IN 1605 Rowland Berkeley, whose family had lived at the magnificent Berkeley Castle, in Gloucestershire, since the 12th Century, was looking for a second home.

He decided to purchase Spetchley Park and his descendants still live there today. However, the present house is not the one which stood in 1605. That house served as Cromwell's headquarters before the Battle of Worcester, and was later burned down by an angry mob of Scottish Royalists.

The Berkeleys lived in the stable block until the present hall was completed in 1818, to the design of local architect John Tasker. The hall itself is not open to the public, but the gardens are open April to September.

They are most famous for their herbaceous borders, though there are many other features, including some enormous and very ancient cedar trees.

Attractive countryside

The estate also includes agricultural land and a deer park. The deer park isn't open to the public but it is skirted by a footpath, used in this walk, which may provide the chance to catch a glimpse of the deer.

You may not be lucky with the deer, but you will certainly see some magnificent old oak trees, of which there are many scattered throughout the parkland. These support a huge number of insect species and the birds which prey on them.

The walk also takes you south from Spetchley into the attractive countryside near Whittington Rough. And it takes you north to Bredicot, a tiny hamlet where numerous Roman relics were discovered during construction work for the Gloucester-Birmingham railway in 1840.

According to local historians, the reason the mainline railway bypassed Worcester was the refusal of certain landowners to have it cross their estates. A solution of sorts was provided by a horse-drawn bus which met the train at Spetchley Halt. 160 years later we don't even have that: Spetchley Halt is long gone and the Intercities streak past the city without stopping.

directions

A little way beyond the entrance to Spetchley Park, on the other side of the road, is what looks like a loop of old road, perhaps left behind when the A422 was straightened. Walk along here, past a cottage then left through a gate into a field.

Ahead of you is Monday's Hill, topped by a coppice. To the right of the coppice is a slight dip in the slope Aim for this then continue to a wire fence. Step over the fence by the third oak tree from the left and cross a field towards a railway bridge. Climb over another fence and walk up a bank - take extra care here as the mixture of rabbit holes and brambles is a potential ankle-twister.

Cross Pershore Lane (A4538) to a footpath opposite and follow it north beside the railway to Bredicot, where you veer away from the railway to walk through the churchyard. Go straight on across a field to a lane and turn left.

Cross Pershore Lane again and join a ''no through road'' opposite. After a few metres join a footpath on the left. Follow the right-hand hedge until a waymarker sends you diagonally right across another field towards Round Hill.

Go through a gate and up the hill, just to the right of woodland, then through another gate at the top. Continue to a stile then keep straight on across the hilltop, passing to the left of a pond then left of three prominent oak trees.

Joining a track, turn left to a stile and down a bank to cross the A422, then up the bank on the other side. Go straight on over a stile and then a fence to find another stile concealed by a clump of wild privet.

Entering pastureland, follow the right-hand edge, with Spetchley Hall over to your left. When the fence turns a corner keep straight on, across a track and towards a pine plantation.

A stile gives access to the plantation. This is your cue to turn left across the parkland, keeping about 50m from a fence on your right. Cross a stile at the far side and then go straight across three fields, aiming for a prominent, conical, dark-green cypress on the edge of Spetchley Gardens.

When you reach the tree you'll find a stile nearby. Cross into pasture and turn right. Cross a footbridge in the corner and keep straight on along the next field edge. Cross another footbridge and keep straight on, the deer park on your right.

A gate gives access to another field. Follow the right-hand hedge to the next boundary, go through a broken gate and then diagonally across the next field towards a line of about half a dozen oaks.

Cross a stile to the next field and continue in the same direction to find a stile to a meadow. Ignore the misleading waymarker here and walk across the meadow towards Old House Farm.

Cross a stile to a track and turn right to a junction. Turn left through the farm then straight on across a field on a bridleway. Go through a gate and turn left along the edge of a wood then just keep straight on across several fields to the road. Turn left to return to your starting point.

BFACTFILE

Start: Spetchley, just to the east of Worcester on the A422, GR898538.

Length: 5.5 miles/8.8km.

Maps: OS Explorer 204, OS Landranger 150.

Terrain: Gentle gradients, mixed farmland, muddy.

Stiles: 18, plus a couple of fences.

Parking: layby on north side of A422, beyond the entrance to Spetchley Park.

Buses: Hardings/Dudleys 350 Worcester to Redditch via Spetchley, Mondays to Saturdays; n Traveline 0870 6082608.

Refreshments:None.

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.