BREDON Hill is a Cotswold outlier, cut off from the main escarpment by glacial meltwater at the end of the Ice Age, and left stranded in the Vale of Evesham. It has a gentle dip slope, a much steeper scarp slope and panoramic views from the top.

The dip slope and much of the hill's flat top are under cultivation and have little wildlife value. However, parts of the scarp slope and the summit are uncultivated and have been declared a National Nature Reserve, one of only four in the county.

It comprises limestone grassland, scrub, open water and woodland, and supports a wealth of wildlife, including many species of birds and butterflies. It's managed by English Nature which is maintaining the traditional grazing regime by sheep and cattle because this will prevent scrub encroaching into the flower-rich grassland.

General access to the nature reserve is by permit only - the site manager can be contacted on 01531 638500 - but limited access is possible on the public rights of way used in this walk, and there is permissive access to Kemerton Camp. This is the Iron Age fort on top of the hill, an important site in terms of historic, wildlife and landscape value.

The fort's overlooked by Parsons' Folly, an ugly tower built on the summit by a Mr Parsons in the 18th Century. Below the tower is the Banbury Stone, a chunk of limestone which looks like a kneeling elephant. If you choose a warm, sunny day, the top of the hill makes an excellent place for a picnic.

DIRECTIONS

IF you arrive in Eckington by bus, you'll get off at the Bell Inn (better still, ask the driver to drop you by School Lane). If you go by car, you should park at the picnic place by the River Avon then follow the road into the village. A footpath has recently been created beside the road for part of the way, making the walk safer and pleasanter than it used to be.

Take Cotheridge Lane, on the left, just after the Bell and the village shop. After 200 yards, turn left on Jarvis Street, then immediately right on School Lane. Turn right again at a T-junction by Quietways, then left on Hacketts Lane.

Turn first right on Stony Furlong Lane which soon ends at a gate/stile. Join a footpath and follow it to a lane. Turn left and, after about 500 yards, you'll see a footpath on the right, indicated by both a signpost and a waymarker, each of which points in a different direction.

The signpost is correct, sending you diagonally left towards St Catherine's Farm, which sits on the lower slopes of Bredon Hill. Cross a stile in the fence below the farm. Turn right on a track and follow it to the village of Bredon's Norton.

Turn right at the junction by Home Farm, then shortly left towards the church. Pass through the churchyard to a lane and turn left. Walk to a junction and turn right by Bredon's Norton Manor on a 'private road'. The sign doesn't say so, but it's also a public bridleway.

When you come to farm buildings the bridleway goes to the right, through a double gate then uphill through sheep pasture. After a relentless climb the gradient eases and the bridleway meanders easily through a hummocky landscape, a sure sign of past quarrying.

Turn left at a T-junction and walk to the edge of the scarp slope, overlooking the Avon Valley, then turn right. Join a footpath when you see a stile on the right, and walk towards Sundial Barn.

Ignore a waymarker pointing to the right and keep straight on along a track which passes the barn. Stay on the track, which leads to a T-junction. Turn left and keep straight on at another junction, beside a stone wall.

Eventually, you'll come to a map showing the open access area around Kemerton Camp. You can wander where you want here but, for the best views over the Avon Valley, keep straight on to the edge of the escarpment then turn left to Parsons' Folly.

After passing the tower, keep going beside the wall, then enter woodland and shortly take a path which descends right. It's easily followed until you arrive in a large sheep pasture - go down to the bottom right corner of this.

After leaving the pasture, turn left on a track for a short distance. Leave it just after a cattle grid and go diagonally left towards Woollas Hall. Join the access track and follow it down to a road. Turn left, keep straight on at a junction then join a footpath on the right.

Go diagonally across a field to a brook. Turn right until you come to a footbridge, cross the brook and go diagonally across fields then past a farm into Eckington.

Either follow Hacketts Lane, School Lane and Cotheridge Lane back to the Bell or take a right turn at any point - Jarvis Street, for instance - to see more of the village before returning either to the Bell (bus stop) or the picnic place (car park).

FACTFILE

Start: Eckington (on B4080 south-west of Pershore), grid ref SO922422.

Length: Ten-and-a-half miles (16.8km) by car, nine miles (14.5km) by bus. There are several possible shortcuts, marked on the map with dotted lines, which could cut up to two-and-a-half (4km) off the total distance.

Maps: OS Explorer 190, OS Landranger 150.

Terrain: undulating, with one fairly steep climb; good paths and tracks.

Stiles: 11.

Parking: Eckington Wharf Picnic Place.

Buses: Astons Coaches 382 Worcester to Pershore via Eckington, daily; Traveline 0870 608 2608.

Refreshments: pubs and shop at Eckington.

DISCLAIMER

This walk has been carefully checked and the directions are believed to be correct at the time of publication. No responsibility is accepted by either the author or publisher for errors or omissions, or for any loss or injury, however caused.