Spring Walk 1
Lower Shuckburgh, Warwickshire

Bob's first walk took him to the very edges of Warwickshire near its border with Northamptonshire. The route starts in the village of Lower Shuckburgh and was suggested by retired newsagent Bill Sutton.

It starts on the A425, the main road through the village, at its junction with the narrow gated road signposted to Priors Marston. You walk up the gated road, known as Jubilee Avenue, alongside a row of horse chestnuts that were planted for Queen Victoria's jubilee in 1897.

As you continue up the road and through the gates, the views over South Warwickshire start to open out. On your left the wooded ridge of the Shuckburgh hills dominate the horizon. That's where the walk heads to get its most spectacular views.

When you reach the top of the hill at Hall Barn Farm, climb over a stile on the left, and walk up the edge of the field
Continue up the hill with the hedge on your left until you reach the corner of the wood. This is a good place to stop and catch your breath. The view is tremendous.

To the south is Burton Dasset hills, Edge Hills, the beginning of the Cotswolds at Ilmington Hills, Bredon Hill near Tewkesbury, and on a clear day, the Malvern Hills peep over the horizon.

In the foreground, Napton Hill with its white sailed windmill dominates the view. This is Bill's favourite place to sit and stare at some of the most beautiful countryside in the Midlands.

The walk continues over the pasture to the top of the Beacon Hill, now there's also a chance to look over Northamptonshire. Particularly of note, down in the valley, the massive viaduct which used to carry the Great Central Railway to the north can be seen.

The route continues, following a prominent track downhill ...if you're lucky you'll see the herd of deer belonging to the private Shuckburgh estate. They can often be seen grazing to the right of the private chapel in the grounds.

As the waymarked track starts to descend back towards the village and past two lakes on the left, you reach a tall metal kissing gate with an overhanging board displaying the Shuckburgh family motto.

The estate cottages of Lower Shuckburgh come into view, leading you back to the picturesque village, hopefully having been rewarded with some beautiful views of the English countryside.

Walk 2
Maer Hills, Staffordshire

Bob's second walk was chosen by Barbara Tommey. She's lived in the Maer Hills to the west of Newcastle under Lyme for 16 years and the area around her home is her favourite route for taking a stroll.

The walk starts just outside the woods near her home on the hillside overlooking three counties Staffordshire, Shropshire and Cheshire.

Take the path through the woods for a peaceful walk through the trees on a clearly marked route.

The woods have a long history, there are traces of settlements dating back to the Bronze Age and drovers paths can still be identified in the hills.

In more recent history, the woods were a favourite haunt of Charles Darwin. His uncle Josiah Wedgwood the second lived in the nearby village of Maer. Observing the vegetation in the woods helped Darwin form his theory of evolution.

Lately the woods have become a controversial battleground between conservationists and developers. The owners want to build a so called eco village powered by four giant turbines. Their plans would include eight hundred holiday lodges. Locals are up in arms and have formed the Maer Hills Conservation Group to fight the proposals.

Out of the woods, the path makes its way across the A51 Stone to Nantwich road and along paths through fields towards Maer village.

This gives walkers the chance to enjoy clear views of where they've just been and appreciate the beauty of the trees from afar.

Once you climb over a stile and on to a country lane, look for gaps in the edge on your left so you might catch a glimpse of majestic looking Maer Hall

The large 17th century stone built country house and estate dominates the conservation village of Maer, Staffordshire which you arrive in shortly.

The character of this quiet spot has been preserved for generations and to your right you can see St Peter's Church where Charles Darwin married his cousin Emma.

Up ahead is a lovely stone bridge above the road which Darwin crossed with his bride after his wedding in January 1839.

Walkers pass under it and then make their way back to the start of this pleasant circular route.

Walk 3
Leominster, Herefordshire

Bob travelled to one of our most rural counties for his next walk, a fascinating look around Leominster and its surrounding countryside.

The route was suggested by Dennis Downey who, after being made redundant, has set up a series of guided walks from the town to try and attract visitors to this beautiful area of the country.

He took Bob on the shortest of three walks that all start from Leominster Priory, the ancient building that dominates Herefordshire's biggest market town.

The Priory Church of St Peter and St Paul was established in 660AD and is in fact three churches. Extra bits were built on because the monks didn't like sharing worship with the locals.

The route starts at the south door of Priory Church and then follows the pathway to the West Door.

Walk down the steps, cross the road and then enter a lane known as the Priory, you eventually cross a quaint white bridge over the River Kenwater.

Turn right along a pathway, keeping the river to your right until you join Mill Street by a red painted house. Cross the main road and follow the footpath sign on to farmland.

It's amazing how soon you are into open countryside, just five minutes from the centre of Herefordshire's biggest town.

The route follows the edge of fields, you are in fact walking on the one hundred and fifty four mile Herefordshire Trail.

It links all the market towns in the county and was opened by the veteran television news reporter Michael Buerk.

The footpath crosses the main railway line so take care. It then goes through a field where there's likely to be scores of grazing sheep.

As well as farm animals there's a good chance you'll see some wildlife on the route. Dennis and Bob saw herons, swans and water vole alongside Ridgebrook.

The track leads back to the road and then, with the river on the right, re-enter the town on Leominster along Mill Street and past the Priory to end at the magnificent looking old Market Hall in the Parade

This historic building is one of Leominster's finest, it was moved from the centre of the town in the nineteenth century to make way for redevelopment and is now council offices.

Spring walk 4
Abberley, Worcestershire

For his final walk, Bob was taken on a beautiful route around the Worcestershire village of Abberley chosen by Catherine Pybus.

It starts and ends at St Mary's one of Abberley's two churches. With your back to the church and facing the red brick farmhouse, take the road to the right.

After a few seconds, you'll come to a footpath across fields on the right. Take that and before long the beauty of the whole area will open up with rolling fields leading down to a country lane and the crescent shaped Abberley Hill up ahead.

Once on the country lane, turn left and if you look up there's a chance to see huge spheres of mistletoe in the trees. Continue just for a short while and then look out for either a ladder (yes ladder !) leading up on to the hill. Climb up that or if you'd prefer take the footpath leading the same way which is just a little further down the road.

It's a pretty steep climb now on to the hill but the views you'll eventually get make it really worthwhile. After you've climbed three quarters of the way towards the ridge, look to your right and you can see Shavers End Quarry, a dramatic but perhaps not quite so beautiful landscape.

The walk is now following the 31 mile Worcestershire Way which goes all the way to Malvern.

Continue on as high as you can go and then turn left along the ridge, when the trees begin to clear on your right, the highlight of this walk becomes apparent.

As well as the great views you can see the magnificent Abberley Clock tower.

The 161 feet tall clock tower at Abberley took two years to build It was completed in 1884 and is now part of a school.

Designed by J. P.St Aubyn from Powick in Worcestershire, it was built for John Joseph Jones in memory of his father. It has four mosaic clock faces and can be seen from six counties.

During WWII it was continuously inhabited and used as a Home Guard observation post to report enemy aircraft heading for Birmingham.

There are many theories as to why the tower was built, the locals believing it to be as a constant reminder to Mr Jones' workforce of the time but more probably due to the rivalry between him and nearby fellow aristocrat Lord Dudley of nearby Witley Court.

The route passes a trig point, the highest on the Worcestershire Way and then eventually reaches another country lane. Turn right here and make your way towards the village of Abberley. Go past the village's other church St Michael's on the right and the Manor Arms pub on the left. Then look out for another footpath sign across a field. If you take that, you'll find yourself back to the start of this charming three and a half mile route.



Bob's winter walks 2006