LOCAL EXERCISE WALKS IN THE TIME OF CORONAVIRUS

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NUMBER FIFTEEN - TO SEE ST MICHAEL & ALL ANGELS

This walk is about four and a half miles long and should take about two hours or so

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. Just over the brow of the hill, turn right alongside the church and walk along Warren Lane to the Visitor Centre.

At this point the walk follows part of the North Worcestershire Way path. Walk up through the car park and join the path at the far end to descend through the woods.


Follow the path towards the bottom of the hill and turn left to descend on to Barnt Green Road


Turn right on to Barnt Green Road and after about 500 yards, turn left into Cofton Church Lane


After about 500 yards the 14th Century Grade II church of St Michael & All Angels is on the right.
This image copyright and courtesy of Annette Leech

This church was built in about 1330 for Robert de Leycester as a chapel for the manor house.

Re-trace your steps back along the lane to two public footpath signs and a waste bin. Turn right and follow the tarmac path until it reaches a footpath cross-road. Turn left and re-join the North Worcestershire Way


Follow the path along the edge of the field, through a (broken) kissing gate and leave the field along an alley between two houses to reach Barnt Green Road


Cross the road and follow the footpath up the hill through the woods to return to the Visitor Centre.


Return to Tesco's by following the outward route.



NUMBER SIXTEEN - TO A WILD MOOR AND FAIR FIELD

This walk is about three and a half miles long and should take about two hours to two hours twenty minutes

This interesting footpath and field walk is circular so can be joined or left at any point. HOWEVER There are a number of stiles during the second part across fields - anyone of which could easily win the "Worst kept stile in Worcestershier award" They are, however, as I have proved, capable of being crossed with care and strong legs.










Follow footpath down and across Birmingham Road. Re-join footpath down to Halesown Road A38. Turn right and then almost immediately left into Woodrow Lane. After a short distance, take the footpath which is signed on the right hand side of the road. This view is looking back from the path to Woodrow Lane.






The path turns sharp right and follows alongside Wildmoor Nurseries to emerge on Wildmoor Lane. Cross the lane and rejoin the path directly opposite.


Follow the path down the farm track and continue straight ahead where the track turns sharp left. Keep to the path and head for the white cottage at the end of the field.


Leave the field and walk up Mill Lane where the road follows the Monarch's Way Long Distance Path for a few hundred yards. (See Walk no. 7 - Manor, Motorway and a Merry Monarch for further information)


Immediately on joining Mill Lane, if you peer over the fence on the right you will get a glimpse of the Battlefield Brook.


Continue up Mill Lane, past a very nice converted mill house to reach Third Road.


Turn left and cross stile. WARNING - you are now entering badly kept stile country

After a short distance, cross a stile on your left and enter the field. Head over the field to just to the right of the twin pole electricity cables to cross the stile in the hedge


Head across the field towards the right hand end of the hedge. Find the stile which is trying to hide under a small tree.


Cross the stile and, keeping the hedge on your right-hand side, walk along the edge of the field to a stile on to a farm track. Cross the track and enter the next field.


Cross the field and climb stile into a field on Mayfield Farm


Head slightly right over the field towards the electricity cables on a double post. Cross the stile and walk down the short path to Stourbridge Road


Turn left and cross over the M5, past the Catshill Village sign and turn left into Church Road


Plain sailing now. Turn left into Wildmoor Lane, right into Golden Cross Lane and follow to "The Marlbrook". Cross over the A38 and follow Braces Lane back to Tesco's.



NUMBER SEVENTEEN - PILGRIMAGE TO THE RIVER REA

This walk is about three and a half miles long and should take about two hours


This is a walk every Brummie should take at least once in their lifetime. - a pilgrimage to the source of the river which flows through their City - The River Rea

How Birminghham got its name

Beorma, a 7th century Anglo-Saxon, founded a settlement on the banks of the River Rea. This became known as Beorma's-ham (Homestead of..) and later Beorma-inga-ham ( Homestead of the tribe/people of or related to..)

This event is celebrated with a sign on a bridge of the Rea in Gooch Street, Highgate near the City centre. "Near this river crossing an Anglian tribe led by Beorma founded Birmingham"




NOTE:-
To take advantage of the Government's slight relaxation in the rules concerning driving a short distance in order to take exercise, this walk starts at the junction of Birmingham Road and Manor Lane Lydiate Ash (O.S. Ref. SO 972 758 for the technically minded) rather than Tesco's Marlbrook. This makes the walk a more manageable length and saves covering the same ground as previous walks


Starting at Manor Lane, pass under the A38 and continue past Chadwich Manor. The road name changes to Redhill Lane and then Holywell Lane as it steadily climbs uphill


Turn left and walk through the Waseley Hills Country Park South car park to join the footpath


An excellent guide can be downloaded which shows all the paths and gives lots of useful information about the Park at Link

Follow the path uphill and turn right at a kissing gate to continue straight ahead as the Monarch's Way LDP joins from the left by a bench.


Continue and pass through another gate at the start of a small wood













Everything you need to know about the River Rea

Yes, this little puddle emerging from the hillside really is the start of the River Rea before it makes its way, very stealthily, all the way from one side of Birmingham to the other. Some of it is culverted and not easily visible. A number of small streams and brooks such Callow Brook, Merritts Brook The Bourn, Bourn Brook and The Chad feed the river as it crosses the City.

This selection of images gives a flavour of the route of the Rea.












Finally, it joins the River Tame just under the elevated section of the M6 Motorway near to Spaghetti Junction. From there it will eventually empty into the North Sea



A full collection of over 100 images of the Rea and its tributaries can be found at

Link

To continue the walk to the top of Windmill Hill head up the hill, with the Rea directly behind you, past a bench and up a very steep path. Turn around half way up and see the view over the gorse bushes to Birmingham




Head towards the electricity pylons and on the left is a kissing gate. Turn left to walk along the broad path just below the ridge of the hill. Enjoy the whole of Worcestershire spread out to your right with the Malverns on the skyline.


Turn right at the edge of the wood and continue down the Monarch's Way, re-tracing the outward route.


After a short distance return to the point where the path back to the car park parts company with the Monarch's Way. Bear right past the bench and walk alongside the hedge to reach a kissing gate where you leave the Country Park


Walk down the field and then turn left at a kissing gate to arrive at the farm track.


Turn left and walk down the track to Redhill Lane. Turn right and return to the starting point.

MY EIGHTEENTH AND FINAL WALK - THE M42 CATSHILL INTERCHANGE

This walk is about three miles long and should take about one hour and forty minutes


A fairly easy walk but with surprisingly pleasant views of the Marlbrook stream and, for regular users of the M5 motorway between junctions 4 & 4a, a different view of two bridges.


Start at Tesco's Marlbrook, turn left into Cottage Lane and just after passing the second crossing of Green Slade Crescent, turn left down the marked footpath.


Follow the path downhill, the Marlbrook joins alongside just before reaching the recreation ground. Cross the"Rec", and walking alongside the Marlbrook, and take the path just to the right of the play area. Follow the path until it reaches the A38 Birmingham Road opposite the Esso Garage.


Cross the A38 and head towards Birmingham. A steep set of steps on the left, leads down from the road to the footpath.


At the bottom of the steps admire the Marlbrook as it emerges from a bridge under the A38 which is said to have been built by WWII Italian POWs.


A very pleasant path follows the Marlbrook before crossing another Recreation Ground and exiting to the right of the play area.


Take the path on the right marked 36-18 Green Lane and follow to bus shelter

Turn right and then left into Woodrow Lane by the "One Stop" Turn right into Golden Cross Lane and pass the Village Hall


Turn left into Wildmore Lane, first right into Church Lane and at the church, turn left on to the Stourbridge Road.

Just before the first house on the right hand side of the road join the fooptpath and climb a fairly steep set of plank steps.


Keep to the path but, turn around half way up the hill and admire the view across towards the Lickeys.
Cross the stile and walk between two fields - Probably sheep on the left and horses on the right.


Turn left and cross a stile. The path then runs parallel to the M5


Cross the footbridge over the M5 and on the other side cross the stile on the left.


Follow the path alongside the hedge as it turns left and then right. After a short distance take the path at a gap in the hedge and walk alongside the edge of the field.


Leave the path and turn left on to Rocky Lane


Just after crossing the M5, turn left by the white house and follow path, taking the right fork at the second white house


Follow the path down and cross the Stourbridge Road to the War Memorial. This is my 265th and final image and a poignant reminder of what members of our armed services did so that we could be free to walk in peace in the lovely Worcestershire countryside

EPILOGUE

And that's my collection of eighteen LOCAL EXERCISE WALKS IN THE TIME OF CORONAVIRUS - APRIL & MAY 2020


I have lived in my present house for twenty eight years. Over the past eight weeks or so I have walked on roads and paths entirely new to me. Along the way I've paused to chat with many lovely people ( at a safe social distance, of course!) People tending their gardens, walking their dogs and people just.. walking.

I've seen many interesting and scenic parts of my local area and enjoyed it all during one of the best spells of spring weather ever seen.

On 11th of May 2020 the Government lifted restrictions on driving to go somewhere for exercise (and enjoyment), I can now start taking walks a little further from my home and can now see what delights there are within a 20 to 30 minute drive. If what I have discovered on foot during the past few weeks is anything to go by, then I'm in for a real treat.

If you are out walking in North Worcestershire and you meet a young, attractive blonde and, trudging behind her, a grey-haired old man, then that man may well be me. Please stop for a minute, and have a chat.

Goodbye and happy walking.

THE END

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