Upton Snodsbury, North Piddle and Flyford Flavell, Millenium Way

Start: We start our walk from the car park of The Oak Pub, Upton Snodsbury WR7 4NW.

(S/E) Take the stile in the far corner of The Oak Pub car park, then go left up field to take the metal kissing gate and go diagonally left across next field heading towards the right of the church. Take the kissing gate ahead where you will have joined the Millennium Way and will see our green waymarkers.

Continue past houses left, through a wooden gate and pass the school on your right and Upton Snodsbury Church on your left.

(1) Cross the road and take the alleyway between houses to the field and go with hedge left for 200 yds, then cross the field and ditch to take a mid hedge kissing gate ahead. Go diagonally half right across the field heading towards the lone tree. When you reach hedge bear left, keeping hedge right, through two fields to corner stile and road.

(2) Cross the road to take the fence stile in the hedge going through the scrub to join the track and keeping to left of farm buildings. Continue with the hidden river left on the cinder track to take the bridge. Go through the double metal gate then diagonally half right to mid hedge gap by a single tree.

Go through another double metal gated gap and bear slightly left keeping the hedge right. Follow the hedge as it turns right at the corner to take the gap ahead between tall hedges. Enter the left field and go left just a few paces then turn right across the centre of the field ( wherever farmer has cleared footpath ) to pass about 20 paces to the left of the mid field double power poles heading towards a waymarked metal gated gap in the hedge ahead. Take the gated gap and go ahead through the plantation to gate onto the road.

(3) Cross the road, go over a metal stile and continue along a grassy tree lined path to the end to meet the hedge. Turn right and after 20 paces go left to cross the wooden footbridge and through a kissing gate. Continue ahead through copse between two barbed wire fences and exit by the metal kissing gate to cross the field ahead to take mid hedge kissing gate to road.

(4) Go left on the road to go over the crossroads at North Piddle and continue up the road passing Moat House and Bankside on your right. After some 250 paces take the signed footpath in the gated fence gap right. Go up the slope with the hedge right to take double fence stile then ahead with hedge right to exit field by corner stile.

Go ahead with the hedge right to take the kissing gate, then go immediately right to take the further kissing gate. Go left with hedge left to take far corner gate then ahead across next field keeping hedge left to take metal kissing gate (ignore stile right).

(5) Go diagonally half left up the next field towards lone dwelling and exit field by corner stile ( ignore gate left ) then go left around paddock towards the church over a wooden stile and passing between two dew ponds. Take wooden gate and go left around perimeter of the tennis court to take driveway onto Radford Road, Flyford Flavell. Go right on the road to pass (if you can) Auntea Rita's Tearoom.

(6) Just past The Boot Inn take the signed footpath left (here we leave the Millennium Way and join the Wychavon Way). Go over the stile then half left under power lines and take wooden gate at top of field. Continue diagonally across lawn to take corner metal gate to rough field.

Go ahead with hedge left to take gated gap, then downhill following power lines to second telegraph pole and around field edge to take metal gate behind car dealership to main A422.

(7) Cross the busy main road and take metal gate opposite, then quarter left to take gated footbridge ahead. After the footbridge go immediately left, then through metal gate then take footpath right (Wychavon Way). Go uphill with hedge right and find a nice seat with a view, then take a rather difficult fence stile with no footplate.

Go left up the drive over the cattle grid to turn right in front of house then over grassed area by kennels to take a stile. Go left with hedge left towards Grafton Wood ahead.

(8) Continue along the edge of wood for 300 yards as it swings gently right to take metal kissing gate left into the wood. (Here we leave the Wychavon Way to enter the wood which is a butterfly conservation area known for the Brown Hairstreak).

Maintain your line ahead through the wood to exit by a large kissing gate at the end of the track. Go half right diagonally across field to reach a gap. Take the gap following the waymark and after a few paces on rough track, go through a metal gate/gap over the ditch on your left and then go right along field edge track with hedge right.

(9) Exit the field at the wide corner gap and continue ahead on the track with trees and ditch right. Soon we can see Grafton Flyford Church ahead left. Continue along edge of field towards farm buildings to exit via double gated bridge in corner, to the right of large metal gate.

Head up the field towards the Church and Farm buildings, take the gate/gap and go through the farmyard with buildings left, through large wooden gate and down the drive towards the church. After passing the church ignore footpath left and continue right down track passing The Old Rectory to reach the road.

(10) Turn left at road then immediately right through kissing gate to field keeping ahead with hedge right. Take corner gap then go directly ahead across centre of two fields to reach a footbridge. Go over the footbridge then go left with hedge left until you come to gap.

Go right here, staying in the same field and head up the field towards double power lines keeping hedge left. Go under power lines towards barns. Turn right on reaching farm track to reach public footpath sign ahead.

(11) Go left here passing barn right, go through large metal gate and continue ahead with hedge left, ignoring a stile left. Stay ahead to eventually find stile adjacent to lone oak tree. Cross this stile and go ahead towards the distant Bow Wood, keeping hedge right, crossing the double stile in the top corner of the field then going half right in next field towards corner of wood. Go over the ditch and awkward stile by another large tree and go diagonally right towards the corner of the field to take the wooden gate into a copse.

(12) Go ahead 50 paces then through gap into large field and go with wood left. Keep ahead with edge of wood on your left until you see buildings ahead. Proceed around the edge of the field in front of buildings and exit to the drive through metal gate.

Continue down driveway past Froxmere Court and, on reaching the right hand bend about 100 paces before a stream, go sharp left through large metal gate (easy to miss so keep a look out) and then go up field heading towards the edge of the wood.

(13) Go through two metal gates into next field then stay directly ahead, across the middle of this very large uneven field, with stream over to your right and narrow woodland over to your left. Head towards farm buildings which will eventually appear in far distance to find and take metal gate in fence. Go straight down the farm track to the main road. Turn left to arrive back at The Oak. (S/E)

Start: The Oak, Upton Snodsbury WR7 4NW.
Parking: The Oak car park if visiting, otherwise roadside
Maps: OS Explorer 204 or OS Landranger 150
Stiles: 15 (not all dog friendly)
Refreshments:

• The Boot Inn, Flyford Flavell (01386 462658) /
• The Oak pub and Twisted Spoon Tearoom (01905 381631)

Note: During the early part of the walk, between Upton Snodsbury and Flyford Flavell you will enjoy a delightful section of the Millennium Way your route being clearly marked by the distinctive green waymarkers. Nestling between low hills and farmland, the pretty parish of Upton Snodsbury lies 7 miles east of Worcester along the A422.

More information at Millenium Way website here.

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

The church is dedicated to St. Kenelm and includes some fine stained glass windows, including several from the 1960s and 1970s by Francis Keat.

Upton Snodsbury
The Oak Pub and Twisted Spoon Tearooms, which are in the same building, are the starting point for this circular walk and good for all types of refreshments. You can park in the carpark if using them afterwards.

Upton Snodsbury was founded by the Saxons in the 7th Century and is mentioned in the Domesday Book as Snodesbyrie. The church, dedicated to St Kenelm, dates from the 13th Century and has interesting windows dating from 1960-70 by Francis Skeat. Much of the land surrounding the village was owned by Westminster Abbey and caused much legal wrangling with the Abbot of Pershore. In the past the fruit orchards were a most important local industry and celebrated with an Apple Day celebration today there is a bi-ennial Snodfest of local musicians and groups. The Civil War ravaged much of the local area and following the two battles for Worcester (1646 and 1651) as both cavaliers and roundheads scavenged destroying many properties.

North Piddle
Moorend Barn is situated above Piddle Brook which flows into the River Severn. The Domesday Book mentions two estates in North Piddle, both of which were held for the Abbey of Westminster by Urse d’Abetot. St Michael's, the parish church of North Piddle, was originally built in 1289 but almost nothing survives of the old building. It was rebuilt in 1876. In the census of 1821 there were 133 inhabitants compared with about 80 nowadays. Through the ages North Piddle Manor was connected to many colourful figures, including the Dukes of Norfolk. Thomas de Mowbray, 1st Duke of Norfolk, was banished from England and died of the bubonic plague Venice in 1399. His son Thomas de Mowbray was executed in 1405 and the manor was taken into family ownership and St Peters Flyford Flavellgranted to Edward Beauchamp. A few years later the manor was once again owned by the Dukes of Norfolk, but the direct line was broken when Anne de Mowbray, 8th Countess of Norfolk, who was married when she was 5 years old to Richard of Shrewsbury, died three years after her marriage. Her husband was murdered in the Tower of London soon after.

Flyford Flavell
Here there is the Boot Inn and Auntea Rita's Tearoom, both idea for a mid walk break.

Flyford Flavell is not separately entered in the Domesday Survey, being then included in the estate of 5 hides held at North Piddle under the Abbey of Westminster by Urse and having evidently been given with Pershore by Edward the Confessor to the abbey of Westminster. The land was given by King Edgar in 972 to the abbey of Pershore. The overlordship of the abbey was recognized until the 16th century. Urse's interest passed with his other estates to the Beauchamps, their overlordship being last mentioned in 1420–1. St Peter's parish church, with the exception of the 15th-century tower, was rebuilt in 1883. There are two bells one dating from 1480 and the other 1715. The Boot Inn has bits that date back to the 13th Century.

Butterfly Conservation AreaGrafton Wood is owned and managed by The Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts and is an ancient woodland great for bluebells and butterflies, especially the rare Brown Hairstreak.

Bow Wood is a remnant of the great Feckenham Forest and covers much of Castle Hill, an Iron Age fort. The whole area is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)

Court Farm,near the end of our circular, has evidence of a mill stream and was valued in Domesday at £7 10 shillings.