Offerton (From Worcester News)

Offerton

10:24am Monday 4th January 2010 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
• Comments(0)

THE roads which now almost encircle Worcester cut it off from the surrounding countryside, and the M5, in particular, can seem like an insurmountable barrier.

However, direct access on foot from the city to the countryside is still possible using those few paths which go under or over the motorway. Foremost among them is the towpath of the Worcester and Birmingham Canal, which provides easy access to unspoilt countryside north-east of Worcester.

Despite its closeness to the city, this area has a remote feel to it.

Once Tibberton is left behind, there are no large villages, only a scattering of farms and hamlets, such as Netherwood, Oddingley, Sale Green and Saleway. Much of the land is low lying and damp, with streams, ditches, pools and marshes, especially in the secluded valley of Dean Brook, which is a good place for bird watching.

FACT FILE

Start: Worcester and Birmingham Canal, Offerton Lane, near Sixways, grid ref SO890577.

Length: Nine miles/14.5km.

Maps: OS Explorer 204, OS Landranger 150.

Terrain: Pasture, arable and woodland, mostly flat.

Footpaths: In need of some maintenance but no significant problems.

Stiles: 20.

Parking: Sixways park and ride.

Buses: 33/34 to Sixways; or take 31A to Wainwright Road, then walk through Offerton Lane Nature Reserve to the canal; worcestershire.gov.uk/bustimetable s or 01905 765765.

Refreshments: Pubs at Tibberton and Dunhampstead.

DIRECTIONS

1 Offerton Lane runs alongside the canal, and there are several places where you can join the towpath. Follow it away from Worcester, passing Offerton Locks and walking under Pershore Lane Bridge, Offerton Bridge, the M5 and Tibberton Bridge. About 400m after Tibberton Bridge leave the towpath and walk along a field edge instead, parallel with the towpath. After 200m take an unsigned but wellused path which goes diagonally right.

2 Pass under the railway and cross a field to the far side, ending up about 100 metres from the far left corner. Cross a footbridge, go to the far left corner of the next field and straight across a final field towards a large, white, gabled house. A stile to Netherwood Lane is hidden in a hedge corner to the left of the house. Cross the lane to a path opposite. The map shows the path heading straight across to an old gate, but a new kissing gate has been installed in the left corner and the obvious assumption (in the absence of any new waymarking) is that the path has been re-routed this way. Continue to the far left corner of the next field.

3 Cross a broken stile and walk along the inner edge of Fillet Wood. Leave the wood at a footbridge and turn right along the outer edge. Reaching some houses near Sale Green, briefly join a bridleway then follow a lane round to the right to find access to Pope’s Wood. Walk straight through the wood for about 100m, then turn right at a junction, looking for an easily missed exit from the wood.

Continue through more woodland and then past gardens to join a lane at Sale Green.

4 Turn left, then soon left again at a T-junction. Join a footpath at the next stile on the right. Walk along the right-hand edge of a field, cross a stile in the corner, where three paths are indicated, and take the one crossing the next field.

Cross a broken stile and footbridge at the far side and go to the far left corner of another field. Pass through a hedge gap to find a fallen waymark post. There are two paths on the right – take the left-hand one of the two, the one which passes by a redundant stile. Walk along the left edge of a field, keep straight on through more fields and then keep left of farm buildings at Phepson Manor to find a stile to a lane (beware a concealed ditch here).

5 Turn right, then cross an overgrown stile on the left and go diagonally right across a field, heading for Phepson Farm. Pass through two lines of trees, marking former hedges, then turn right across a field to a stile to a lane.

Turn left, then shortly turn right at a lane junction, towards Shell and Stock Green. After 100 metres, go through a rusty gate on the left to take an unsigned path which runs through a wood not yet shown on OS maps (though it looks to be about 25 years old). Walk straight through to the far side; there is no waymarking but there is a trodden path. Cross a stile at the far side, walk through a field to a footbridge, then bear left through brambles to a stile to another field.

6 Walk up Puck Hill to the corner of Goosehill Wood and turn left on the Wychavon Way. This is your route for the next mile-and-a-half, and it’s very easily followed past Goosehill Wood, across Goosehill Lane, past Puckhill Wood and alongside Dean Brook. After passing under the railway, turn left to find the canal and follow the towpath towards Worcester. As you approach Dunhampstead Tunnel the towpath comes to a temporary end. Strictly speaking, you should take to the nearby lane, but there is also a well-used path – please note that it is not a right of way – which rejoins the canal where it emerges from the tunnel, at which point the towpath resumes, providing an easy and very pleasant route back to Worcester.

Worcester News recommends the use of OS Explorer Maps, your ideal passport to navigating the countryside.

This walk is based on OS Explorer 204.