TO most of us, the countryside is a very important asset.

In addition to its economic value, the countryside offers us a wonderful amenity to relax in.

Here in Wyre Forest district, we can easily forget just how lucky we are having such large amounts of readily accessible and diverse countryside often just a short walk from our homes or at most a short car or bike journey away.

I recently had to take a car journey into Birmingham and ended up getting a little lost. Fortunately, I had a map, but it was an Ordnance Survey landranger one to 50,000.

This map and its partner showing Kidderminster and the west is great for navigating around Wyre Forest but parked up in a side street in Birmingham it was almost totally useless.

Maps only really work when you have a reasonable idea of where you are. In Wyre Forest with an OS map this is usually not too hard (unless you are in the forest then a little wandering round to find a landmark is necessary). In Birmingham though I was in trouble.

I looked on the map to try and see a patch of green or a clump of trees in the hope that it would help to fix my position. The map was almost bare of the typical landmarks I was used to seeing in order to find my way though. At this point it suddenly hit me. If I lived here there would be no open land or countryside anywhere near!

The thought of this was a real shock and to me was quite frightening.

Eventually I found my way and made it back to Wyre Forest safe and sound. While not so good at the time, that trip really made me think about how lucky we are to live in among all this countryside.

With this in mind, the team if Wyre Forest rangers is working on a new trail to take in what I believe is one of the most wonderful and under-visited pieces of open countryside for many miles, the Devil's Spittleful heathlands.

Unless you live nearby it has always been difficult to get to this reserve without first walking the mile or so to the reserve from Blackstone Picnic site car park.

However, with the opening of the new off road car parking at Burlish Top it is proposed to set up a waymarked circular trail around this most beautiful reserve.

The physical works to put this in will take a few months yet, but if you wish to have a sneak preview or find out more about these reserves you can join the rangers for a hour or so's trek next Wednesday, February 15.

We will meet at the Burlish Top car park, The Kingsway, Stourport at 10am.