Cleobury Mortimer (From Worcester News)

Cleobury Mortimer

11:55am Tuesday 22nd February 2011 in Local walks

A LEAFLET available in St Bartholomew’s church at Bayton, near Cleobury Mortimer, asks a rhetorical question: “Is there any church in Worcestershire in a finer setting than Bayton?”

You can decide what you think about that if you do this gorgeous walk. A distant view of the prominent hilltop church dominates part of the outward route from Cleobury but it’s only when you reach the building that you see what a panorama it commands, from the Rea valley to the Welsh mountains.

Towards the end of the walk you can explore an area of flower-rich riverside pastureland which is open under the Countryside Stewardship scheme. Consult the on-site map and choose any route you like. The route described here is just one option.

FACTFILE

Start: Cleobury Mortimer, on A4117 west of Bewdley; grid ref SO675760.

Length: Seven-and-a-half miles/12km.

Maps: OS Explorer 203 or 218, OS Landranger 138.

Terrain: Pasture, parkland, woodland, quiet lanes; undulating but not steep.

Footpaths: Excellent in Shropshire; mostly excellent in Worcestershire, except for missing waymarking at Shakenhurst and Wissett’s Wood.

Stiles: 17.

Parking: Cleobury Mortimer.

Public transport: First 294/295/300/303 or train to Kidderminster, then either First 292 to Cleobury, daily, or R&B 291 to Bayton, Monday-Saturday; worcestershire.gov.uk/bustimetables or 01905 765765.

Refreshments: Cleobury Mortimer and Mamble.

DIRECTIONS

1 Leave Cleobury on Eagle Lane, opposite the Talbot Hotel. Join a footpath when the lane bends right. Go to the left when the path forks, proceed to a gate and turn right on a well-trodden path which climbs up a slope before levelling out. Keep straight on through fields, passing a farm and eventually descending to cross Rowley Brook. Join a lane and continue in the same direction for nearly a mile, crossing the river Rea into Worcestershire and passing between the redundant piers which once carried a railway bridge across the lane.

2 Turn right just after the remains of the railway bridge, where a fingerpost indicates a footpath. It’s also the access road for three houses. When you reach the second house there are two paths on the left. Take the second path and turn right. The path is easily followed through two fields.

When you reach the corner of the second field, near Shakenhurst Farm, turn left and head towards a half-timbered house. After about 200m join the farm access road and turn left. Proceed to a lane, turn right and go past half-timbered The Lodge into the parkland which surrounds Shakenhurst Hall.

3 A waymark directs you left, but ignore it: despite the lack of any other waymarking the access road to the hall is a public bridleway.

Walk along it towards the hall.

After 350m there will be a narrow, rectangular, fenced plantation to your right and a wooden gate to your left. Look for a slightly sunken path going diagonally left and follow it past a large oak tree and an enormous oak or elm stump. After a short distance turn left to cross a stile in a fence.

Descend to the bottom right corner of a field, cross a stile into Wissett’s Wood, proceed to a track and turn left.

4 Cross Shakenhurst Brook to a T-junction and a fallen post covered in waymarks. It indicates a path straight ahead, up a slope, but there is no path here. Instead, turn right and after 30m you’ll find a wide path. Keep to this path at all junctions. Eventually, as you approach an area of young woodland, the path bends left and meets a vehicle track. Turn right here and you’ll soon see a fingerpost confirming you’re on the right track. Keep straight on at the next junction then leave Wissett’s Wood and turn right along a field edge. Head for the far left corner of a second field and continue in a similar direction across a third field, passing a pollarded oak then heading for a waymarked gatepost near the far left corner. After this point the path is easily followed to Mamble.

5 Go through a kissing gate on the left near a large brick barn (formerly a craft centre) and walk past the church to meet a lane by the Sun and Slipper. Turn left. The lane descends to cross Mill Brook then climbs past The Old Mill and heads towards Bayton. Take a path on the left just before Mill Farm.

Bear right through sheep pasture, cross Shakenhurst Brook and go straight on past three oak trees and a plantation. Pass to the left of a farmhouse garden and St Bartholomew's Church to meet a lane. Turn left and keep straight on at a crossroad.

6 At a junction with a farm access road (to Norgrovesend) turn left, signed to Cleobury and Nineveh. Take a path on the right after 200m. After passing a small wood turn right and walk to the farm access road. Turn left, then take a path on the left signed to Lower Forge. The path is easily followed along field edges and across the former railway into woodland. Descend to cross a brook back into Shropshire and turn right on a bridleway. Keep left at a junction and follow the bridleway for about half-a-mile to a T-junction.

7 Turn right, then shortly left, indicated by a white arrow. The bridleway descends past a walled garden then meanders through woodland down to the river Rea.

Follow the river to a footbridge and cross it to enter pastureland (open access) belonging to Sadlers Barn Farm. Turn right by the river and follow it to Cleobury Mill where the path forks. You can continue straight on or take a path which climbs left – just look for the fingerpost. Either way, it's now just a short stroll to Cleobury.

Worcester News recommends the use of OS Explorer Maps, your ideal passport to navigating the countryside. This walk is based on OS Explorer 203.