Shatterford

The farmhouse on Castle Hill was built in the 18th century but a ruined building on the site, dating mainly from the 15th century but with traces of older features, suggests a much earlier settlement.

The remains of fish ponds and a moat support this conclusion.

Archaeologists investigating the site in 1912-13 thought there had been some sort of castle here, probably a fortified royal hunting lodge, but this was later disputed.

The route passes close by Bodenham Arboretum, which makes a worthwhile detour. Access is from the lane to the west of Kingsford Caravan Park, south of the North Worcestershire Path.

There is also some access by public footpaths branching off the North Worcestershire Path. Another enjoyable feature of the walk is a herd of alpacas which you should see when you pass Tudor House.

FACTFILE

Start: Bellman’s Cross, Shatterford, on A442 north of Kidderminster, grid ref SO790813.

Length: 6½ miles/10.5km.

Maps: OS Explorer 218, OS Landranger 138.

Terrain: Pasture, woodland, arable; mostly flat.

Footpaths: Most are excellent but there are some poor ones, mainly between Tudor House and Start’s Green. Overgrowth by nettles and brambles is the main problem (path UA530), but waymarking and stiles also need improvement. Two paths are obstructed, UA533 from Hightrees Farm to Start’s Green Farm, and UA540 at Shatterford, so alternative routes are described instead.

Stiles: 17.

Parking: Bellman’s Cross.

Public transport: First 294/295/303 or London Midland train to Kidderminster then Arriva 297 (Bridgnorth service) to Bellman’s Cross, Monday-Saturday only; worcestershire.gov.uk/ bustimetables or 01905 765765.

Refreshments: Bellman’s Cross Inn and Kingsford Inn.

DIRECTIONS

1 Take the lane signed to Romsley and Kinver. Follow it for over half-a-mile, ignoring a bridleway on the right at Witnells End. Take the first footpath on the left, indicated by a fingerpost at a gate. Go diagonally up a sloping pasture to the top right corner.

Cross a stile and proceed a few paces to a junction. Cross a pair of stiles to take the right-hand path, which is waymarked and easily followed along field edges. Passing Tudor House, ignore a stile on the right and go diagonally left to a junction. Go through the first gate, a tall one on the right.

2 Look across the field ahead of you to see a ring of trees surrounding a pond, then go diagonally right so that you meet the field boundary in line with this pond. Cross a pair of stiles and turn left on a poor quality, formerly field-edge path (UA530) which has been fenced off from the field and allowed to become overgrown with nettles – a depressingly familiar scenario to anyone who regularly ventures into the countryside. When the path enters a wood, brambles take over from the nettles. When you meet a lane at Tucksash, cross to a path opposite.

3 Squeeze past a gate and walk along a driveway then cross a decrepit, wobbly, step-less stile into a field and go along the edge to another stile. Cross into the adjoining field and walk along the right-hand edge, then along the edge of a second field. Continue along the edge of a third field for just a short distance to find a wobbly, step-less stile in the hedge.

Walk straight down a field edge to a lane and turn left. Take the next path on the right. Waymarking is inadequate, but the path (UA532) should go diagonally left to a gate, past a pond and across a field to a stile hidden below a round-topped, fairly short oak tree in a hedge, 100m left of the right-hand field corner. (NB The waymarking actually directs you further right, initially on the line of another path, UA533, avoiding the pond, but this is inconsistent with OS mapping and the county council’s definitive map. Path UA533 is better waymarked but it’s obstructed further on).

4 Turn right along a lane then soon right again on a bridleway towards Start’s Green Farm. Shortly after a junction with the obstructed footpath (UA533) the bridleway forks. Take the left-hand option, which becomes a superb ridge-top route, running through woodland at first and then through more open country. When you come to a gate across the track marked ‘private’, look for a small gate on the right and follow a well-trodden path to the right across a field towards Castle Hill Farm, then proceed downhill and keep straight on down at all junctions.

5 Turn right past Lower Kingsford Farm and walk along a lane, passing Kinverdale Park before coming to a T-junction.

Turn right, go past the turning for Little Hobro and Bodenham and then take the North Worcestershire Path, which runs more or less straight through Kingsford Caravan Park to Sladd Lane. Turn left, then shortly right, into a field. Follow the North Worcestershire Path for nearly 1.5 miles to Trimpley Lane.

6 Turn right past Rosemary Cottage then bear left across a green to Woodcot, where the North Worcestershire Path turns left.

Leave it at this point, going straight on instead, along a bridleway. Descending to a junction, turn right (not waymarked) and walk to another junction. Turn left, then fork right at the next bridleway junction.

Follow the bridleway to Arley Lane and turn right. After 300m, walk along a driveway on the right until you come to a stile on the left.

Follow a clear, waymarked, but rather nettle-infested route along field edges to Bellman’s Cross Inn.

Worcester News recommends the
use of OS Explorer Maps, your
ideal passport to navigating the
countryside. This walk is based
on OS Explorer 218.