Hanbury, Worcestershire, A Walk (BOOKING ESSENTIAL)

A WALK DESCRIPTION: ~12 miles, ~560 ft ascent. Leader: Peter Searle. Starting at a lay-by on the B4090 (the Salt Way Roman Road) about 2 miles east of Droitwich, we turn northwards up a side road for about 1/3 mile, then enter Hanbury Park (National Trust), passing in front of Hanbury Hall on a footpath and continuing through the Park and up a small hill to Hanbury church. We continue to Pipers Hill, and walk most of a circuit around the wood, before taking a footpath west. This reaches the Worcester and Birmingham Canal after a bit over a mile, and we will walk south along the towpath for about 1¼ miles, then cross the canal on a path towards Westfields Farm, turning south to reach the Salt Way at Hanbury Wharf. Here we walk east beside the Droitwich Canal for a short distance, then join the Wychavon Way as we turn south along a track. We stay on the Wychavon Way through the village of Hadzor, over Shernal Green Bridge, along after another short section of towpath, then across fields, under the railway, alongside the Dean Brook, around the southern edge of Puckhill Wood and Goosehill Wood, with increasing views south as we ascend the gentle hill. We leave the Wychavon Way at Puck Hill, passing Harding’s Knapp, then follow footpaths north, then east, then north again to return to the coach at the start-point.