THIS three-county walk offers lots to enjoy but in early February it is especially notable for snowdrops.

The flowers grow profusely in several places along the way, but especially on the banks of streams, such as Cadmore Brook at Berrington Mill and Greet Brook near Greete.

The finest display is along the banks of the tiny stream which borders the churchyard at St Mary Magdalene, Little Hereford, and also either side of the path to the church door.

St Mary’s Church at Burford also has a flower-filled churchyard and is holding “snowdrop weekends”

on February 8 and 9 and February 15 and 16, when refreshments will be served in the belltower.

Other highlights include alpacas near Greete, many magnificent trees (including one of Herefordshire’s largest oak trees, beside the path from St Mary Magdalene to the A456) and some beautiful houses, notably Lower Town Farm, Bleathwood Manor and Burford House.

There are acres of gardens to explore at Burford House, as well as a garden centre, shop and cafe bar/restaurant.

Walking from Burford House to Tenbury you’ll pass a riverside motte which was once the site of a Norman castle.

FACTFILE START: Tenbury Wells, grid ref SO596683.

LENGTH: 10 and a half miles/17km.

MAPS: OS Explorer 203, OS Landranger 137 or 138.

TERRAIN: The terrain is a mixture of pasture, arable, woodland, parkland and trafficfree lanes. The route is mildly hilly in some places.

FOOTPATHS: Waymarking is patchy, and some stiles need replacing, but apart from that there are no other obstructions or further difficulties.

STILES: 30.

PARKING: Vehicles can be left at Palmer’s Meadow car park.

BUSES: Yarrantons’ 758 from Worcester and R&B 291 from Kidderminster, both operate from Monday to Saturday only.

Visit worcestershire.gov.uk/ bustimetables for full details or else call 01905 765765.

REFRESHMENTS: Walkers can stop off at Tenbury and Burford House for some light refreshments.

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 eithertheauthororpublisherfor errors or omissions, or for any loss, accident or injury, however caused.

WorcesterNewsrecommendstheuse of OS Landranger Maps, your ideal passport to navigating the countryside. ThiswalkisbasedonOS Landranger 137 or 138.

DIRECTIONS 1 Walk along Market Street then turn right on Berrington Road.

Take the third footpath on the right, just before a house called The Bednals.

Follow the waymarked route through fields then into a beechwood before descending into the Teme valley.

Continue in the same direction through fields then turn right on rejoining Berrington Road and cross Bednal Bridge.

2 Take a path on the right at a broken stile. Cross a field then walk through a tree nursery, keeping to the right-hand edge.

After passing thousands of young trees turn left where indicated by a hand-painted sign and rejoin the road.

Turn right, then take the next bridleway on the left, to Berrington Mill.

There are two paths to the right of the mill – take the one which continues in much the same direction, slightly uphill at first. As you approach a stable the waymarking is incomplete, but the right of way passes to the right of the stable.

However, you may prefer to take a permissive path signed to the left of the stable and then along the driveway to a lane.

3 Turn right, then keep straight on at Lower Berrington, past Lower Town Farm.

Keep straight on again at a junction with Field Lane then take the next path on the right. Go to the far left corner of a pasture, cross a stile and walk along the cliff-edge for a short distance before descending to the Teme.

Walk along the bank then cross a footbridge to Little Hereford.

4 Visit the church, then rejoin the path, which bears right across pasture before following a stream to the A456.

Cross the road to a path opposite and walk through woodland and parkland beside a fence. After crossing a stile, ignore the slightly misleading waymarking and continue by the fence to another stile.

Turn right in the next field. Ignore a path branching right and proceed a little further by the field edge until you’ve passed a pond.

5 Turn left across the field. Go through a gate and straight on along a field edge to the left of a wood.

Cross a stile in the top right field corner and turn right along the next field edge to reach Keepers Cottage. Follow the driveway to a lane and turn left.

After 200m turn right on a track at a farm.

As soon as you’ve passed all the buildings turn left by a fence and cross a stile into a garden.

Walk straight across a lawn in front of Bleathwood Manor, then cross a stile into a field.

6 Bear right to meet the right-hand field edge just beyond the massive stump of an old oak. Go through a gap into the adjacent field.

Walk along the right-hand edge as far as a fingerpost then walk across the field towards the lower end of Bleathwood Coppice. Approaching the coppice, you’ll see another fingerpost near a tumbledown shed.

Head for this then descend into a valley and turn left. Follow Ledwyche Brook for about 500m to Stoke Bridge.

7 Cross Stoke Bridge into Shropshire then follow a track to a lane and turn right.

After about 900m take a path at a stile on the right. Cross a small field then walk beside a brook until you can cross it at a plank-footbridge. Go to the far right field corner to cross Greet Brook and meet a lane at a junction.

Turn right towards Tenbury. Take a path on the left at the top of a hill and cross a field to a house. Go into the garden to find access to a lane and turn right.

8 Keep straight on at a junction, towards Burford. Climb to the top of a hill and join a bridleway when the lane bends left.

Bear left across a field to a gate just to the right of a tall, multi-stemmed ash tree.

Turn right in the next field, walk to Bank Farm, continue straight on past the barns then turn left and follow the farm access track, and then a lane, down to the A456.

9 Cross the road and turn left then take the lane which leads to Burford House.

Pass the entrance to the house then walk through the churchyard of St Mary’s.

A fully waymarked footpath is then easily followed through several fields.

Keep straight on at all junctions.

Turn right on rejoining the road and cross Teme Bridge to Tenbury.