MARTLEY FOOTPATH VOLUNTEERS (The Path-or-Nones)

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Walk 6
Grade: Easy, distance: 3.7 miles 5.9 kms.

START: From the church car park, follow the track beneath the churchyard wall, passing the Old Hall, the former Rectory just beyond St Peter's. (See Walk 4 for a short description). Continue along the track following the waymarking signs (1,2). At the end the rough woodland on the right the path bears diagonally left (3) to a stile and wooden bridge across Laugherne Brook (4). (See Walk 4 for short description of Kinloss School). Go straight ahead from the bridge to the stile (5) in the opposite hedge and continue to the next stile (6), branch to the left towards the telephone exchange and continue to the Worcester Road and the "Masons Arms" (now, Sept 2003, sadly closed). Walk down the road towards Martley (B4204). At the signpost on the right (7) follow the waymarking signs to the next stile. In the field behind the pair of cottages is the site of Martley's former brickyard, levelled during the Second World War. The brickyard, which had a clay pit and two kilns, functioned till 1901 when tragedy befell one of the owners who was fatally burned. Work ceased, and the brickyard became derelict, before being demolished due to the pressure for farmland when every ounce of food was needed. From this stile there is a glimpse of Woodbury Hill in the distance, a taste of things to come. The hedgerow shows ancient blackthorn bushes whose white blossom is first in spring and, barring late frosts, will bear the sour little sloes in autumn, to make a delicious sloe gin liqueur. Continue ahead along the field edge path.

Over a pair of stiles at a small coppice, keep ahead on the field edge path to the next stile and up the field with fine mature oaks on your right and into a pathway at the side of the adjacent property. This alley has been attractively planted with primroses and other spring flowers, and small shrubs, and makes a delightful feature leading to a stile onto the lane at Highfields (8). Go straight ahead along a short stretch of lane, foaming with hedge parsley in early summer, and turn left at the signpost (9).

In this field, pause and take in the panoramic view sweeping from the Abberley Hills on the extreme right, across Woodbury Hill and Berrow Hill to the Malverns, surely one of the finest views in Worcestershire. Continue down the field following the waymarking signs to cross a secluded brook (this crossing can be extremely muddy at times). Bear slightly left across the field to a stile in the fence to the right of the pole (10). Turn right along the track to Aldens Farm and sharp left (11) at the end of the fence. In a few yards a stile (12) leads into a field. Turn right down beside the farmhouse, past the duck pond and over the next stile, again sometimes muddy. Follow the waymarking sign on this stile to two stiles and a ditch crossing in the line of trees ahead (13). Bear slightly left to the stile onto the lane at the junction of the B4197 and Horn Lane (14). Go left down the main road to a signpost and stile in the left hand hedge (15) bear diagonally right across a field to a stile, and straight ahead across the next field to a stile (16) leading into an avenue of damson trees. At the end the path veers left onto a track leading down to the main Worcester road (17). Cross the road carefully and go down the churchyard to the car park.

FOLLOW THE COUNTRY CODE
These pamphlets and maps were the work of Keith and Audrey Trumper during the 1980's and 90's. We are most grateful to them.