LOCAL EXERCISE WALKS IN THE TIME OF CORONAVIRUS
Contents
This walk is barely two miles long and should take about 45 minutes
Start from Tesco's Marlbrook, walk up Old Birmingham Road (OBR) Turn right at the Bridleway sign by the post box and old telephone kiosk. Walk up between the houses.
Follow the Bridleway behind the houses, keep right at the fork in the path, cross the end of Greenfield Avenue, re-gain the path and at the waymark continue straight ahead to emerge on Linehouse Lane.
Turn right and almost immediately left on to Old Birmingham Road. Turn left near the bus shelter on to the path up through the woods.
At the top of the rise bear right and follow the path alongside the allotments on the left and Round Hill wood on the right.
Continue along the path as it curves right, alongside the edge of the wood to emerge onto Old Birmingham Road.
Continue walking until 66 Old Birmingham Road where the footpath sign points to a left hand turn. Walk down the path to Staple Flat.
Turn left on to Staple Flat and walk past the allotments to the crossroads. Turn left into Linehouse Lane at arrive back at Tesco's
NUMBER NINE - TO THE MONUMENT
This walk is about three miles long and should take about 70 minutes
As usual, start from Tesco's Marlbrook, walk up Old Birmingham Road and turn left into Marlbrook Lane. Continue up Marlbrook Lane and cross over the Alvechurch Highway and start to walk up Beacon Lane. Just after passing Beacon Farm turn right on to a footpath designated "Brown's Way" This footpath is named after Cllr Ron Brown who was on Lickey & Blackwell Parish Council for many years and served as Chairman for some time.
Follow the path across the field to the first stile and continue across the second field to another pair of stiles either side of a private drive.
Walk across the next field to the exit on to Monument Lane at the Brown's Way finger post. This completes the climbing for this walk - it is all now either flat or downhill.
Turn right and walk along Monument Lane for just under half a mile. Just before reaching the cross-roads at the top of Rose Hill, turn right at a gap in the hedge and walk to the Lickey Monument
This well known landmark was erected in 1834 in memory of the 5th Earl of Plymouth. It is Grade II listed and made of Anglesey marble. This image was taken in 1995 just after the Monument had been cleaned prior to a re-dedication ceremony.
Before taking the path behind the bench which is situated on the Old Birmingham Road side of the Monument, take a while to wander through High House Woods which surround the Monument.
The High House Wood Management Team help to keep this eight and a half acres of conservation land a lovely part of the Lickey Hills to visit. Paths are cleared for walkers with trees and ground growth kept in check to allow wildflowers and wildlife to flourish. The local school helped by planting the second of two new fruit trees last year. Local volunteers kindly assist in keeping litter to a minimum. Thanks to Keith Woolford and his team.
Leave the wood to join Old Birmingham Road opposite the Petrol station and shop.
LOCAL FACT The Lickey Hills form part of the main English Watershed - Rain falling to the north of the Lickey's finds its way to the North Sea and to the south, it ends up, via the River Severn, in the Atlantic Ocean. At about this point opposite the garage, is the brow of Rose Hill and, therefore, the watershed.
Trundle back down Old Birmingham Road - it's just over a mile to Tesco's. If you keep going, you will, like the rain, finish up in the Atlantic - probably.
NUMBER TEN - NATIONAL CYCLE ROUTE 5 WALK
This walk is about three and a half miles long and should take about 80 minutes
A walk which takes in a disused road through fields, the remains of a local hospital and along part of the Sustrans National Cycle Route 5 which runs for 381 miles from Reading to North Wales
From Tesco's at Marlbrook, walk down Old Birmingham Road to the M42/Forest island. Turn right, cross over the A38 at the lights and turn left to walk over the M42 Motorway.
Turn right into Barnsley Hall Drive opposite the Esso garage
Walk down the disused road, past the ambulance station and between flat farmland to a gate at the start of a small wood. Although a notice says PRIVATE LAND the small print says it is OK to use the footpath.
Walk past the old Church and Barnsley Hall itself, to a small traffic island. Turn right and walk down to the Stourbridge Road. Turn right and head towards Catshill
The route now follows the National Cycle Route 5 as indicated by the signpost and numerous other signs along the walk.
The Battlefield Brook follows the Stourbridge Road on the right-hand side. Walk under the Motorway bridge and immediately turn right on to the tarmac path
The path follows the Battlefield Brook on the left and open farmland on the right to reach Milton Road in Catshill
Walk up Milton Road to the Co-op shop and turn right into Barley Mow Lane. At this point, the walk leaves Cycle Route 5.
Walk up Barley Mow Lane, past the Royal Oak and the North Bromsgrove Cemetery to the junction with the A38
Turn left on to the A38 and walk to "The Marlbrook". Turn right into Braces Lane and return to Tesco's.
NUMBER ELEVEN - GOLF TEES AND FRUiT TREES
This walk is about three and a half miles long and should take about 100 minutes
As usual, this walk starts at Tesco's Marlbrook. It is, however, a circular walk so can be joined or left at any point.
Leave Tesco's and walk up Old Birmingham Road to the top of the hill. On the left, just before the crossroads, is the horse trough erected in 1902 for the benefit of horse drawn traffic on this stagecoach route. This image shows the re-dedication ceremony after refurbishment which was attended by Bromsgrove's then M.P. Julie Kirkbride
Alongside the trough is the war memorial
Turn left into Monument Lane and, just after turning the first corner, follow the Judith's Way fingerpost into a small clearing. This footpath was named to acknowledge the service by Judith Casey who was the Parish Clerk for Lickey & Blackwell Parish Council.
Cross the clearing and enter the woods walking downhill as the path snakes through the trees.
At the bottom the path crosses a footbridge and then turns right to head towards the golf course. Follow the path past the duck pond.
Follow the path around the clubhouse, past the entrance to the golf course, past the Old Rose & Crown and turn left on to Rose Hill. After a short distance, turn right at the footpath sign to the Lickey Visitor Centre and start climbing up the woodland path.
Continue climbing until you reach the entrance to the Lickey Community Orchard on the right.
Walk through the orchard which was planted by members of the Lickey Hills Society, the Park Rangers, Lickey Community Group and other local volunteers in March 2012. Twenty native fruit trees with names such as Catshead, Warwickshire Drooper and Pitmaston Pine Apple can be seen. Each tree has a number attached and can be identified from the information board on the site. These images show the site being planted and how it is today.
Leave the orchard, regain the path and continue walking uphill until it reaches the Visitor Centre on Warren Lane. In normal times the centre is open for refreshments and information about the Lickey Country Park.
Walk away from the Centre along Warren Lane, past the Church and turn left on to Old Birmingham Road. Return to Tesco's with a one mile downhill walk.
NUMBER TWELVE - TO THE WOODS, TO THE WOODS!
This walk is about three miles long and should take about eighty minutes
This walk starts, as usual at Tesco's Marlbrook although, as it is a circular walk, you can join and leave it at any point.
Walk up Old Birmingham Road and just before reaching Lickey Hills Primary School, turn right and walk the length of Lickey Square
Cross over Twatling Road and, directly ahead, enter the woods following the broad path.
After a short distance, to your right, is a coppice of hazel trees that were planted as "whips" in January 2015. This was done under the City of Birmingham "Trees for Life" scheme' The first image shows some of the many volunteers (me included) who turned out on a sleety cold January morning to help plant hazel whips on an area cleared after infection by the plant disease Phytopthora ramorum. They came from Lickey School, Deutsche Bank, Local Groups and residents. The second shows how well they have grown in five years
We even had help from the Lord Mayor of Birmingham who turned out in his full regalia complete with his mayoral wellies.
Keep walking along the main path and eventually fork right towards the clearing with the tall wooden sculpture. Cross the clearing and head up the path to the Visitor Centre.
Turn left out of the Centre and head up Warren Lane towards Lickey Church. Follow Warren Lane to the junction with Twatling Road
Almost immediately, turn left into the walk between the Church and the Cemetery.
Turn right on reaching the Cemetery and walk up to Old Birmingham Road. Turn left and it is now a gentle stroll downhill back to Tesco's
NUMBER THIRTEEN - THE LICKEY ENDER!
This walk is just under three miles long and should take about 65 to 70 minutes
This walk starts, as usual at Tesco's Marlbrook although, as it is a circular walk, you can join and leave it at any point. It is a fairly basic and modest walk but is useful for taking exercise as it stays on pavements throughout
Walk down Old Birmingham Road to the M42 Junction One/Forest island. Carefully cross both the entry and exit slip roads to the motorway and follow the sign to Burcot along Alcester Road.
Turn left into Meadowvale Road, opposite Lickey End First School and walk the entire length to the junction with Little Heath Lane just after crossing the Spadesbourne Stream.
Turn right into Little Heath Lane and walk to the junction with Alcester Road. Turn right and then quickly left into School Lane.
Walk past Lickey End First School to the junction with the A38 Birmingham Road and turn right to head back to Junction One and The Forest.
The house on the right was once the Lickey End Sub Post Office
On reaching the Motorway island either, return up Old Birmingham Road or, continue along the A38 to "The Marlbrook" and turn right up Braces Lane for a slightly longer walk back to Tesco's.
NUMBER FOURTEEN - THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO OLD BIRMINGHAM ROAD
This walk can be as long or short as you choose to make it
All of the previous walks have featured, to a greater or lesser extent, Old Birmingham Road (OBR) which runs through the heart of Marlbrook and Lickey. This road can, however, be used as a walk in itself. You can start and finish at any point along its two mile length.
OBR is part of the B4096 which starts at the A441 at Riverside, Redditch and wends its way through Burcot, Lickey End, Marlbrook, Lickey, Cofton and West Heath where it re-joins the A441 just five miles from where it started.
There are many points of interest along the route and I've detailed some of these below. For more extensive information about this road, and other places of interest in Marlbrook and Lickey you can look at the "Local History" page on the LICKEY COMMUNITY GROUP website . There you will find old photographs, maps, press cuttings and other facts about the area. Link
Starting at the bottom of OBR at the M42 island the road climbs 460 feet in two miles to the top of Rose Hill. Many of the features along the way are mentioned in previous walks.
Immediately, on the right is Paul Matty's sports car showroom at No. 12
Pass STAPLE FLAT junction on the right.
On the left the new houses at No. 79 & 79A were built on the site of an old Nailer's cottage
Just over the brow of the hill on the left is a footpath that leads down to Birmingham Road alongside the Marlgrove Garage. Almost opposite a footpath to the right leads to Staple Flat.
Continue up OBR and pass Round Hill Wood on the right. The lay-by on the left is one of the favourite haunts of the mobile speed camera van
The Round Hill Allotments on the far side of the hill have been on this site since at least 1904
Continue over the BRACES LANE/LINEHOUSE LANE cross-roads
You are now in the Lickey & Blackwell Parish
Pass the Tesco Express shop at 199 OBR
This shop was opened in 2004 after taking over from the "One Stop" which had a Post Office counter inside. Previously, this had been "Kings" and before that it was owned by the Holtham family.
Pass COTTAGE LANE on the left and walk parallel to COTTAGE DRIVE where, at the end, is the footpath to Beaumont Lawns.
Continue uphill and on the right at No. 188 is "Magnolias" This is where Baldwins Nursery ran their business from in the 1950s. Their land covered the site of what is now Greenfield Avenue.
Pass MARLBROOK LANE on the left and almost opposite, is an old telephone kiosk. This now houses a defibrillator machine and a mini library.
The Post Box next door used to look like this
Alongside the Post Box is the bridleway leading behind the houses on OBR and coming out on Linehouse Lane (see Walk No. 2 - Carry on up your alley)
Pass LICKEY ROCK on your right
Holmwood at No. 277 is a bungalow that was thought to be once a tearoom catering for visitors to Lickey.
Pass MIDDLE HOUSE DRIVE on your left. This road was built in 1991. The four houses were built on what had been the site of a market garden with extensive glasshouses
Lickey Hills Garage at No. 283 is known locally as "The Elvis Garage" It was previously Hillside Garage and before that, Graceland Garage (See Walk No. 3 - The Famous Five etc.)
Pass GRANGE PARK on the right (See Walk No. 3 - The Famous Five etc.)
Shortly after passing GRANGE PARK the road passes through open countryside with Firs Farm on the right which is also known as Rainbows Farm
Pass ALVECHURCH HIGHWAY on your left and at No 345 is the former home of the racing driver David Prophet. Just a bit further on the right is Tranquil House - the childhood home of the TV presenter Jeremy Paxman.(See Walk No. 3 - The Famous Five etc.)
Pass LICKEY SQUARE on your right which is almost opposite Lickey School.
At No.272 is a house that was once a butcher's shop.
Pass MALVERN ROAD on your right
Pass LYNWOOD WAY on your right About here was No. 322 which was the Monument Stores before it was demolished to make way for the road
Pass HIGH HOUSE DRIVE on your left and High House Woods (See Walk No.9 - The Monument)
Pass CLAYTON GARDENS on your right (See Walk No. 3 - The Famous Five etc.)
The Harvest Garage and mini shop is on the right. This petrol station did, at one time, sell Jet petrol.
Just after the garage is the brow of the hill and the WATERSHED point. (See Walk No. 9 To the Monument for further details)
No. 332 on the right is now the Chi-Chi Gifts & Interiors shop which is on the site of the Lickey Post Office. A dog grooming parlour is next door.
Just after the brow of the hill on the left is the Trinity Centre, Lickey Parish Hall. Built in 1936 and re-furbished in 2010.
A horse trough stands outside the Trinity Centre with the war memorial next to it.
And finally...at No. 358 is the Old School House which was originally the home of the North Bromsgrove Church of England School.
You can now return to your starting point, wherever that was.
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