There are many good walks around Tenbury Wells, but this is one of the best.

It includes panoramic views from peaceful Haws Hill, to the south of Tenbury, and Kyre Park Garden, which has lots to offer the visitor.

The garden was laid out in 1754 and has recently been restored. It includes waterfalls, lakes, a mediaeval dovecote, a Jacobean barn, a belvedere and a folly.

If you're into ferns, you'll enjoy what is said to be probably the world's largest collection, and if you just want a cup of tea, the tea room is accessible without paying the entrance fee to the garden (£2 for adults, £1 for children).

You can also see one of the lakes, the church and Kyre Park itself (the house) without paying the entrance fee.

Kyre Park looks predominantly Georgian but this faade was added in 1754 to a 16th Century house built around the shell of a mediaeval castle.

Neighbouring St Mary's Church is partly Norman and has an unusual passageway connecting it to the house.

Warning

Across the road stand Pytts Cottages, built as almshouses in 1715.

Incidentally, a word of warning to parents intending to take children on this walk - Kyre Park also has, rather incongruously, a shop called Toy City.

While you're in Tenbury, don't miss the delightfully bizarre Pump Rooms, where people used to take the waters in Tenbury's short-lived period as a spa.

The Pump Rooms were built in 1862 and have recently been restored, revealing the full eccentricity of a style described rather sniffily by the architectural expert Pevsner as "much like Gothicky or Chinesey fair stuff, ie without seriousness or taste".

DIRECTIONS

There are two convenient car parks, while buses from Worcester stop on Teme Street and Bromyard Road. The route is described from Teme Street, from the main bus stop via both car parks.

Walk south along Teme Street (away from the river) then turn left past the Crow Hotel and the Pump Rooms to Teme Street car park. Cross Kyre Brook then walk through Palmer's Meadow car park to the B4204. Turn right and cross to a footpath.

As you approach Kyre look again there is a stile on the left. Cross this and follow the left-hand field edge until the path forks. Take the right-hand option, keeping a field's width from Kyre Brook.

Duck under a fence at the far side of the field and keep going in the same direction until you can turn right to Bromyard Road.

Cross over, turn right then left on Terrills Lane. When you reach the junction with Saltbox Lane, go straight on, joining a bridleway. Keep straight on at the first junction but turn right at the next, by Lydiates Farm. Enter a field and turn left.

Keep straight on after crossing a brook and shortly pass through a copse. Continue uphill by the next field edge then swing right to pass Frith Farm. Turn left, climbing uphill to enter the wood covering the top of Haws Hill. Turn right uphill, exit the wood at a gate in the corner, turn left then right.

Go diagonally right over another field to a gate with a confusing over-abundance of waymarkers. Pass through and turn left, then keep straight on at several subsequent junctions, noting that the blue arrows indicating the bridleway are eventually replaced by bands of blue sticky tape.

Stay on the bridleway until you see a gate on the right adorned with yellow sticky tape, indicating a footpath. Follow this downhill, keeping close to the left-hand hedge.

Meeting a farm track, turn right to a road. Turn left and walk to Kyre Park. Go along the driveway by the church until a yellow arrow directs you across the car park. Cross a stile and turn left across a field. The well-maintained path is easily followed across two more fields, up a knoll and past Kyre Grange.

When you reach the corner of the Grange's boundary, head diagonally left to a footbridge and then go straight on along two field edges. Go diagonally across a third field to meet a track.

Go down steps opposite, cross a footbridge and stile, duck under a strand of barbed wire and walk up a field to a stile. Cross two further fields, descend into a valley and join a bridleway which leads to a lane.

Turn right, then right again at Bromyard Road and first left on a lane. When the lane bends right go straight on towards a farm. Follow waymarkers through the farmyard and then through a long narrow orchard to the bottom left corner.

Descend into a valley, cross Kyre Brook and turn left. Pass two cottages and a farm then keep straight on at a junction. The track becomes a road leading to a T-junction. Turn right, then left on the B4204. When the road bends right keep straight on, joining a footpath which leads back to Kyre Brook.

Turn right to retrace your steps into town.

FACTFILE

Start: Tenbury Wells; grid reference SO595685.

Length: 9 miles/15km.

Maps: OS Explorer 203, OS Landranger 138.

Terrain: gently undulating, mostly sheep pasture, very muddy in places.

Stiles: 11.

Parking: car parks at Teme Street and Palmer's Meadow.

Buses: Yarrantons 758, Monday-Saturday only; Traveline 0870 608 2608.

Refreshments: tea room at Kyre Park, reasonable choice in Tenbury.

NB: Try to do the walk this weekend, because from Monday Terrills Lane will be closed for works for an indefinite period. In practise, access on foot may still be possible, but don't rely on it. The official alternative route is the A4112 then Saltbox Lane. Or you could take Bromyard Road then choose from two footpaths to Saltbox Lane (see map).

DISCLAIMER

This walk has been carefully checked and the directions are believed to be correct at the time of publication. No responsibility is accepted by either the author or publisher for errors or omissions, or for any loss or injury, however caused.