Northwick

THE site of Worcester’s former waterworks at Barbourne has now become an extension to Gheluvelt Park, with the surviving water-treatment buildings converted into the Pumphouse Environment Centre, which serves as a base for the environmental charity Duckworth Worcestershire Trust.

The pumphouse is open to the public from Wednesday to Saturday each week and is the place to go for information and advice on environmental products and technology. It also has a shop and café and children’s activities are provided in the school holidays. The new parkland next to it is informal, its meadows and woodland contrasting with the formal layout of the older part of Gheluvelt Park, which is currently the subject of a restoration project funded by the National Lottery.

The pumphouse is close to the river Severn and if you walk upstream you will come to a delightful place with the rather unwieldy name of Northwick Lido Public Green Open Space. The lido’s meadows and wetlands are a real haven for wildlife and people alike and especially lovely in early summer. They will soon feature in a heritage trail that is being created – this will be a three-mile circular walk through Northwick and Bevere using existing rights of way, illustrated with interpretation panels to bring the story of the landscape to life. The trail is part of another lotteryfunded scheme, the Northwick Manor Community Heritage Project, which is designed to get local people involved in discovering the history, archaeology and environment of Northwick.

Upstream of Northwick there’s another unspoilt gem in the shape of Bevere, where Georgian houses stand in leafy grounds close to tranquil Bevere Green. Great crested grebes cruise along the river past Bevere Island, while house martins swoop low over the water in pursuit of insects. Place-name experts suggest that Bevere is named for the beavers which lived there before the species was hunted to extinction in the UK more than 200 years ago. But maybe one day beavers will return to Bevere. Such an idea would have been laughed at not so long ago, but last month three beaver families were released into the wild in Scotland, marking the official reintroduction of the species after years of dithering. It is intended that six possible release sites in Wales will be named in the next few months, though it will be at least two years before any actual reintroductions will take place there. England is way behind, but consultation on possible release sites has at last begun, though only the New Forest, Bodmin Moor and the Forest of Bowland have so far been tentatively identified as possibilities. Through their expertise as lumberjacks and landscape managers, beavers help to prevent flooding by increasing the size of wetlands which soak up excess rain and river flows. It’s hard to imagine more desirable residents for a city such as Worcester.

● Alternative routes are marked on the map by a red dotted line.

FACT FILE

Start: Pumphouse Environment Centre, in Waterworks Road at the riverside end of Gheluvelt Park at Barbourne, grid ref SO840565.

Length: Four miles and three-quarters/7.5km.

Maps: OS Explorer 204, OS Landranger 150.

Terrain: Flat and easy throughout; riverside meadows, quiet lanes and residential areas.

Footpaths: Excellent, with one exception (avoidable).

Stiles: 11.

Parking: At the pumphouse or Northwick lido.

Public transport: 31a/31c, 32, 144 and 303 to Barbourne (303 also serves Bevere turn), or 18 to Claines; worcestershire.gov.uk/bustimetables or 01905 765765.

Refreshments: Cafés at the pumphouse (10am- 4pm Wed-Sat) and Bevere Gallery (10.30am-5pm Tues-Sun and bank holidays), pub at Claines, shops and pub at Ombersley Road/Colin Road junction.

DIRECTIONS

1 Cross the park to the far side, where a bridge crosses Barbourne Brook. Turn left on Tower Road, which becomes Park View Terrace.

At the end of Park View Terrace keep straight on along a footpath.

Steps soon give access to the riverside towpath. Follow it north, soon entering meadows. Continue by the river to Bevere.

2 After passing Bevere Island, climb up through woodland to a field. Turn right, and soon right again towards Bevere. Proceed to Bevere Green and fork left on Bevere Lane. Walk to Ombersley Road and cross to a footpath nearly opposite, by a bus stop (303). Head across fields to Claines and turn right on Cornmeadow Lane. As you approach the first houses go through an open gateway on the right, soon after a farm. Go diagonally across a field towards the houses at the far side, heading for a point about halfway along the boundary. Adjust your heading, if necessary, once a signpost at the far side comes into view. If necessary, this difficult path can be avoided by keeping to the lefthand field edges instead.

3 Cross a residential street and keep straight on along the footpath, which continues almost opposite, to the right of a cypress hedge. Keep straight on at a junction to meet Ombersley Road near the New Inn. Cross over and turn left, then shortly right on Colin Road. Ignore Dorothy Crescent but then fork right onto Leslie Avenue.

Walk to the end of it and go straight on along a footpath, soon descending steps to Northwick Road.

4 Cross to Old Northwick Lane, where you have a choice of routes. If you follow the lane to its end it will take you to Northwick lido, where you can retrace your steps along the riverbank.

Alternatively, for a more varied route, follow Old Northwick Lane for a little over 100m before turning second left on Lugano Road. Walk to Constance Road and turn right, then go left between numbers 34 and 36, joining a footpath which crosses playing fields and passes West View Farm before rejoining your outward route very close to Park View Terrace.

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.

Worcester News recommends the use of OS Explorer Maps, your ideal passport to navigating the countryside. This walk is based on OS Explorer 204.

Back

© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group

http://www.worcesternews.co.uk