THIS walk includes about two-thirds of the entire length of Shrawley Brook, which occupies a lovely, secluded valley full of wild flowers.

There are also numerous flowers at other places along the way, including Shrawley Wood, where carpets of wood anemones are now replacing the snowdrops which bloom there from January to mid- March.

The walk also passes two large pools where you should see a variety of birds, including cormorants, which roost in the trees by New Pool. Shrawley church is dedicated to St Mary and set on top of a small hill in a beautiful churchyard where primroses and wild daffodils bloom beneath ancient trees, including two massive sweet chestnuts. Next to the churchyard is a grassy area with seating built around a tree, a good place to stop awhile if you have a packed lunch to eat. Nearby stands an obelisk, erected to mark the millennium.

Beneath it is a time capsule – placed there on Midsummer’s Day 2000 – containing 20th-century objects.

FACTFILE

Start: Lenchford Inn, B4196, grid ref SO812642.

Length: Six miles/9.5km (or short-cut of four-and-a-half miles/7km).

Maps: OS Explorer 204, OS Landranger 150.

Terrain: Woodland and farmland; some gentle slopes but no hills.

Footpaths: Most are fine but some are overgrown. Waymarking is poor or non-existent in places. The short-cut from East Grove Farm avoids all difficulties but the longer route is easy enough if you are reasonably competent at route-finding and are prepared to trample down brambles at one point.

Stiles: 17.

Parking: Old road north of Lenchford Inn.

Buses: First 294/295 to Kidderminster via Lenchford Inn, Monday to Saturday (ther number 300 stops at nearby Holt Heath on Sundays); alternatively, Yarrantons'

758 to Tenbury via Little Witley, Monday to Saturday; worcestershire.gov.uk/ bustimetables or 01905 765765.

Refreshments: Lenchford Inn.

DIRECTIONS

1Walk north along the roadside verge before taking the first footpath on the right. Follow it along field edges, changing to the other side of the fence/hedge at a stile. Eventually you will come to Oliver’s Mound, a sandstone outcrop. Below it is a tall ash tree, adorned with slightly confusing waymarks. Just keep straight on, passing to the right of the tree.

2Enter Shrawley Wood when you come to a stile giving access. Go to the left, climbing slightly then turning right past Oliver’s Mound (a side path gives access) before descending to New Pool. Turn left, soon entering a field. Walk along the edge, with Shrawley Wood on your right. Keep close to the woodland edge at all times, eventually passing Holders Pool.

Proceed to a junction and turn left, leaving Shrawley Wood behind.

Walk to the road, cross over and turn left.

3Take the first path on the right, which leads to St Mary’s church.

Keep left through the churchyard, climbing to meet Church Lane.

Turn right, then soon left on Nutcross Lane. After passing some houses take a footpath on the right.

Bear right across two fields to a junction. Go straight on, descending by field edges to a driveway.

4Turn left, then turn right after passing a dingle. Walk to a junction and turn right, crossing the dingle. Keep left at the next junction and walk past the front of East Grove Farmhouse to meet a track. Turn left here for the shorter walk, descending directly to Shrawley Brook, but turn right for the longer walk. Pass Eastgrove Cottage Garden Nursery and another dingle.

5Take a path on the left, bearing right across a large arable field.

After about 120m veer towards the left instead, heading towards a farm. Approaching a hedge, turn left to pass through a large gap.

Continue to a waymarked post and go diagonally across another arable field, heading towards a pool – not the large one immediately visible beyond the field but another one which comes into view as you proceed. Go past the left end of the pool to meet a track and turn left beside a dingle.

6Turn right when the dingle curves left. Cross a large arable field to a pool at the far side. The temptation is to continue past it on a good track. Don’t do this, however, because the footpath (no waymark) descends below and left of the track to meet the wooded banks of a brook. Turn left and walk beside the trees to a corner where you’ll find some waymarks.

Take the path which goes to the left – the first part is seriously overgrown with brambles but you can get through.

7Join a track and turn left (the path opposite comes from/goes to Little Witley). Turn left again, just before Shrawley Brook, on an unsigned path which runs to a footbridge, crossing the brook to rejoin the track. The path follows Shrawley Brook from now on, closely at times, less so at other times. At one point it climbs towards a field but then turns left just inside a woodland edge, soon returning to the brook. Don’t cross the brook at a semi-derelict footbridge, but do cross at the next footbridge and proceed to a junction (the path from East Grove Farm joins here).

8Keep going beside the tree-lined brook. The path is easily followed for the most part. At one point it leaves the wood for a field edge but soon returns to the trees.

Keep to the lower path at all junctions, but don’t cross the brook at Holt Mill. Join a bridleway here, which climbs slightly before a footpath allows you to return to the brook. Keep to the left of the brook at all subsequent junctions, proceeding through woods and meadows to eventually reach the driveway to Severn Bank House, and access to the road. Turn left to the Lenchford Inn.

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