Short walk .............

5½ or 7½ mile Circular Walk from Inkberrow
by Peter Travis

A choice of walks allow you to enjoy a taste of the MILLENNIUM WAY, and the delights of the Worcestershire countryside.

Both circular walks start from the village green in the delightful village of Inkberrow.

A few yards from the start you will begin to follow an attractive section of the Millennium Way, where you will be guided by the distinctive green Millennium Way waymarkers.

 

    From the village green turn left down the main A422 road past Lilac Cottage turning right into Stonepit Lane, continuing gently uphill past Greens Croft Way and after approx 100 yards turn right into a public footpath by a cottage. Keep ahead with hedge left and houses right, eventually crossing a stile where you will see the first Millennium Way waymarker. Go with hedge left for 70 paces, then some 20 paces right to hedge end. At this junction of paths continue ahead keeping hedge left to reach the road. Turn right at road for some 250 paces to find footpath left just before house, follow path into sports field and go with hedge left to find corner stile. Cross stile and go with hedge left for some 50 paces to find mid fence stile. Take stile and go ahead with hedge right through two fields and take gate to the road.

    Over road, through gate and go with hedge left. At a bend in field take stile in corner. Head diagonally down field to bottom corner taking the hidden stile to road. Go right 10 paces then take stile right and go directly up steep slope to the top where you will find a further stile. Take stile and go left around field edge with hedge left continuing ahead to a gap at far corner of field. Take gap following grassy path for 30 paces to find gate right. Take gate and go ahead with hedge left to corner of field. At field corner go right 20 yds to take stile left into small thicket with pond left. (Take care with any electricfied fences in this section.) Make way through to tree plantation, passing under power lines, to exit by 3 bar fence stile to field. Turn left then cross field to right of large tree to stile. Cross stile to go with hedge right to bridge / stile in corner of field. Cross bridge / stile and go half right to cross a further bridge / stile by telegraph pole. Go with hedge right to find corner gate immediately beside a cottage with thatched roof.  Take gate and follow driveway to road.

   Cross the road, over stile to right of private driveway into cottage yard then field. Go with hedge right through two fields. At the end of the second field you will reach corner thicket with gate. Take gate, then ahead through plantation exiting into next field.  Go with hedge right and at field corner take gate and continue with hedge right to come to road. Turn right at road, continuing past Middle Bouts Farm until you reach Big Bouts Farm where you will take farm drive left and follow track round right, then through gate. Ignore next gate immediately on R and follow the track until you come to another gate. Ignore this next gate ahead of you and instead veer left in front of gate, following green waymarker to continue with hedge right to another gate at end of track. Go though gate, over stream and straight over two fields to cross footbridge over ditch.  Continue ahead over paddock with attractive pond and jetty right. Take stile and go ahead with ditch left, walking through garden to take stile left of Mearse Farm then ahead some 10 paces to take stile left. Go right with hedge right to take corner fence stile then going half left to cross a mid fence stile, turning right through coppice to the road.

For the shorter walk we leave the Millennium Way here and turn right down the lane following directions from point F below.

To continue the longer walk turn left up the road for 200 paces taking gate left and following the right hand footpath continuing with hedge right. Just before end of field take gate right through gap in hedge and go left continuing with hedge left. Continue ahead through gap in corner and on to metal gate.  Go ahead with hedge right through next gate then over stile and crossing road into next field.  Continue with hedge right through several fields following the green Millennium Way waymarkers and maintaining line ahead at bridge with numerous waymarks. Eventually come to kissing gate leading to passageway to road.     

Turn left past houses for about 100 paces to reach road, then turn right to the main road with Neville Arms. Here we leave the Millennium Way and turn right down the main road ( A441 ) .  When you reach Wood Lane turn right and continue along the lane to the crossroads then ahead into Mearse Lane. At T-junction follow lane round to the right ignoring footpaths on your right which you took earlier.

   Continue along surfaced lane past Little Mearse Farm until you reach the main road. Cross the main road and take the track up towards the metal gate. Go through gate and continue ahead along grassy track.  Where the surfaced area of the track veers right continue straight on along the grassy track between two tall hedges and caravan park on your right. Continue ahead and downhill along field edge keeping hedge left. At the corner of field go through gap and continue along narrow path with hedge left and fence right, eventually emerging into a large field. Continue ahead along edge of large field with hedge left.  Follow the public bridleway marker along track between hedges for about 100yds to find marked stile on your right.  Take stile and continue left around edge of field going through gap in hedge by small pond ( sometimes dried up )  and continue up to the metal gate and surfaced lane.

On reaching the surfaced lane turn right and take the first stile on the left signposted  Inkberrow. Continue over stile and half right across field, walking gently uphill towards a three bar stile.  Here you will come to a crossroads of paths where you should continue slightly left rising gently uphill towards the overhead power lines.  Head for the double mid-field stile which is almost directly underneath the power lines, cross over and stay ahead.  Continue over field to another double stile staying ahead on a rising path to top of hill where you will have your first view of Inkberrow Church.  From here we descend  gently towards metal gate and stile taking a rising track up towards the church. Descending towards the lane cross over and through metal gate signposted to Pepper Street. Cross footbridge over small stream then onwards through metal gate in corner of field.  Here you can enjoy a lovely view of Inkberrow church high above you on your left.  Go over stile by metal gate and continue up a rising lane back into Inkberrow, perhaps visiting the attractive church before you enter the village for some well deserved refreshment.  Archers fans will recognise the half timbered black and white Old Bull near the village green as the well known fictional Ambridge pub. It is said that William Shakespeare stayed here whilst on his way to Worcester to collect his marriage certificate.

  All the paths, bridleways and roads we have used in these instructions are public rights of way as designated on Ordnance Survey maps. Following the instructions and walking tips on this web site in no way constitutes any liability on 41 Club that such routes or tips are safe or suitable.