KNIGHTWICK is a tiny hamlet which is most notable in a geological sense. It is situated at the point where the River Teme suddenly abandons its logical north-south course down the Malvern axis to flow east towards Worcester, cutting across the hills to form the Knightsford Gap

The Teme's unexpected deviation is due to the action of meltwater torrents during the last Ice Age well over 10,000 years ago.

The Teme remains relatively unpolluted and a valuable haven for wildlife. Below the footbridge at Knightwick, the river is transformed each summer by a glorious display of the white flowers of river water crowfoot, a plant which thrives only in reasonably clean water. Swallows and martins swoop and dive after insects just above the water's surface and brightly coloured dragonflies and damselflies are abundant on warm days, including the exotically iridescent banded agrion, which is particularly common here.

While the river meanders across a flat, increasingly wide floodplain, the hills which rise above it at Knightwick are steep, especially to the north where Ankerdine Hill dominates the landscape. Though largely covered with woodland, there is also pasture and orchard on Ankerdine, and a couple of superb viewpoints. It's a good place to see wild flowers too. The spectacular spring show of bluebells and wild garlic is over now, but there are still a few summer species to come, including the pink spikes of common spotted orchid.

Start: opposite the Suckley turn off the A44 at Knightwick, just to the west of Knightsford Bridge; GR 732558.

Length: 6.5 miles/10.4km.

MAPS: OS Landranger 150, OS Explorer 204.

TERRAIN: quite hilly throughout much of the walk but nothing too steep or prolonged; mainly pasture, with woodland, a couple of arable fields and some traffic-free lanes.

STILES: 30, and two fences to climb over.

Parking: on the old road behind the bus shelter at Knightwick.

BUSES: Midland Red 419/420/421, Mondays to Saturdays; Bromyard Omnibus Company 420, Sundays and bank holidays; County Bus Line 0845 7125436.

Refreshments: the Talbot at Knightwick and the Admiral Rodney at Berrow Green.

Join the northbound Worcestershire Way which takes you across the River Teme, past the Talbot Inn and a little way along the road which climbs Ankerdine Hill. Very soon the Way makes a right turn into the trees and climbs steadily upwards. When you come to a junction of two paths take the right-hand one and at the next junction go straight on to the top of the hill.

Turn left, passing a viewpoint and a car park/picnic site. When you're almost back at the road turn right into sheep pasture and go to the left to enter a wood, Nipple Coppice. The path descends and eventually makes a left turn, crossing a brook and then climbing a steep grassy slope to Easinghope Lane.

Turn left, shortly fork right and then turn second right to cross fields to another lane. The path continues opposite, crossing a field to a junction. Turn left here and walk towards Berrow Green. Approaching the road, turn right, then left.

Turn right along the road then first right towards Broadwas, leaving the Worcestershire Way. Take the first footpath on the left, going diagonally across a field then straight across another to a lane. Cross to a path opposite which leads across fields to a farm track. Turn right past a pond into a field and choose the right-hand one of two paths. It runs by the right-hand edge, through a wood, along the edge of a garden and across two fields to a lane.

Go along the track opposite, past Grove Farm into a pasture. Ignore a path branching right and walk along the right-hand edge of the pasture to the corner, where you need to climb over a corrugated-iron and barbed-wire barrier (it's not difficult). Continue along the edge of another field, turning left in the corner past a grove of oaks and hawthorns.

Climb over a fence in the next corner and turn right over a stile into a meadow. Walk to the far side and turn left on a lane. Join the first footpath on the right, walking to the far right corner of a field where a footbridge gives access to a narrow strip of woodland. Walk through it to another lane and turn left.

Take the first footpath on the right, which crosses a meadow to a gate by a hedge corner. Walk along the left-hand edge of the next field and when the hedge turns a corner keep straight on along a holloway then finally by another hedge to a lane at Doddenham.

Turn left, then right on Easinghope Lane. Turn left at a lane junction then left on a footpath. Go downfield to a stile where a hedge and fence meet then go down the next field, with a wood to your right. Keep on past a farm to a road, turn right, then immediately right again on a private road to Thorney.

As the road bends left go over a stile and diagonally left across pasture then left by the edge of Nipple Coppice. Pass through a pair of gates to the right of a field barn then turn left past the barn and over a stile to a track. Turn right and soon right again to walk round the edge of a plantation. Pass a house to emerge on top of Ankerdine Hill.

Turn left, then fork right downhill.

Turn right by Nightingale Cottage then left by Mellow Cottage, soon rejoining the Worcestershire Way for the final descent to the road. Turn left past the Talbot and over the Teme to Knightwick.