Through White Ladies Aston, Millenium Way

Start: The March Hare Inn, Broughton Hackett WR7 4BE. Start Grid Ref: SO924 543

(S/E) Emerging from The March Hare Inn car park turn right onto the main road (A422), then almost immediately right (South-East) down the surfaced lane passing the leisure centre.

(1) Cross over a cattle grid to go gently uphill across the field ahead. Pass under power lines and take the large metal gate ahead continuing with the fence and hedge right to pass a waymark post in the wire fence right to reach the large metal gate in the corner of the field. Here you have joined The Millennium Way and will see the distinctive green Millennium Way waymarker.

Go through the gate and after a few paces take the next large gate left into the field. Follow around the edge of the field with a hedge right to find the far right corner metal gate. Take the gate then go over the bridge and ahead to take the gated hedge gap then 1/4 left to find the metal gate into the copse. Ahead through the copse to find the track (which can often be quite muddy). Go right on track which becomes a road passing houses left to arrive at a junction of roads.

(2) At the junction, take the gap immediately left (South) by the power pole, and go with the hedge left to take the hedge gap leading to the road. Cross the road to take the footpath through the churchyard. (You may wish to make a short visit to the church.)

Exit the churchyard by wide gravel path and take the gate to the road. Go left along the road, pass the wall right and round the right-hand bend in the road.

(3) After about 50 paces, at end of the red-bricked barn, take the finger post right to go up the track with wall and hedge right. Leave the path when it swings left, and continue ahead with the hedge right to find and cross an often overgrown wooden bridge to the field.

Go left 40 paces to the field corner and go right with the hedge left. Here we leave The Millennium Way. Continue up the field with the hedge left. Continue ahead into the next field keeping hedge left walking towards the narrow copse.

(4) On reaching the copse turn right ( do not enter the copse ) and go up the field with the hedge and copse left. Pass under power lines and take the gap ahead into the next field. After a few paces take the waymarked path left through the hedge gap into the next field continuing with the hedge left.

At the next gap enter the field left and go ahead keeping the hedge right. After 100yds take the waymarked gap right over a wooden footbridge and through the kissing gate into a field and continue up the field with hedge right to take the large metal gate next to a broken stile ahead. Follow the waymarker right around the edge of the next field to reach the road.

(5) Go left on the road and immediately past Spring Cottage take the footpath right through a wooden gate. Then please keep close to the right boundary, and follow around the boundary of this grassy area to take the corner fence stile into the next field and then go ahead with the hedge right.

Stay on the same heading through the field corner gap ahead and continue along the edge of four fields with hedge and wooded area right, to reach the main road.

(6) Cross over the main road (A422) taking great care as this is a very busy road. Follow the footpath (North) opposite keeping Churchill Wood on your right. (The route does not enter the wood but you may find a shady nook to take a break and some refreshment.)

Take the gap ahead and left into the next field. Sometimes, a diagonal path 1/2 right across the field has been marked by the farmer, ( If the footpath has not been reinstated across the diagonal, you may have to walk around the edge of the field keeping the hedge left. ) Soon another way post comes into view, take a gap through a gate and go downhill.

(7) Just before reaching the road take the footpath right through a large metal gate and go ahead keeping the ditch left. (PLEASE NOTE : On occasions, you may encounter a number of electric fences in this section. Please look carefully for the insulated handles with a hook, that enable safe passage through this electric fencing. Please DO NOT attempt to climb over or duck under the fencing. )

Take the gated corner field footbridge, cross over the farm track and take the gate into a field. Go half right across the field under power lines to take stile/bridge some 10 paces in from the field corner. Go up the field keeping the hedge left and over a stile to reach the road.

(8) Turn right on road for 500m and just before the bridge turn right (South-East-South) through the gate and continue along the edge of the field with the stream left. Take gate into next field then through the gap ahead over the stream.

After a few paces take the waymarked gate left then go right up the field keeping the hedge right. Go gently uphill, the under power lines to take the gate at the corner. Go ahead 30 paces to take the next gate right then continue along next field with the hedge left.

Go through a large metal gate and continue ahead towards the hamlet of Broughton Hackett directly ahead. Take stile or adjacent metal gate and pass houses to arrive at T-junction.

(9) Then turn right past the attractive church of St. Leonards. At the next T-junction turn right and follow lane around to left to reach the main road. Turn left and you are now back at The March Hare. (S/E)

Start: The March Hare Inn, Broughton Hackett WR7 4BE. Start Grid Ref: SO924 543
Parking: March Hare car park if taking refreshments or roadside. ( NB: if you do not intend to use the March Hare for refreshment or food please do not use the pub car park. Parking is available in the lay-by just up the road towards, or coming from, Upton Snodsbury).
Maps: OS Explorer 204 or OS Landranger 150
Stiles: 9 (not dog friendly)
Refreshments: The March Hare Inn (01905 381222)

A pleasant 5½ mile circular walk from Broughton Hackett with the opportunity to enjoy the delights of the Worcestershire countryside. The MILLENNIUM WAY section is clearly waymarked with the green and white circular waymarkers.

More information at Millenium Way website here.

Points of Interest - What to know and what to see.... by John Rae

Broughton Hackett
Known as Brocton Haket in the 13thC and Haggetts Broughton in the 16th C.

The village includes several timber-framed cottages, some black and white and others with brick filling; attached to Manor House Farm is a square timber-framed pigeon house of the 17th century. The houses are scattered along heavily-wooded lanes to the north of the main road.

The three manor houses of Broughton were granted by King Edgar to Pershore Abbey in 972 but had been given to Westminster Abbey by the time of the Domesday book in 1086. Some of the lands were sold to Lord Coventry in 1632 and to this day the Earl of Coventry still owns estates in the area.

The Enclosure Act was passed in 1807and the villagers lost their grazing rights in 1808.

Churchill
The small 14thC church of Churchill to the west is that of St Michael of Oswaldslow and is now in the care of the Churches Preservation Trust having been closed in 1999.

White Ladies Aston
In its early days the parish was known as Aston Episcopi The name White Ladies Aston derives from an order of Cistercian Nuns from Whitstones, north of Wocester who were granted land in the parishin the mid 13th C. The church of St. John Baptist was enlarged with the aisle and vestry in 1861 but it stands largely unaltered since the 12th C. Windows have been inserted in the 14th century and another in the 15th. The round-headed south doorway is 12th C . The font, probably of the 13th century, is of a dark red sandstone with a twelve-sided bowl. There are three bells: the first dated 1707; the second 1636; the third inscribed 'Sancte Jacobpe, ora pro nobis,' with a crowned female head and a cross.

The village has many half timbered thatched houses. At the south end of the village lies Moat Farm complete with a moat. Aston Court was formerly the residence of the Good family. During the Civil War the Goods took the Royalist side, and Aston Court was plundered.

'The Puritan commander, noticing a pretty Miss Good, became very rude in his attentions, and to save herself from outrage she fled into a neighbouring wood, where she climbed into a tree and shrouded herself among the thick foliage and thus escaped further notice'.

On the 28th August 1651 Cromwell stayed a night at a house in White Ladies Aston before the battle of Worcester.

Bredicot to the west has a church dedicated to St James the Less not a lot to be said.