THIS is a lovely walk in the gentle countryside between Inkberrow and Bow Brook. Full of variety, it includes Gannow Wood, a small but special place which is a remnant of ancient woodland and therefore has a rich flora and fauna, including masses of bluebells and wild garlic.

Deer live in the wood and may also be seen grazing in the neighbouring fields. Bird species present include both little owl and barn owl. Gannow Wood is part of a landholding run on organic, bio-dynamic principles and subject to an environmental stewardship agreement.

The benefits of this include the provision of a permissive path giving enhanced public access (available until April 2017). The route of the path is shown on a map posted within the wood.

FACTFILE

Start: Inkberrow (on A422 east of Worcester); grid ref SP014572.

Length: 6¼ miles/10km.

Maps: OS Explorers 204 and 205, OS Landranger 150.

Terrain: Pasture, arable and woodland, mostly flat.

Footpaths: Most are excellent but a few have not been reinstated after ploughing.

Waymarking is missing in places. A 500m stretch of road-walking near Stockwood Business Park is due to a path closure. If you plan to deviate from the route, be aware some paths northwest of Inkberrow are very obstructed.

Stiles: 22.

Parking: Church Lane, Inkberrow.

Buses: WCC 350, Mon-Sat; worcestershire.gov.uk/bustimetables or 01905 765765.

Refreshments: Pubs and shop at Inkberrow.

DIRECTIONS

1 From the village centre, walk south along the main road towards Worcester, then take Stonepit Lane. Turn right on a footpath after about 200m and ignore branching paths. After 300m, cross a stile into a field and proceed a short distance to a waymarked junction. Two paths go diagonally left across the field: take the second one. It has not been reinstated after ploughing and sowing, but if you aim for a hill on the horizon, to the right of two pine trees, you’re going in roughly the right direction. Cross a stile in the far hedge to a lane.

2 Cross to a path opposite and go diagonally across a rapefield if you can, but the path has been overcropped.

It is still usable at the time of writing but if that’s no longer the case you should be able to get along the left-hand edge. Go past a hedge corner and continue in the same direction to a pair of stiles. Go into dairy pasture and cross diagonally to the far right corner then diagonally across a final field to a lane. Cross to a footpath opposite and ignore a branching path on the left after about 75m.

3 When you reach the driveway to Berrowfields Farm take the second track on the right, which soon leads into a field. Go straight across and through a small, unmarked, slightly overgrown and easily missed hedge-gap into another field. Turn right, then keep straight on, past an open gateway on the left, and into the next corner where you’ll find two stiles. Go diagonally right in the next field to a gate just to the right of a cattle byre.

Go through the gate and proceed a short distance to a junction. Turn left on a track, walk to a lane at Stock Wood and turn left.

4 The lane bends right and then becomes a bridleway. Carry straight on past Stock Wood Lodge and then straight on at a bridleway junction, past farm buildings and across a rapefield on a well-made path to the corner of Roundhill Wood. Leave the bridleway and take a footpath which descends along the edge of the wood. Keep roughly straight on in the next corner, passing to the left of an oak tree, after which the route is obvious.

5 Approaching a farmhouse, go through an open gateway on the left to bypass the house, then join the farm drive and follow it to a road. Take a path opposite, which is also the driveway to Castle Farm.

Ignore a path branching left after about 100m and keep straight on when the driveway turns left. The path is then easily followed through meadows. As you enter the final meadow you’ll see a stile over to the right which is on your onward route, but the right of way doesn’t go directly to it. Instead, it goes forward to meet a road near Priest Bridge.

Don’t join the road but turn round and walk back across the field, going diagonally left to the stile.

6 Cross the road to a path almost opposite. Walk through four meadows then turn right through an open gateway into another meadow. Go diagonally to the far right corner, after which the path is easily followed to a road. Turn left, then left again after 500m on a bridleway/driveway to Rush Farm and Stockwood Business Park.

When the bridleway bends left take a footpath at a stile and walk along a field edge then through Gannow Wood. You can stick entirely to the right of way through the wood or you can choose to take a permissive path which provides a little extra access – there is a map at the junction of the two.

7 Leave the wood at the far side and turn right, then go left at a junction after about 300m. Follow the waymarked path to meet a lane just south of the farm buildings at Morton Underhill. Turn right, then take the second path on the left (Millennium Way) after about 400m.

Go diagonally uphill then turn right to walk along a field edge to a road.

The path continues opposite through more fields to meet a lane at Inkberrow. Turn left, then right, to return to the village centre.

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.

Worcester News recommends the use of OS Explorer Maps, your ideal passport to navigating the countryside. This walk is based on OS Explorers 204 and 205.