Warren peace

These are both on the east side of the A38, but to the west of the road, behind the pub, is the village itself, a tiny place with attractive houses and a mediaeval church.

Footpaths lead from the village into a little-known and surprisingly unspoilt wedge of countryside sandwiched between the M5 and the A442.

One highlight of the area is Dog Lane, a lovely old green lane which connects Cooksey Corner with Cooksey Green. Deeply sunken in places, from many centuries of use, it forms a peaceful, wooded corridor for people and wildlife alike to move through the surrounding farmland.

Another highlight is Elmbridge Green, where a gated road leads through park-like pastureland studded with large oak trees and grazed by armies of sheep. Elmbridge itself is a tiny village, with a 12th Century church and good views of distinctively shaped Crutch Hill, which lies across fields to the south. The church was drastically restored in 1872 but fortunately the Norman carvings around the door survived the restoration.

The name Elmbridge, together with nearby Elmley Lovett, indicates that elm trees were once widespread in this area.

Dutch elm disease has long since destroyed them but plenty of oaks and other trees remain and many of the fields retain their ancient hedges.

Walk along Swan Lane until you can turn right on a footpath. Follow it to Rectory Lane and turn right again. Keep on past Rectory Farm, after which the lane becomes a bridleway and crosses the M5 on a bridge. On the far side leave the bridleway to join a footpath indicated by a yellow arrow.

Cross a ploughed field to a stile then continue across a cattle pasture. Cross a brook to enter another pasture where two paths are indicated. Take the one which goes straight across then continue forward along field edges to rejoin Swan Lane.

Turn right for about 250m then left over a pair of stiles. Walk along the left-hand edges of two fields to a lane at Cooksey Corner. Cross to a bridleway opposite (Dog Lane). This takes you to Cooksey Green, where you turn left along a lane. After about 800m join a footpath at a stile on the right.

Walk along the right-hand edge of a meadow then diagonally left across another one to a lane at Elmbridge Green. Turn left, then immediately right on a gated, unfenced lane.

After passing through another gate keep on along the lane for about 400m, until you are approaching overhead powerlines which cross the lane just ahead. Look for an easily missed footpath on the left, accessed by a stile just beyond a rusty gate.

Walk along the left-hand edge of a sheep pasture. Turn right in the corner and then continue in the same direction in the next field. In a third field keep left of a line of trees then walk through the churchyard at Elmbridge.

Keep straight on to a junction and join a footpath almost opposite, which leads across fields towards the distinctive shape of Crutch Hill. When you come to a pair of open gateways go through the right-hand one and continue in the same direction. After a further 500m a stile enables you to cross to the other side of the hedge.

After crossing a footbridge, go straight on across a field, through a hedge gap and along the left-hand edge of a young plantation to a gate. A well-trodden path then leads across a field towards Crutch Farm.

Reaching Crutch Lane, turn right, then first left (take care - there's a plank footbridge concealed by nettles) just before Crutch Farm. The path goes along a field edge, slightly detouring at one point to avoid a pond.

Cross Salty Brook at a footbridge then go diagonally left across a field towards a pond and a hedge gap. Ignoring a yellow arrow (which points in the wrong direction) follow the left-hand edges of three fields then turn right to a lane.

Turn left past Wyken Farm. When you reach a junction cross to a footpath opposite. Ignore the incorrectly aligned signpost and walk along the right-hand edges of three fields, ignoring branching paths. When you meet a track turn right, then immediately left along a lane.

Pass under the M5 when the lane bends and keep straight on along a green lane - in theory, anyway. In practice, you may find it so densely overgrown that you have to use the field on the left. When another path crosses the green lane turn left on this and follow a hedge to a stile.

Having crossed this, go forward for a few paces then turn right. Cross two stiles before going obliquely through paddocks to meet a track in the far corner. Cross to a path opposite, walk along the edge of a field, then obliquely across another field to a track. Cross the track and walk the length of a sheep pasture bordering the River Salwarpe. Eventually, you'll pass a house called The Shieling to emerge on Swan Lane at Upton Warren.

Start: The Swan, Upton Warren, on A38 north of Droitwich. Grid reference 934674.

Length: 8 miles/13km.

Maps: OS Landrangers 139 and 150, OS Explorer 204.

Terrain: Gentle throughout - mixed farmland, mostly pasture. Dog Lane is damp and muddy underfoot in places, and there are patches of nettles.

Stiles: 48, a few of which are wobbly and/or rotten, so take care.

Parking: Upton Warren.

Buses: Midland Red 144 Worcester to Birmingham service, half-hourly on weekdays, hourly on Sundays; County Bus Line 08457 125436.

Refreshments: The Swan and Webb's Garden Centre.

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.