Chipping Campden to Bidford-on-Avon	Back to Heart of England Way index	Henley-in-Arden to Berkswell

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The Walk

Maps: 1:25000 Explorers 205 (Stratford and Evesham) and 220 (Birmingham)

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Bidford-on-Avon

Bidford-on-Avon bridge

The path leaves Bidford remarkably quickly. Initially it hops through two lanes and a suburban back road, after which it runs along a path hugging the back gardens of a long row of older properties facing the main road to the west. The older properties give way to a new estate, after which the path converges with the road. Ahead is a humpback bridge carrying the road across the abandoned branch line from Stratford to the equally defunct Redditch to Cheltenham line.

The route is a little confusing here as the path leaves the bridge to the east to continue at ground level, yet afterwards strikes off diagonally north west from the road immediately north of the bridge. You can either take the path beside te bridge and then walk back to the bridge parapet to then find the steep flight of steps off to the northwest, or ignore the path and use the road direct to the bridge (less satisfying but more straightforward).

The path goes diagonally across a pasture between wooden fences to cross a back lane, and then hugs the boundary of a recreation ground to come into the village of Broom.

Broom

Broom

Broom is short, sweet and charming. Immediately beyond Broom is an extensive stretch of pastures apparently dedicated to the exercising and breeding of horses.

Moor Hall, the principal farm to the north of Broom, has the air of a major stud farm. At first the path strikes across an area marked out as a racecourse, then skirts the farm itself to the east. Further fields, each entered by a succession of stiles, either have horses grazing within or contain practice show jumping or steeplechase fences. There are few trees or hedges hereabouts but the greenery begins again immediately beyond the stud farm grounds. The houses of Wixford become visible, perhaps ten minutes' walk ahead.

Wixford

The Heart of England Way near Wixford

The pastures leading into Wixford are quite delightful, undulating swards grazed by a small number of cattle and boasting two footbridges across tiny side streams. The River Arrow, a tributary of the Avon, lays just to the left and the main road bridge over the river can be seen up ahead. Wixford itself lays along the road to the right but we continue to the north.

Once across the road the HOE runs through a caravan park bordering the river. Beyond the caravan park the Way briefly becomes a narrow and muddy path squeezed between trees before turning right to hug the boundary of a new development of executive houses.

You now come to a crossroads of dirt roads. To your left is Wixford's church, and within the grounds is a lovely little thatched stable, which served to house the horse of the visiting cleric some two hundred years ago.

Take the drive straight ahead, which is the entrance to Oversley Castle.

Oversley Castle

The Way now runs along the drivewy to the castle. The drive is planted either side with laburnum trees, which look glorious in May when in blossom. They smell lovely too, but don't touch them - laburnums are poisonous. The drive climbs the western aspect of the hill quite steeply before doglegging to the left and then swinging clockwise round three sides of a plantation of trees, hugging the 210 ft. contour. The trees hide the castle from view.

From the north side of Oversley Hill the path turns left again, to head downwards to a col short of Primrose Hill, the next objective. From the col climb up to the ugly and enormous grain silos at Lower Oversley Lodge. Primrose Hill drops sharply from here and you will be rewarded by a view of Alcester, nestling below.

Oversley Green

Walk through Oversley Green and turn left onto the main road towards Alcester.

Alcester

If you're breaking the journey at Alcester you should be aware that not all buses go through the town centre - services to Evesham, among others, leave from the stances on the far side of the roundabout southwest of the town centre. This roundabout features the Alcester Globe, erected in 1995 to mark the 50th anniversary of the end of the second world war. The Globe Inn formerly occupied the same site.

Alcester

Go north from the town centre along Butter St and then head out on the main road to the northeast, the B4089. Alcester's housing estates stretch for some distance to the north beyond a further crossing of the River Arrow. The main road began to climb again as it reaches the northeastern outskirts of the town.

The road out of Alcester

When the B4089 turns off to the left, ignore it and go straight on. Shortly afterwards look for the narrow footpath to the left (third image above) which takes the Way northwards out of Alcester. The path leads through through a copse of trees and up to a trig pillar, at about 200 ft, sitting in the middle of a field. On the other side of the tiny hill is yet another abandoned railway, this one a link which once connected the Stratford to Birmingham line with the Redditch to Cheltenham route, now also defunct. Alcester's industrial estate lays about three hundred yards to the left, but there is an uninterrupted view of open country ahead and to the right.

Copse and trig pilar

The route, view left to the industrial estate, view right

Abandoned railway

Kinwarton

The route alongside hedgerows northeast of Alcester

The descent to Coughton Fields Lane

Twenty metres of road walking to the left brings us to the next gate, which gives access to a sloping pasture across which the path makes a beeline for the next stile. This stile then leads into a wood. The right of way is supposed to plunge straight through, coming out into the open fifty yards beyond, yet the actual path chooses to meander sideways through the wood. Beyond the wood there are yet more field boundaries, up and over another hill and down to another road.

Alne

Another uphill stretch greets us beyond the road, for which the Way adopts the driveway to Dinglewell Farm. Don't miss the bifurcation which takes the Way up and across a pasture to the left. At the top of the pasture the Way meets a minor road and follows it for some 250 metres to the north west before dodging into a farm track to the right.

This track climbs fairly briskly up Lodge Hill and approaches Alne Wood to the left, or west. Walk alongside the wood. At the far corner the route passes a motley collection of sheds and then enters the short stretch of Burnet Brake before hugging the side of the rather larger Newslands Wood.

Arriving at Alne Wood

Alne Wood to Burnet Brake

Burnet Brake to Burford Lane Farm

Beyond this wood is a rather confusing section of intersecting field boundaries at which it's easy to go the wrong way. Cross the stile and then go half left, ignoring the footpath onwards to Tut's Cottage and the road. Your route crosses a pasture (third image first row above) and then hugs the eastern side of a field boundary to approach Burford Lane Farm.

Burford Lane Farm turns out to be a pretty little locality comprising several cottages. Turn right and walk up to the nearby junction then take the footpath to the left (third image above). Ahead and to the left is the aptly named Round Hill, an abrupt and shapely knott of about 450 ft. The Way avoids Round Hill to the right, or east. A narrow lane which the path once followed is overgrown and choked with debris, so instead follow the boundary of the pasture on the Round Hill side. There now follows a succession of pastures and stiles as the path approaches the large plantation of Spernall Park Wood. A discreet Heart Of England waymark directs you to a minor path running parallel across an open field.

The soil hereabouts is heavy clay and this section could well be murder during or immediately after rain. Beyond the field is a grassy pasture, then another small wood through which the path goes steeply downhill. It comes into the open again at a footbridge over a stream (second image , second row below). Then it's uphill once more, across another pathless pasture, to reach the collection of houses clustered around Greenhill Farm. You come out onto a road, and the next section involves walking this road, north and then east, to reach the corner of Bannam's Wood.

The approach to Greenhill Farm



The short road section from Greenhill Farm to High Field Farm

Bannam's Wood

Bannam's Wood

The footpath enters the wood by a gate to the left of High Fields Farm. The wood is very pleasant though most of the path through it is uphill again, and the constant gradients can become a chore. The wood is quite a big one, nearly three quarters of a mile in length, though for the further half of this distance the path runs alongside the fence just inside the eastern edge of the wood.

Bannam's Wood

Bannam's Wood

Hunger Hill

The far end of Bannam's Wood

At the point where you leave Bannam's Wood the route is clearly visible for the next mile ahead, down to a road and up another hill. Hunger Hill is the last major hill between here and Henley-in-Arden, but there are no signs of habitation. Follow the hedgerow down to the next country road.

Descent to the road

Beyond the road it's hedgerow walking again, and the heavy clay soil returns. The path is now ascending a nameless hill of around 300 ft in altitude. As the path climbs upwards the crops gave way to grazed pasture and you will find yourself on pathless grass once more, picking your way through groups of sheep and lambs as you search for the next stile on the far side.

Field paths, Oldberrow

Once you cross the stile at the top of the hill (middle picture, first row above) you can see the next few hundred metres of route, crossing another huge pasture downhill to a line of trees concealing a brook. Henley-in-Arden is now only a mile and a half away but it is hidden behine Hunger Hill, directly ahead.

Field paths, and a local resident

Follow the path (which may or may not be obvious on the ground depending on the time of year) to a little gap in the trees (first image above) and cross the footbridge over the brook. 

Bridge across brook

Beyond the footbridge is a tangle of vegetation and then a short uphill stretch of pasture, followed by another. This is Hunger Hill. As you top the rise the view ahead is blocked by a substantial row of trees, disappointing as you expect to have the town in sight by now. You reach the grounds of Hunger Hill House, and the path is routed between a pasture and an orchard. Head for the exit to the road.

Hunger Hill





Hunger Hill House and the final road crossing

Henley-in-Arden

There is still no sign of the town, which remains hidden until you cross the railway bridge. Following the map carefully, cross a succession of pastures to the south of Builth Farm to reach yet another footbridge hidden in a dell.

Pastures south of Builth Farm



Footbridge

Pastures west of Henley-in-Arden



Henley-in-Arden station

Chipping Campden to Bidford-on-Avon	Back to Heart of England Way index	Henley-in-Arden to Berkswell

This page last updated 25th November 2007