Walk along Droitwich canal

THE Droitwich Canal, haunt of numerous moorhens and mallards, is easily explored by using the towpath which runs along its entire length. The canal cuts through the valley of the River Salwarpe, which has no towpath and in its more rural stretches is mostly inaccessible by rights of way.

Fortunately, there is plenty of permissive access to the river close to Droitwich, where the Salwarpe runs through areas of woodland and grassland with public access, which are included in this walk. The river is popular with grey herons in search of fish - while they do venture close to town, the most likely place to see one is west of the tiny village of Salwarpe, where a footpath crosses the river at a footbridge.

Salwarpe Court is sometimes claimed (without any real evidence) to have been the birthplace in 1428 of Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, who was known as the Kingmaker for the role he played in the Wars of the Roses.

FACTFILE Start: Droitwich station, grid ref SO892633.

Length: Six-and-a-quarter miles/10km.

Maps: OS Explorer 204, OS Landranger 150.

Terrain: Canal and riverside paths, arable farmland, mostly flat.

Footpaths: Mostly excellent, but the path from Salwarpe to the road near the Bowling Green Inn is seriously overgrown in places.

The most likely place to see a grey heron is west of the tiny village of Salwarpe, where the path crosses the river.

Stiles: 12.

Parking: Town centre car parks - follow signs to the station or join the canal towpath near Waitrose.

Public transport: Frequent daily trains and buses (144) from Worcester; Rail Enquiries 08457 484950 or www.worcestershire.gov.uk/bustimetables or Traveline 0871 200 2233.

Refreshments: Snax on Trax at Droitwich station; Hadley Bowling Green Inn.

DIRECTIONS

1 Leave platform two without crossing the footbridge and walk towards a brick roadbridge. Pass Acre Lane then turn left on an unsigned footpath. Follow it to a subway and go under the road. Climb steps on the left, proceed along a footpath/cycleway then cross a road. Keep straight on at the next junction, crossing two streets to pick up the footpath where it leaves Ledwych Gardens. Walk to the canal and turn left.

2 Cross both a road and a bridge so that you're walking along the other side of the canal. After passing a footbridge bear right across grassland to the River Salwarpe. Follow the riverside path, soon passing under a road bridge. When you come to an area of meadow, scrub and woodland you can choose from two paths which go left to rejoin the canal, or you can wait to rejoin it until you've passed under another road bridge (A38). If you do this, proceed through woodland until you find a good path heading left to the canal. Turn right on the towpath.

3 Walk uphill through woodland on the Monarch's Way, then through St Michael's churchyard at Salwarpe. Turn right along a lane then take a path on the left just before The Old Mill House. Proceed to a small gate, where two paths are waymarked - the towpath on the left and another to the right of it. You want the right-hand path, but it's impossibly overgrown at this point so take the towpath instead until you can join the other path - there are several points at which this is possible. Walk along the edge of a young wood to return to the valley of the Salwarpe and cross a field to a bridge.

4 Cross a second field, then descend a bramble-covered bank and turn right through a gate. The path starts well but becomes increasingly narrow and overgrown with nettles and brambles - it doesn't help that it's bordered on the left by barbed wire. Fortunately, it soon joins a track where you turn left to meet a road. Turn right beside the road to the Hadley Bowling Green Inn. Take a footpath just past the inn and head towards the far corner of a meadow but don't go fully into the corner - look for a stile on your left instead. Continue in the same direction across the next field and cross into another. Turn left to a lane.

5 Turn right beside the lane. After 500m, join a footpath on the left, signed to Hadley. Go diagonally across a field to the far corner of the wood on your left, then go to the right, along the field edge to another wood (Gardner's Grove). Turn right, and keep straight on at the end of the wood. Turn right at a house and keep straight on at a junction, towards another house. Rejoin the lane and turn left.

6 Turn right at the A4133 then cross to a lane. Join a path on the left after a short distance. Walk along the left edge of a field for 200m then turn right to the far side. Rejoin the lane and turn left, then right on a no through road' soon after Shoulstones Farm. Ignore branching footpaths and keep straight on at the bottom of the road, on a bridleway signed to Hampton (Wychavon Way). When you come to a junction go through a gate on to a footpath (Monarch's Way), following it across fields and through a wood to Westwood Way.

7Turn left along Westwood Way then right on Westwood Road. After crossing a bridge turn left on a grassy footpath which soon swings right to run parallel with Westwood Road. Rejoin the road near a school and continue in the same direction past a leisure centre. Approaching a bridge, fork left on to a path then left again on the towpath. Cross the canal at a footbridge after about 600m and go straight on along a footpath which cuts through a housing estate to the subway. Go under the road, left to the station.

PLEASE NOTE This walk has been carefully checked and the directions are believed to be accurate at the time of publication. No responsibility is accepted by either the author or publisher for errors or omissions, or for any loss, accident or injury, however caused.

11:35am Tuesday 4th September 2007

Moorhens and Mallards can be seen in abundance

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