PIPER’S Hill Common, also known as Hanbury Woods, belongs to Worcestershire Wildlife Trust and it’s a very special place because of its beech trees which are a scarce species in Worcestershire.

These beeches are particularly important because so many of them are magnificent specimens up to three or four hundred years old.

Alongside them grow oaks and sweet chestnuts, many of which have attained a similar age and stature.

Veteran trees like these support a wide range of other life forms – a mature oak tree, for instance, is like a teeming city, supporting thousands of individual invertebrates of up to 300 different species. These, in turn, support birds and small mammals.

The common occupies a small but prominent hill, below which lies the National Trust’s Hanbury Park, which also contains numerous veteran trees, some forming long avenues and others scattered individually or in small groups throughout the parkland. In the centre of the park is Hanbury Hall, an imposing house built in 1701 for Thomas Vernon, a barrister who served as MP for Worcester. The hall is open to the public, together with its gardens and orangery but naturally there is an entrance charge except for National Trust members. There is no charge to walk through the park, which is crossed by several public rights of way.

Like Piper’s Hill Common, St Mary’s Church at Hanbury is also on top of a hill and there are far-reaching views from the churchyard, particularly southwards to the Malverns, Bredon Hill and the Cotswolds. It has been suggested that the church stands on the site of an Iron Age fort but there is no evidence for this.

It has also been claimed that a Saxon monastery once stood on the site and there is some evidence to support this in the form of a royal charter issued in 836, which is now held in the British Museum.

For walkers, the Hanbury area is one of the most popular parts of the county so most of the paths are well used and easily followed.

Piper’s Hill Common is access land so you can explore as you please though Worcestershire Wildlife Trust prefers people to keep to the paths to minimise disturbance to wildlife.

Directions

1 Take any route to the southern end of the common then join a footpath on the western side of the road which descends close to the woodland edge. Turn right on a track at the lower edge of the wood, then soon left, joining a well-trodden path to Hanbury church. Walk round the church, descend past the car park to a lane and turn right to find access to Hanbury Park.

2 Follow another well-trodden path to a junction by two avenues of oak trees. Walk along the left-hand avenue. When the path forks keep left, soon crossing an access road and passing left of a pool, then left of Hanbury Hall.

Cross a stile and continue across park-like pasture bearing very gradually left away from the hall to the far left corner of the pasture.

3 Cross a stile to a road then immediately cross another stile to another path. Follow it through trees and along a field edge to a path junction in the corner. Turn left, then cross a footbridge after about 100m. Walk to the corner of Lady Wood then continue slightly uphill in much the same direction passing to the left of a pool at the top then descending to a gate at the corner of Summerhill Wood.

4 Take the left-hand path going diagonally left across a field to another gate. Go through here and walk along the right-hand edge of the next field for about 100m to find an open gateway. Turn right through here, walking along the edge of the next field. Continue past Summerhill Farm then straight on along a well-defined track across pasture. After passing the end of Summerhill Wood keep straight on past a pool and into a field corner where a stile gives access to Hanbury Park. Keep straight on for about 100m.

5 Fork right waymarked with a dark-blue arrow. Approaching a gate, don’t go through it, but turn left on a well-trodden path going obliquely across the park. Keep straight on at the next junction waymarked with a red arrow.

Leave the park at a stile and keep straight on through fields to meet a lane at a junction. Go straight on.

6 Take the first path on the right after 300m. Keep to left-hand field edges until you have to cross to the other side of the hedge.

Continue in the same direction along the right-hand field edge to return to Piper’s Hill Common.

Turn left passing Knotts Farm and a large pool before turning right to your starting point.

Fact File

Start: Piper’s Hill Common, on the B4091 north of Hanbury, east of Wychbold, grid ref SO957652.

Length: Five miles/8km.

Maps: OS Explorer 204, OS Landranger 150.

Terrain: Woodland, parkland and pasture.

Mostly flat with some gentle slopes.

Footpaths: Mostly excellent.

Stiles: 10.

Parking: At north end of common, on west side of road.

Public transport: The only bus to Piper’s Hill is the flexizone 940 from Droitwich, which has to be pre-booked (Monday-Friday). A more convenient alternative is to take the 144 (daily) to Droitwich, change to the 141 (to Bromsgrove via the Stokes, Monday- Saturday) and get off at Shaw Lane, a short distance from point six on the walk route. On Sundays, walk from Droitwich to join the route near point four. For more information go to worcestershire.gov.uk/bustimetables, call 01905 765765 or flexizone call centre 08456 077077.

Refreshments: National Trust café at Hanbury Hall (call 01527 821214 or e-mail hanburyhall@nationaltrust.org.uk for opening hours).

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.

Worcester News recommends the use of OS Explorer Maps, your ideal passport to navigating the countryside. This walk is based on OS Explorer 204.