WOODS and water feature prominently in this delightful walk around Hallow and Grimley. The woods are mostly young ones, planted less than 20 years ago, but already making a significant impact on the landscape. There are plenty of older trees too, including some veteran oaks and a magnificent horse chestnut at the Camp House.

Like the woods, much of the water (apart from the river) is also a recent addition to the landscape, in the welcome shape of pools formed in worked-out gravel pits. There are Canada geese and mute swans in residence, while other species are often present. Grey herons are frequently seen, while a kingfisher is always a possibility, especially in autumn and winter when upland birds migrate to the lowlands.

A more exotic local resident is the South American member of the camel family which shares a paddock at Hallow with donkeys, miniature ponies and geese - I'll leave it to you to decide if it's a llama or an alpaca.

DIRECTIONS

1 Join a footpath just to the south of Hallow Church. It skirts the churchyard then bends right to meet a lane. Turn right to the end then take a path which passes to the left of Hallow Old Churchyard. Turn right at a junction, into woodland, then shortly go left downhill. Follow waymarks to a junction and turn left along an avenue of young ash trees.

Cross two stiles at the end of the wood and continue along the right-hand edge of a large meadow. When you come to a second meadow, walk to the far left corner where you'll find a stile. Don't cross, but turn right to the next corner and climb over a gate. Care is required, as it's poorly fixed. Pass through another gate and proceed to the River Severn.

2 Walk upstream on the Severn Way. Follow it round the Camp House and back to the riverbank, then to Bevere Lock. After leaving the lock behind, continue along the riverbank, on a grassy path next to a track. When you come to a stile, leave the Severn Way and turn left, joining the track, which swings right. Follow it through fields and past two pools. When the track bends left, keep straight on towards Grimley, joining a green lane which swings left to meet Camp Lane.

3 Turn right into the village then take a path on the left just before Church Farm House. Follow it to a road, turn left and then turn right at a junction, but only for a few paces. Look for a hedge gap next to a multi-stemmed oak tree and pass through the gap to find a stile. Don't cross it, but turn right on a diverted path. When almost at the main road, turn left and walk to the next field corner, where you'll find two stiles. Cross the first one and walk through a wood, then past a house. Turn right to the road.

4Turn left for 120m then cross to a path at a broken stile. Walk through four fields. In the fifth, at a six-ways junction, turn sharp left beside a hedge. When you enter another field you should continue in a similar direction while veering away from the hedge. There is a barn conversion ahead of you. Head to the right of it. The right of way is blocked but there is a gate close by. Once through the gate you can join Moseley Road, but if you want to rejoin the right of way it's on the left and crosses a lawn to meet the road.

5Turn left for a few paces then cross to an easily missed footpath, just after a traffic sign. Turn left by a field edge. Follow the path to a street then continue opposite along a passageway. Turn left when the path takes to fields again, and keep straight on at all junctions. Cross Shoulton Lane and Hallow Lane to join another path and proceed to Hallow Lawn Tennis Club. Turn right past the club then go downhill to Hallow Lane.

6Turn left, then left again on a footpath. Pass an oak tree, go through a hedge gap and continue across another field, keeping fairly close to Laughern Brook. Then go diagonally across two fields, heading towards a prominent pylon. On the way, you'll come to a pair of seriously obstructed stiles and will have to climb over the adjacent gate, which is fixed at an awkward angle. Turn right in the fifth field, head towards a house, climb the left-hand stile and proceed to Lovington Lane. Turn left to the end then go through a gate on the left and follow a bridleway downhill. Cross Laughern Brook and turn right, then left at a junction, along a track which climbs uphill to meet the A443 almost opposite Hallow Church.

FACTFILE

Start: Hallow Church, A443; grid ref SO829579.

Length: Six miles/9.5km.

Maps: OS Explorer 204, OS Landranger 150.

Terrain: Woods and meadows. Mostly flat, with a couple of small hills.

Footpaths: Mixed. Some are excellent, following recent work, but others need attention (see points one and six for details).

Stiles: 22, and two 'gates' (barriers really).

Parking: There is a layby on the A443 opposite the church, and there are spaces at Grimley.

Buses: Plentiful weekday services include 293/294/308/315/316/758, but on Sundays there's only the 300; Traveline 0870 608 2608 or www.traveline.org.uk

Refreshments: The Camp House by the river, the Wagon Wheel in Grimley village, pubs and shops at Hallow.

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.