Hockley Heath and Packwood, Millenium Way

(S/E) Starting from the Wharf Tavern in Hockley Heath you are already on The Millennium Way, where you will see our distinctive black and white waymarkers. Make your way through the pub car park to take a small bridge left, leading to the canal.

(1) Go left (East) along the towpath keeping the canal on your right. Pass a drawbridge (Number 26), then under road bridge (Number 27) - there is a picnic table in a few yards here, on the towpath - and eventually reach a second drawbridge (Number 28). Here we leave The Millennium Way by turning left down a short wide track to the main road.

(2) Go left on narrow grass verge for 80 paces and then cross the road (Old Warwick Road) to take the stile next to metal gate, into the field. Go ahead with hedge and trees left, past where field bottlenecks and eventually exit field through unmarked far hedge gap into next field.

Continue ahead now with hedge right to eventually pass under low voltage power lines to take corner stile. Go with the hedge left to reach a surfaced drive by entrance to a large country house (Malt House Farm).

(3) Go right along footpath to the side of drive, to reach the road (Grove Lane). Cross the road and take the metal kissing gate into Packwood House Estate. Go ahead following the National Trust Waymarker posts noticing the glorious views to your left with the lake and Packwood House in the distance. Don't miss taking the metal kissing gate on the right into large field and go along edge of field keeping trees and fence left.

After 250 yards, just past the corner, take the metal gate left to cross the wooden plank bridge and then through the gap ahead by the metal gate. Continue on the sometimes very muddy/waterlogged path between the fence & Pratt's Pit Wood to exit by a gap to the road (Packwood Road).

(4) Turn left on the road to pass the National Trust Packwood House (Gardens and house left, Tea Shop right), where we rejoin The Millennium Way. Then continue along the road for 400 yards, passing Grove Lane on the left and after a further 120 paces take the kissing gate left into field, following the black Millennium Way waymarker, to go over centre of field to gap under power lines.

(5) From this gap go ahead with the hedge left for 60 paces to another gap, then follow the waymarker to go half right to power pole in corner by trees, to take kissing gate leading into St. Giles churchyard. Face the front door of church then go left on pathway to exit churchyard via double wooden gate / kissing gate to car park. Go left here along church access driveway to reach the road (Glasshouse Lane).

(6) Turn right at road and continue along to the T-junction. Go left at T-junction and then continue on to meet A4023 road coming in from right. Go straight ahead uphill signposted Hockley Heath, following road round left bend to then meet the main A3400 Stratford Road by Miller and Carter.

(7) Turn left here to walk along main road past a convenience store and, crossing over the pedestrian crossing, a Fish & Chip shop and a Co-op. Arrive back at The Wharf Tavern on your right.(S/E)

Start: Wharf Tavern, Hockley Heath B94 6QT
Start Grid Ref: SP 152 725
Parking: Wharf Tavern if visiting, otherwise in park across the road.
Maps: OS Explorer 220 or OS Landranger 139
Stiles: 2 (not dog friendly)
Refreshments:

• Packwood House
• Wharf Tavern ( 01564 782075)
• Miller & Carter (01564 784137)
• Marsin Bakery

There is a lovely bakery just over the bridge if you fancy coffee and cake to finish your walk.
Accommodation is available at the Premier Inn, 400 yards up the Stratford Road towards Birmingham and at Rose Cottage Bed and Breakfast, 400 yards towards Stratford upon Avon.

More information at http://www.walking.41club.org/hockleyhea...

Points of Interest - What to know and what to see.... by Andy Botherway

• Church of St Giles Packwood

The earliest record of Packwood, southeast of Solihull, is in a deed dated 1190 witnessed by Walter, chaplain of Packwood and is evidence that there was a priest and no doubt a church. The present Church of St Giles dates from the latter part of the 13th century (1270-80) and stands secluded and peaceful in fields, with Church Farm and Packwood Hall as its nearest neighbors. It was at St Giles on a June morning in 1706 that a Lichfield bookseller, Michael Johnson, came to marry Sara Ford. Their son, born in 1709, grew up to become Dr Samuel Johnson of literary fame. The registers actually date back to 1668 and are kept in the church safe. See the notes on our Packwood Circular for more details. Packwood Hall to the west of the church is a moated house with a 17th Century timber framed wing.

• Packwood House

The house began as a modest timber-framed farmhouse constructed for John Fetherston between 1556 and 1560. Its interiors were extensively restored between the First and Second World Wars by Graham Baron Ash to create a fascinating 20th-century evocation of domestic Tudor architecture.

It contains a fine collection of 16th-century textiles and furniture and the gardens have renowned herbaceous borders. The famous Yew Garden containing over 100 trees was laid out in the mid-17th century by John Fetherston, the lawyer. The clipped yews are supposed to represent "The Sermon on the Mount". In 1941, Ash donated the house and gardens to the National Trust.

• Hockley Heath

The village was formed as a horse-changing point on the 25 mile journey between Birmingham and Stratford-upon-Avon. Miller and Carter stands in the place where the stables are thought to have once stood. The Wharf Tavern is a busy pub on the main road to Stratford from Birmingham. Built-in 1849, it served the coal barges that pulled up at the local wharf. The back garden of the pub was the coalyard. A local story is that someone committed suicide by shooting themselves in the pub cellar in the 1960’s!