If you're looking for wallabies, head to a garden in Shoulton on this walk.

Wallabies in Worcestershire? An unlikely scenario, perhaps, but you should glimpse some on this walk.

Unlike the famous Peak District colony, they're not living in the wild, but in a garden near Shoulton. You should also see some curly-haired angora goats at Peachley.

Less exotically, native species of wild birds are resident on the pools near Hallow which have formed as a result of gravel extraction.

Robins, wrens and blackbirds frequent Hallow Old Churchyard, though with a bit of luck you might also spot a tawny owl in its daytime roosting spot.

The churchyard, which is managed by the parish council as a nature reserve, is the site of the first and second of Hallow's churches.

Nothing remains of the first (probably Saxon) church and only a few stones survive of its successor, built in the 1830s. It had a remarkably short life and was replaced in 1869 by the present church, built on a new site to the south-west and dedicated to St Philip and St James.

One of the most interesting graves in the old churchyard is hard to read now but it marks the burial place of Sir Charles Bell, a distinguished anatomist, surgeon, physiologist and artist born in Edinburgh in 1774. He was present at the Battle of Waterloo where he operated on the wounded and also produced a number of oil paintings, many of which are on display at the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh. He died of a heart attack while visiting Hallow Park in 1842. There are some splendid mature trees in the old churchyard, including a Wellingtonia and several yews, which are bearing a fine berry crop this year, as are the hollies.

On a smaller scale, there are wonderful communities of lichens growing on the headstones.

Pretty Severn Valley at Hallow.

FACT FILE

Start: Hallow Church, grid ref SO828578.

Length: Five miles/8km.

Maps: OS Explorer 204, OS Landranger 150.

Terrain: Mainly pastoral countryside, with some arable; no real hills.

Footpaths: Mostly excellent, with a few exceptions. Many of the waymarks have been helpfully inscribed with the path number, which is particularly useful if you need to report problems.

Stiles: 16.

Parking: There is a lay-by beside the A443 near Hallow Church, on the other side of the road.

Buses: 294/295/308/758 on weekdays, 300 on Sundays and bank holidays - ask the driver for Park Lane; www.worcestershire.gov.uk/bustimetables or Traveline 0871 200 2233.

Refreshments: Hallow Post Office and the Camp Inn at Grimley. Hallow also has another shop and two pubs, not quite on the route but close to it.

DIRECTIONS

1 Take a footpath just to the south of Hallow Church which skirts around the churchyard to meet Church Lane. Follow this to Hallow Old Churchyard then join a path which passes to the left of the old churchyard, descending to a junction. Turn left on path 558, which descends past woodland, then across a field and into Green Park Arboretum. The waymarked path is easily followed, going straight on for a while before turning right, then left.

2 After crossing two stiles quite close together you'll come to a junction. Turn right and walk to the River Severn. Turn left, following the Severn Way to the Camp House then go left along the pub's access track to meet a lane. Turn left on a bridleway until you can join path 534 on the right. Follow this to a field and go straight on along the edge. Cross two stiles then take the left-hand path, number 544, and follow it up to the A443 at Hallow Heath.

3 Cross over, turn left and then take Oakleigh Avenue by Hallow Post Office. Keep straight on at a junction but then turn right a little further on, joining footpath 531 which leads to Moseley Road. Turn left, then cross over after a few paces to join footpath 530. Follow the waymarks through a garden to a field then go to the far right corner. Proceed along the edge of the next field to the corner then turn left on footpath 527, back to Moseley Road.

4 Turn left, then take bridleway 573 on the right. When you come to a point where overhead power-lines cross the bridleway a footpath also crosses it. There is no signage here but the path is well-trodden so you can't miss it. Turn left, walk to Shoulton Lane and turn right. Continue past the turning to Shoulton then take a footpath on the left. Walk along the edge of a garden then along the edge of a field. Cross another field to a gate, cross Laughern Brook and skirt a knoll to reach the top right corner of another field. Cross a stile and turn left past three oak trees then follow a well-trodden path across two fields to Peachley Lane.

5 Turn right then go through a gate on the left into a paddock. Walk along the right-hand edge to a gate, then diagonally across a meadow to the far corner. Cross a stile and proceed along the edge of sheep pasture to Hallow Lane. The path continues opposite, along field edges to Lovington Lane. Turn left and walk to the end of the lane, the last part of which is classified as a bridleway.

6 Reaching a farm, turn left to follow the bridleway downhill. Re-cross Laughern Brook and turn right, following the bridleway up to meet Hallow Road by Park Lane. If you came by bus the stop for Worcester is across the road. If you came by car, turn left for an unpleasant roadside walk of 200m to the lay-by.

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.

9:52am Monday 26th November 2007

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