THE WALK: BEWDLEY

This easy and delightful walk from Bewdley visits a trio of lovely places which are situated a little way above the main road between Bewdley and Kidderminster, but are a million miles

from it in spirit. The first of the three is Trimpley Green, a patch of common land which is divided into two parts, separated by Trimpley Farm. The walk visits the southern and largest part, a triangle of wooded land around two quiet lanes. A network of footpaths

threads through the woods and there are also ponds and wetland areas to discover. Intriguingly, the narrow and bendy Hoarstone Lane, which runs south from the crossroad at Trimpley Green, is thought by some historians to have once been part of a fairly major

road from Chester to Gloucester via Worcester.

          It's a very short walk from Trimpley Green to Habberley Valley, another patch of common land. Unlike Trimpley Green, which is privately owned, Habberley Valley is a council-owned

nature reserve and a popular place with local residents. It consists mostly of acid grassland and heath, with woods of oak and birch clothing the sandstone slopes and cliffs which rise to the west and north. There's an under-storey of bilberries below the

trees but of course it's too late now to harvest any berries this year. A number of rocky outcrops is scattered across the valley, of which the most remarkable is Pekket Rock, an eroded sandstone pinnacle. The fauna and flora includes characteristic heathland

species, so look out for woodpeckers and possibly green tiger beetles. Harebells and devil's-bit scabious bloom among the grasses and heath.

          Wassell Wood is just to the south-west of Habberley Valley and belongs to the Woodland Trust, which welcomes walkers with a good network of paths. You can choose any route through

the wood, aided by an on-site map. An earthwork by the top edge of Wassell Wood is of uncertain origin, though some claim it was a Roman camp. Others say that Wassell comes from an Anglo-Saxon word meaning 'watchplace' and that it is the westernmost of a chain

which included Wassell Grove near Hagley, Waseley Hills near Rubery and Wast Hill near Alvechurch.

FACTFILE

START Bewdley Bridge; grid ref SO786754.

LENGTH 5½ miles/8.8km.

MAPS OS Explorer 218, OS Landranger 138. 

TERRAIN Pasture, paddocks, woodland, heath; mildly hilly, with one steep but stepped descent.

FOOTPATHS Mostly excellent, but waymarking is absent in places.

STILES 10.

PARKING Bewdley.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT Coniston Coaches 296 Worcester-Bewdley, Mon-Sat only; or West Midlands Railway to Kidderminster then choice of buses (2/125/291/292) to Bewdley; bustimes.org or Traveline

0871 200 2233. 

REFRESHMENTS Bewdley.

DIRECTIONS

1 Cross Bewdley Bridge, turn left then take a path on the right opposite Bridge House. Go diagonally across a caravan park to the far left corner to meet Northwood Lane and  turn left.

Take an initially unsigned and overgrown footpath on the right after about 200m. Pass under the Severn Valley Railway, after which the path improves. Enter a large sloping pasture and go uphill to the far left corner. The path is then easily followed along

field edges to Crundalls Lane where you turn left. Continue along a bridleway when the lane comes to an end, eventually passing through Hall's Farm then following the farm access road/bridleway to Trimpley.     

2 Approaching the road at Trimpley, turn left on a path which runs parallel with the road, through woodland, for 100m. Turn left when the path meets the road. Shortly after passing two

road signs turn right on a narrow but fairly well-trodden path across Trimpley Common. Turn right at a T-junction and keep straight on at subsequent junctions, descending to meet a road. Turn left, then take the next path on the right, next to the sign for

Trimpley. Descend steeply (mostly by means of steps) through woodland. Go down to a junction and turn left to a bench by an oak tree then turn right, descending again. Turn right when you meet a wide, sandy path and keep on past another bench and you'll see

Pekket Rock through the trees, just to the left ahead. Make your way down to the rock then turn right on a wide track.

3 Go through a gate in a wooden fence into grassland and turn right along the edge. Pass a house then walk along its access road to a triangular junction where there's a waymarked post.

Turn right, then soon right again, passing left of the house and its garden. Turn right again at the next waymark and go uphill through the woods, then straight on across fields to return to the woods of Trimpley Common. Proceed to the road and turn left.

4 Go left at the next junction, joining Hoarstone Lane, and you'll soon come to Wassell Wood. Follow the waymarked Bewdley/Wassell Wood Circular Walk through the wood, eventually leaving

the wood at its lower end to rejoin Hoarstone Lane. Turn left, then take the next path on the right. Walk along a field edge, to the right of a hedge. Go through a hedge gap on the left (not waymarked) as you approach the far side. Turn right to cross a stile

in the hedge ahead. Go diagonally left to pass a redundant stile in a hedge gap then across the next field to pass to the right of a bungalow. Cross a lane to a path opposite. Go down through two fields, then down a lane to a junction. Turn left, then right.

After 400m, go diagonally across a paddock to the top corner. Join a fenced and hedged path and follow it to Northwood Lane. Cross to the caravan park and walk along the left edge to Bewdley.     

PLEASE NOTE This walk has been carefully checked and the directions are believed to be accurate at the time of publication. No responsibility is accepted by either the author or publisher

for errors or omissions, or for any loss, accident or injury, however caused.

©Julie Royle 2018