River Avon at Pershore

This circuit of the Avon valley includes some lovely villages and the chance to admire the Georgian townscape and Norman abbey at Pershore.

There is access to the river Avon in places, including a particularly attractive stretch just to the north of Pershore.

The walk includes part of a new long-distance trail, Shakespeare's Avon Way, which follows the Avon for 88 miles from its source at Naseby in Northamptonshire to its confluence with the Severn at Tewkesbury.

The trail, which uses existing rights of way, is currently being waymarked and will be launched on April 26.

Such is the plethora of long-distance trails these days that there is scope for confusion with the already established Shakespeare's Way, but that goes from Stratford to London.

DIRECTIONS

1 Take a subway under the Evesham road and then turn left. Cross a minor road to a footpath opposite and then turn right after a few metres. Walk through woodland and past orchards before eventually meeting a road. Turn left on the grass verge and shortly fork left at a junction. Ignore all turnings until you reach a crossroads in the village of Little Comberton.

2 Turn right on Manor Lane, and follow it round to the left, past the church, to another junction. Turn left, then take the second path on the right, after Nash's Farm. Walk through three orchards, ignore a path forking left in the third one and keep straight on to a stile ahead. Continue through a fourth orchard and then cross a footbridge to the left of Old House Farm. The path continues opposite, across the farm drive, but is hard to see - walk past a staddle stone and then between conifers and cast-iron planters and it will become obvious. Go straight on when you meet a track, along a field edge. There are houses on your left at first; keep straight on when these come to an end, proceeding to a gateway in the field corner.

3 Turn right along the edge of another field, then turn left after 450m, going across the field towards Old Fallow Farm. Cross a dilapidated footbridge then go diagonally right through a young wood, pass through a makeshift gate in a fence and continue in the same direction across a field to another neglected and partially overgrown footbridge in the left-hand hedge. Continue in the same direction to the far corner of the next field then turn left through a gap and walk along the edge of another field, towards the Evesham road. After 200m you'll see a waymark directing you right but there is no way through the hedge. Continue a little further to find a gap where you can step over barbed wire into the adjacent field.

4 Cross to the far side and step over more barbed wire, taking care not to slip and end up in the ditch. Go diagonally left, roughly in the direction of the far corner, heading towards a brick farmhouse partially hidden by trees. It has a hedged garden and you should aim for the hedge corner. As you draw nearer you'll see that you can join a track here and this is easily followed to Bricklehampton Lane. Turn left to the main road, cross to a footway and turn right. Join a footpath on the left after 300m, opposite The Heath Works. Go diagonally through an orchard then across a strawberry field to a hedge corner. Turn right, following the hedge along the edge of orchards to Cropthorne.

5 Turn left on Main Street, walk through the village to The Green, then left on Neigh Lane. Cross Jubilee Bridge and walk through Fladbury Mill Meadow to Fladbury. Turn right and walk through the village until you have crossed the railway, then take a path on the left which runs alongside the railway. Stay on this path at a junction, after which it moves a little away from the railway to reach Lower Moor. Go straight on along Blacksmith Lane then turn left on a footpath at a junction with Manor Road. Fork right after a short distance, by a wooden post, and follow the path to another lane. Turn left.

6 The lane ends at Lower End Farm. Keep straight on along a track for a little way then take a footpath on the right. This is waymarked at first and easily followed. However, after crossing a footbridge to arrive in a large field you will probably tend to bear right along a well-trodden path to the railway, but this is not the right of way. Follow this obvious path just for a short distance then take a fainter path which branches left so that you're walking parallel with the railway and about 100m from it. The path soon becomes very clear. Keep straight on at a junction to meet a driveway which leads up to Chapel Lane. Turn left through Wyre Piddle, and left again on Church Street. Soon after passing the church, Smith's Meadow allows access to the Avon and you can return to the lane further along. Follow it to the overspill car park at Wyre Mill Club then take a footpath which follows the Avon to Pershore.

FACT FILE

Start: Pershore Bridges, grid ref SO952450.

Length: 10 miles/16km.

Maps: OS Explorers 190 and 205, OS Landranger 150.

Terrain: Pastoral and arable farmland, orchards, no hills, some road walking.

Footpaths: Some are excellent and some merely adequate.

Others are badly neglected, but there is nothing to stop you getting through.

Stiles: Nine.

Parking: Pershore Bridges picnic place.

Buses: Frequent daily services provided by 166, 382, 550 and 551; www.worcestershire.gov.uk/bustimetables or Worcestershire Hub 01905 765765.

Refreshments: Pershore, Cropthorne, Fladbury, Lower Moor, Wyre Piddle.

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.

9:30am Monday 3rd March 2008

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