THIS lovely walk in the Severn Vale starts at Maisemore, where St Giles’ Church is approached along a splendid lime avenue bordered on one side by a large pool populated by ducks, swans and moorhens. A cluster of attractive buildings stands nearby.

Charming though Maisemore is, it is Ashleworth which is the main attraction. The manor of Ashleworth once belonged to St Augustine’s Abbey (now Bristol Cathedral), and several mediaeval buildings associated with the abbey still survive, including Ashleworth Court, which was built as an administrative centre.

Virtually unchanged since its construction in 1460, it stands next to the church of St Andrew and St Bartholomew, which is of pre- Conquest foundation. Saxon stonework is still evident in the interior wall of the nave, identifiable by its herringbone pattern. Next to the church and court is a massive tithe barn, hardly altered since it was built in about 1500 and still in use, although it has belonged to the National Trust since 1956.

The Boat Inn at Ashleworth Quay attracts many visitors with its charming riverside setting. Boats from Bristol and Bewdley would have loaded and unloaded cargo at the quay and for centuries the landlords of the Boat were responsible for operating a ferry across the Severn to Rodway Lane.

Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust manages a superb nature reserve at Ashleworth Ham. Access is by permit only but there are public hides at Meerend Thicket, a little further up Ham Road. The reserve is home to thousands of ducks in winter, while autumn passage migrants include waders such as whimbrel and greenshank.

Ashleworth Ham is overlooked by Barrow Hill, and this walk skirts it to the south.

There are panoramic views from Longridge and Woolridge.

FACT FILE

Start: Church Road, Maisemore, grid ref SO813213. Maisemore is on the A417 north-west of Gloucester.

Length:10 miles/16km.

Maps: OS Explorer 179, OS Landranger 162.

Terrain: Pasture, mostly flat with one brief ascent and descent.

Footpaths: Excellent.

Stiles: 17.

Parking: Near the church or village hall.

Public transport: Diamond 362/363 to Upton then Astons 351 to Gloucester, which serves both Maisemore and Ashleworth, Monday- Saturday; on Saturdays only there’s also Diamond 377 from Malvern Link to Cheltenham, stopping at Maisemore; alternatively, train to Gloucester then 351, 354, 355 or 377; worcestershire.gov.uk/ bustimetables or 01905 765765; gloucestershire.gov.uk/bustimetables or 01452 425000.

Refreshments: White Hart at Maisemore, Boat Inn at Ashleworth Quay, Queens Arms and Post Office Stores in Ashleworth, Rising Sun at Woolridge.

DIRECTIONS

1 A footpath crosses Church Road 200m south of St Giles’ Church.

Turn right on to this if approaching from the main road or village hall, or left if approaching from the church. Walk past a pool to a lane and turn left to find another path.

Follow a field edge to the river Severn and head upstream.

2 Leave the river at the Boat Inn and join a lane. Pass the tithe barn, church and Ashleworth Court then take a field-edge footpath. Turn left in the next field to meet a lane. Turn right, passing Ashleworth Manor, then right again at a T-junction. Follow Ham Road to the edge of Ashleworth Ham then take a bridleway on the left, which runs through trees then along the edge of a large field. Go through a gate in the far left corner and continue along the right-hand edge of the next field. Go through the next gate and along the left edge of another field, passing below Barrow Hill. Keep to the left edge of the next field for 100m then go through a gate.

3 Follow the waymarked path through pasture, soon descending diagonally left to cross a footbridge. Turn right, cross another footbridge and turn left.

Follow the path to a lane and turn left, then take the next right, into Ashleworth. Keep straight on at both Nup End and the village green. Turn left when you meet a no through road, Longridge Lane.

4 Take a bridleway on the right and follow it across Longridge Hill to Over Old Road. Turn left, then turn right after 300m on a no through road. Turn left when you come to a cross-path. Walk between houses, along the edge of a wood and across a pasture to meet Hiams Lane near the Rising Sun. Turn left, back to Over Old Road.

5 Turn right then take a field path on the left after 400m. Walk to the right of a hedge, turning right in the field corner. The path eventually descends from the ridge and passes through a deer gate to meet a bridleway. Turn right, walk to a road junction and cross to a footpath opposite. Walk along the left-hand field edge, cross a stile to the left of a timber building and keep roughly straight on between two fields (the boundary now marked only by nettles). Turn left in the next field, proceed to a driveway, turn right to meet a lane, then left to Maisemore.

Your Worcester News recommends the use of OS Explorer Maps, your ideal passport to navigating the countryside. This walk is based on OS Explorer 179