2:27pm Monday 2nd August 2010
By Julie Royle
SOME rather remote villages are included on this enjoyable walk, such as Bishampton, with superb timber-framed houses, and Abberton, which has a lovely setting.
Visit the church at Flyford Flavell to read some interesting theories as to how Flyford Flavell and Grafton Flyford came by their names, and look for so-called ‘cornfield weeds’ (such as poppies) adding colour to the field edges.
FACT FILE
Start: The Grafton Flyford turn, A422, east of Worcester, between Upton Snodsbury and Flyford Flavell; grid ref SO962556.
Length: Eight miles/13km.
Maps: OS Explorer 204, OS Landranger 150.
Terrain: Pasture, arable, orchard, woodland and quiet lanes; no hills.
Footpaths: Several paths in this area are in a shameful state or have disappeared altogether, hence the road-walking necessary in this walk. It took considerable effort to find a relatively problem-free route. Even so, some neglected and obstructed paths have had to be included – one is at North Piddle and the others are between Naunton Beauchamp and The Coppice (on the approach to Bishampton), and from Bishampton to Abberton Mill. Elsewhere, the paths are mostly well-maintained, although even on some parts of the Wychavon Way spiky hedges are being allowed to encroach across gates.
Stiles: 24.
Parking: Roadside, by the Grafton Flyford turn.
Buses: Diamond/Dudley’s 350, Monday-Saturday; worcestershire.gov.uk/bustimetables or 01905 765765.
Refreshments: Bishampton and Flyford Flavell.
DIRECTIONS
1 Walk about 100m beside the road, towards Worcester, then cross to a footpath at Grafton Mill.
Walk through the grounds, crossing two footbridges, then cross a narrow field to a larger one.
Walk along the right-hand edge, then keep straight on through another field. Proceed along a green lane for 100m then look for an easily missed stile on the left, accessed by an overgrown footbridge. Cross a field to a badly overgrown stile at the far side.
Fortunately, for the purposes of this walk, you actually don’t need to fight and struggle your way across it: instead, turn right and walk to a lane.
2 Turn left and after a few paces take a path on the right at another overgrown footbridge.
Follow the overgrown path to a junction with the Millennium Way.
Cross a stile and footbridge on your right then turn left on a good path through young woodland. Turn left when you meet a lane. Keep to the right at a junction and follow the lane for over a mile to a Y-junction near Naunton Beauchamp.
3 Turn right and take a path on the left after 200m. Walk along the right-hand edge of an orchard established on ridge-and-furrow pasture. Continue across the next pasture, also marked with a ridgeand- furrow pattern, to an easily missed stile – count four ridges to the left of a wooden pylon and you’ll find the stile. Cross into woodland and follow an overgrown path to a field. Proceed along the left-hand edge to a corner where you’ll be confronted by an impenetrable expanse of broad beans. The right of way goes diagonally left but as it has been over-cropped you’ll have to follow the left-hand edge instead, turning right in the corner. Approaching the next corner, slip through a hedge gap on the left then proceed along the edge of a rape-field to find an overgrown plank-footbridge leading to another field. As soon as you enter this field cross a stile on the left and then continue walking along the overgrown right-hand field edge.
4 Cross a stile at the far side and turn left along overgrown field edges. Once the footpath merges with a farm track near The Coppice it is properly maintained and leads to Bishampton with no further difficulties. Go straight on along a street to the road and turn left through the village, past the Dolphin. Keep straight on at Church End then take a path to the right of the church gate. Follow it past two sides of the churchyard then enter a field. Go diagonally towards a small horse chestnut tree and cross a stile into a field of broad beans. Local walkers have done a valiant job in treading a rudimentary path through the crop and you should be able to cross this, and the subsequent field, without too much difficulty. Cross a footbridge beneath a willow tree, walk past Abberton Mill and turn right to meet a road.
5 Cross to a path opposite and bear left across a meadow to a gate. Beyond this a well-made path leads across a wheat-field, eventually bearing left to a rather overgrown gate. Continue in much the same direction across a dairy pasture then walk through a farmyard to a lane and turn right through Abberton. Turn left on the Wychavon Way at the far end of the village, initially towards Home Farm and then across fields. The Way is easily followed for the most part, though there is a gap in the waymarking on the approach to Flyford Flavell – keep roughly straight on here, through a derelict farmyard.
6 Turn right into the village, then first left, leaving the Wychavon Way. After passing the church, turn right past Flyford Stores and the Boot Inn then cross the lane to rejoin the Wychavon Way. Follow it across fields to meet the A422 by a Murco garage and Londis store.
Cross the road and walk through a field then across a footbridge. Turn left beside a brook, cross a stile, turn right to a fence corner then left beside the fence, leaving the Wychavon Way again. At the edge of Grafton Wood keep left to walk along the southern edge of the wood. Once the wood is left behind keep going in much the same direction, to the right of the brook, through several fields until eventually you have to join the road. Turn right to your starting point.
Your Worcester News recommends the use of OS Explorer Maps, your ideal passport to navigating the countryside. This walk is based on OS Explorer 204.
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