right before taking the left into Quay Lane leading us back towards the  River Avon at Comberton Quay.

    We are now on the route we covered earlier in the walk and turn right to walk along the grassy area besides the river.  This time at a junction of paths we turn right to walk beside the site of a former golf course which is being turned into a mobile home park.

    We go through a kissing gate and follow the grassy path besides the fence line and then reach a recently ploughed field.  The path is waymarked and continues on the muddy margin with the field edge on our left to reach a footbridge over a stream.

    After the bridge the map shows the footpath crossing a field, but it is clear from the worn route that locals use the field margin, so we turn right and then at a hedge line turn left and continue uphill to reach a track.

    Staying with this track, which is the route of Shakespeare’s Avon Way we head back to Pensham Hill.  At a road junction we turn right and continue along to reach the pedestrian entrance to Goodleigh Hill CL.

    Our walk has covered just over eleven miles and despite the wintery conditions and poor visibility on Bredon Hill it has been a very enjoyable bit of out.

    You can view this 11.3 mile walk on OS Maps and download the GPX File Here

    To follow our walk, you will need Ordnance Survey Explorer Map – 190 – Malvern Hills & Bredon Hill

    8th March 2023

    © Two Dogs and an Awning (2023)

    All information on this site is provided free of charge and in good faith and no liability is accepted in respect of damage, loss or injury which might result from it.  To the best of my knowledge the routes are entirely on public rights of way or within areas that are open for public access.
    Walking can be hazardous and is done entirely at your own risk.  It is your responsibility to check your route and navigate using a map and compass.

  • Eckington Bridge and Nafford Lock

    Eckington Bridge and Nafford Lock

    Today we are walking from the caravan again, this time heading out over a route we did last November, but this time we are doing it the other way around with a couple of variations and an additional section alongside the River Avon.

    We leave the caravan site and follow the pavement towards Pershore.  Just after crossing the River Avon we turn left on a footpath joining the route of the Millennium Way, this 100-mile long distance path goes between Pershore and Middleton Cheney in Northamptonshire.  

    There are a network of tracks across the meadows but we stick with the Millennium Way which hugs the side of the river heading in a westerly direction.

    After passing besides a copse and crossing a bridge over a stream we ignore a footpath on the right, instead continuing beside the river.

    At the next junction of paths besides a footbridge over a stream, the Millennium Way turns to the right, we continue besides the river on the route of the Pershore Bridges Walk this is a five-mile circular walk around Pershore.

    After crossing a couple of footbridges the waymarked path turns to the right to head towards houses sat above the A4104.

    After going through a kissing gate we turn left and walk on the wide roadside verge and then cross with care at a waymarker  to head into Tiddesley Wood.

    We follow the Pershore Bridges Walk waymarkers through the woods.  This area of woodland was once an enclosed deer park owned by the Abbots of Pershore Abbey. In the 1950’s the Forestry Commission took ownership and used it a as commercial woodland and planted coniferous trees.  Now in the ownership of the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust there is a process of clearing the remaining coniferous trees and replacing them with traditional deciduous woodland.

    The route is a clear track and easy to follow.  Reaching a crossing of way-marked footpaths we turn left leaving the route of the Pershore Bridges Walk and rejoining the Millennium Way which heads steadily downhill on a wide ride leading to a bridge over Bow Brook.

    After crossing the bridge at a fork in the path we leave the Millennium Way and take a path on the left which heads diagonally across a field.

    The map shows the path leaving the field and entering an area of shrubland.  In November we walked though that shrub area and there was no clear path, I had hoped that it might have been cleared but sadly it is still overgrown and unclear, so we continue along the edge of the field to reach a gateway where we turn left along a minor road and then after just over a hundred yards we take a footpath on the right.  The fingerpost here appears to have been a casualty to hedge cutting.

    The footpath follows a track between arable fields heading towards Besford Court.  At a junction of paths we carry straight on into the grounds of Besford Court.  The original timber framed building was constructed here around 1500.  In 1910 the estate was purchased by Major George Noble who went about reconstructing the building into its current mode under the guidance of architect Albert Randall Wells.

    Apparently work stopped in 1912 when the Noble’s separated and they were divorced in 1916.  The following year Noble’s wife married his architect.  The house was never completed or lived in and was sold in its incomplete state and became known as Besford Court Hospital and it was apparently described in the New Catholic Dictionary as a “welfare home for mentally-defective Catholic children, restricted to feeble minded boys aged from seven to twenty-one”.

    In 2001 the school closed and even twenty-years later men are coming forward to describe the abuse they suffered at the hands of those entrusted with their welfare.  Following the closure of the school the building was converted into apartments.

    We follow the footpath waymarkers which pass a fine arch and then at a junction of paths turn right to walk with a hedge on our right and soon pass a football pitch on our left.

    After a stile we cross a minor road and go through a kissing gate into a field.  There are a network of paths crossing this field.  It has recently been sown and the pathways are not clear but we opt for one in a south-westerly direction diagonally across the field towards a property in the village of Besford.

    After crossing a stile we continue along the side of a paddock and then cross a wooden fence and then immediately go through a gate.  It is unclear what purpose the fence serves other than to make it more difficult for walkers to get through.

    On the road, cussing about inconsiderate landowners, we turn left and reach St Peter’s Church.  This 14th century church is apparently unique as it has the only timber nave in England.  The chancel was rebuilt in stone in the 19th century.

    According to the village’s website the interior of the church has important monuments, a pre-reformation rood screen and Jacobean alter rails.  Unfortunately the door is locked so we cannot go in to view them.  I find it hard to understand the policy of some diocese, you would think that people might want to gain access to a church outside of the times it’s open for services.

    We go back to the road and turn right and then almost immediately take a waymarked footpath down a track leading to a property.  As the track reaches the house the footpath turns right and goes through a gate the path now forks and we keep to the left to follow the fence line of the property and then enter another field where we go right keeping the hedge on our right and then at the corner of the field go left, still with the fence on our right.

    At the next the point when the fence turns to the right we head diagonally downhill across the field towards a gate.  After passing through the gate we turn left along a minor road and walk towards houses.  After about four hundred yards, on reaching houses on the left we take a footpath on the right which goes besides fields and heads towards Defford.  There are good views across the fields towards the Malvern Hills.

    After passing a playing field we go through a gate and reach Defford.  Now we go along the road towards St James Church which has Norman origins and underwent a major restoration in the 19th century.  This is another locked church so we have no idea what it might look like inside.

    Leaving the church we turn left and walk through the village.  On reaching a junction we turn right into Crown Lane and follow this to reach the A4104.  We cross the road and turn left in front of Defford Garage and then almost immediately take a footpath on the right which goes over a stile besides a gate.

    This path goes downhill by a field and then through a wooded area to reach a bridge over a stream. We then go uphill to reach a gate and pass through a field following the path down between hedges to reach a stile into a paddock.  Crossing the paddock, whilst trying to avoid the inquisitive horses, we reach another stile  onto a road.  We cross and enter open access land where we turn right and follow a well-worn path through the meadow towards Eckington Bridge.

    Apparently the first bridge constructed across the river here was built in 1440. The current red sandstone bridge dates back to the 1720’s.

    From the bridge we turn to the left and take a clear path that heads diagonally across the meadows in the direction of Birlingham.  To our right in the distance is the tower on Bredon Hill, a spot we visited last November.

    On the far side of the open access land we join the Shakespeare’s Avon Way, an eighty-eight mile long distance path following the river Avon from its source at Naseby to ins confluence with the River Severn at Tewkesbury.  We now follow this route around fields to reach a minor road where we turn right and then almost immediately take a left on a footpath through a wooden gate.  This path goes close to properties and then emerges on a road at a junction.  We head straight across and stay with the road as it turns into a track heading towards Nafford.

    We go through a kissing gate and then across Berwick Brook.

    The route continues to a weir on the River Avon.

    After crossing the weir we continue on the path to reach Nafford Lock which makes the River Avon navigable at this point.

    After crossing the lock we reach the sluice gates on the Avon.

    We now head uphill on a track to reach a minor road where we turn left.  As the road bends to the right we go through a kissing gate to follow a footpath across a field on the Shakespeare’s Avon Way.  There are great views across the river from here.

    After crossing a footbridge the path continues into the next field and passes a fine dead tree.

    At a gate we carry on through a further field, the route then goes to the left through a gate and heads uphill to reach another gate which leads to a road in Great Comberton.  Here we turn left and follow the road through this attractive village.

    We continue through the village and then take a footpath on the left shortly before reaching the village War Memorial.  This track leads steadily downhill back towards the River Avon where a couple of barges are moored and their occupants are enjoying the spring sunshine in a clearing.

    We now go to the right and pass through a gate to follow a broad grassy track with the river to our left.

    At a fork in the track just before reaching woodland we go right heading uphill on the route of the Shakespeare Avon Way.  This passes a field which looks as if it is being prepared as a static caravan park.

    After going through another gate we carry on following the path as it skirts the edge of a field and then crosses a footbridge.

    On the far side of the field the map shows the route going through the crops, however, it is clear that folk walk the perimeter of the field so we follow their example and turn right and then left around the field to join a track which leads towards Pensham Hill.

    The track soon becomes a tarmac lane leading into Pensham Hill where we turn right and follow the road to the private path leading back up to the caravan site at Goodleigh Hill CL.

    Our wander in this part of the Vale of Evesham has covered just over eleven and a half miles.  We are heading into Pershore to eat this evening so the timing is just right for us to get spruced up before we go.

    You can view this 11.5 mile walk on OS Maps and download the GPX File Here

    To follow my walk, you will need Ordnance Survey Maps: OS Explorer Map – 190 – Malvern Hills & Bredon Hill

    7th May 2022

    © Two Dogs and an Awning (2022)

    All information on this site is provided free of charge and in good faith and no liability is accepted in respect of damage, loss or injury which might result from it.  To the best of my knowledge the routes are entirely on public rights of way or within areas that are open for public access.
    Walking can be hazardous and is done entirely at your own risk.  It is your responsibility to check your route and navigate using a map and compass.

  • Elmley Castle and Fladbury

    Elmley Castle and Fladbury

    Today is one of those days when Crosby and I are heading out on our own.  Lynnie has decided to spend a few hours wandering around Pershore so I am free to walk as far as I please.  I don’t fancy driving anywhere so after a quick scan of the map I decide to head out from the caravan.

    Leaving the site by the pedestrian access I walk down to the road and the turn left and head uphill into Pensham Hill.  As the road levels out I take a footpath on the right beside a post box.  The path follows a driveway and then goes through a gate to enter a field.

    This is the route of the Wychavon Way, a forty-mile long distance route between Droitwich Spa and the Cotswold village of Broadway.  I go through the field with the hedge to my right to reach a kissing gate and then follow a clear path across fields heading towards Home Farm in Pensham.

    On reaching a road in the village I turn left and continue on this towards Pensham Farm. The road then becomes a track and passes glass houses and barns.  Shortly after the last barn the footpath turns to the right, here the footpath goes diagonally across a field but there is a permissive path around the field edge which I choose instead.  If possible I prefer to take a route that avoids damaging crops.

    The permitted path turns left at the corner of the field and soon rejoins the main footpath continuing along the edge of the field.  I reach a point where the footpath goes through bushes, when I last walked the path in the opposite direction the path was overgrown and impassable, things have not improved so I continue along the edge of the field towards glass houses and then turn right to follow a track downhill to rejoin the main footpath which goes over a footbridge into a field.

    Over the bridge I turn to the right and the path soon turns besides the River Avon and I continue along with the river on my right.

    Through a gate I keep going along a broad grassy path besides the river, in front of me is a good view of Bredon Hill, Lynnie and I walked up there on a cold day last November but it is not on my list of planned walks this trip.

    After going through another gate the footpath turns away from the river and heads up a lane towards  Great Comberton.  At a junction with a road I turn right and walk into the village and then fork left by a telephone box, now being used as a book swap, and walk along Church Street.  I soon reach a junction with Russell Street and follow this tarmac lane which passes houses and then becomes a track as it heads out of the village.

    I stay with this track as it becomes a footpath leading through fields heading east.  At a junction of footpaths besides a gate I continue straight on along a hedge-lined path to take a track where I turn right following it for a few hundred yards to reach a footpath on the left.  This path goes east across the field with the fence-line on the left hand side.  

    In the corner of the field I cross a stream on a footbridge and then continue along the waymarked path heading through fields towards Elmley Castle.

    At a junction of paths besides a barn I turn right, this leads to a lane where I turn left and walk into the attractive village.

    On reaching the village pub, The Queen Elizabeth, I turn left.  This 16th century pub apparently derives its name from the visit of Queen Elizabeth I to Elmley Castle in August 1575.  One side of the pub sign shows the date 20th August 1575, and the pub’s website says they like to think that the Queen stayed at the inn.  Even if it can’t be proven it is a good marketing ploy.

    Just after the pub I turn right into a narrow lane which soon reaches the village cricket field.

    To avoid the narrow lane I walk besides the cricket pitch and then rejoin the road by the entrance to the field car park.  I now have a section on the road, but it broadens out and there is very little traffic.  I ignore a footpath on the left and a couple of others on the right and carry on besides the road until I reach a footpath sign which points to a path on the left crossing a stile besides a gate into a paddock area, this is marked on the map as Netherton Fields.  The path goes beside the paddock and then along the edge of woodland.

    Emerging from the trees I follow the path heading north to reach barns at Elms Farm where there is an abandoned old lorry.

    I follow the track around the barns and then pass a gate and continue on the farm driveway to reach a road where I turn right and then very soon take a left along a lane signposted to Netherton.

    The lane goes by cottages and continues on past the old barns of Chapel Farm.

    At a crossing of footpaths I carry on northwards along a track to a gateway.  Through this I keep  north and at the next gateway enter a field of cattle, thankfully they show no interest in Crosby and I as we make our way between them and my heart rate returns to normal when we are safely through the gate on the far side of the field.

    The next gate reaches a junction of paths and I turn left staying on the Wychavon Way and keeping left when the path forks.  The route continues along a hedge-lined track.

    At a footpath on the right  I turn to follow a broad path between fields heading in the direction of Cropvale Farm.

    After crossing a bridge the path turns to the left and heads north towards Cropthorne and I soon pass a fine old barn.

    Staying with the waymarked route I continue through fields with a stream to my left.  This footpath leads to the B4084 which I cross and turn left along the pavement for a hundred yards before turning right at a junction down Brooks Lane.  This lane takes me into Cropthorne and I stay with it as it bends to the right and crosses a stream before heading uphill to the village church.

    The church of St Michael has an interesting interior with fragments of an ancient wall painting.

    There are also some interesting memorials one of which is Francis Dingley (died 1624) and his wife Elizabeth Bigg.  The inscription states they were married for 50 years and had eleven sons and seven daughters. 

    Leaving the churchyard I turn left and continue through the village to a junction where I turn left into Neigh Lane which is signposted to Fladbury.  I follow this road out of the village and then downhill to reach a junction where I turn left and cross the River Avon.

    On the far side of the bridge I join a permissive path on the right crossing meadows besides the river, heading to Fladbury Mill.

    The path leads to a road besides Fladbury Mill, here I turn right and walk into the village passing the Anchor pub and the Fladbury Pie Shop which is opposite the St John the Baptist church, built in 1340.

    I continue through the village past the Social Club and then almost immediately after take a footpath on the left leading down Coach Drive, this passes houses and then allotments and follows a concrete driveway heading towards Spring Hill Farm.  This is the route of Shakespeare’s Avon Way an eighty-eight mile long distance path following the river Avon from its source at Naseby to its confluence with the River Severn at Tewkesbury.

    As the path nears Spring Hill Farm I go to the right and follow the route as it passes farm buildings and then heads west to cross a minor road and then the waymarked route heads towards a static caravan park.  The route through the park is clearly waymarked and passes the caravans dotted around disused gravel pits.

    Staying with the waymarkers for Shakespeare’s Avon Way I continue on to skirt around a sewage works and then Lower End Farm and then carry on, ignoring other footpaths, to reach Wyre Piddle.

    The path joins a road where I turn left and wander through the village passing the Anchor Inn to reach the village medieval cross.

    I go left at the cross and follow the lane past the small church of St Ann.

    The lane heads out of the village, going downhill passing the entrance to Wyre Boatyard and then reaching Wyre Mill, this old corn mill dates from the early 1800’s and originally had three wheels.   It is now the base of Wyre Mill Club a social club for locals and visiting caravanners and boaters.

    After passing the mill and the entrance to a caravan and camping site the path continues on to follow a footpath across meadows heading towards Pershore.

    I have a number of options on reaching the edge of Pershore and choose to walk around past the entrance of Pershore Football Club and then wander through a car park besides Asda supermarket and join the High Street where I turn left and continue along the road through the town and then across the River Avon before turning right to return to Goodleigh Hill CL.

    My walk has covered fifteen miles and there have been plenty of interesting things to see along the way.  

    You can view this 15 mile walk on OS Maps and download the GPX File Here

    To follow my walk, you will need Ordnance Survey Maps: OS Explorer Map – 190 – Malvern Hills & Bredon Hill


    6th May 2022

    © Two Dogs and an Awning (2022)

    All information on this site is provided free of charge and in good faith and no liability is accepted in respect of damage, loss or injury which might result from it.  To the best of my knowledge the routes are entirely on public rights of way or within areas that are open for public access.
    Walking can be hazardous and is done entirely at your own risk.  It is your responsibility to check your route and navigate using a map and compass.