Ditton Priors Walk 3

1. Start from the centre of the village with Ihe Howard Arms behind you and the church on your right. Walk approximately 50 metres from the village board, take the second turn left (waymarked), continuing down the road to the fingerpost marked Hall Yard Path. Follow the path for a short distance, over a stream, through a gate and to the end of some barn conversions.

2. At the end of the barns turn right, take the waymarked path to the left of the stream and cross a stile into a meadow. Go diagonally right, crossing two fields to bring you into Chapel Lane.

3. Turn right up the lane and at the sharp right bend take the road going straight up past the end of the terraced houses originally quarry workers’ cottages, through a gate on to the field path the old quarrymen’s route to work on the Brown Clee. Follow the path over two fields.

4. Continue straight up the field to the next stile, and up again, following the line to the left of a grubbed hedge on the right to cross a stile and up a steep field. Keeping Bank Farm on your left, exit on to the road known as Hillside by a cottage to your left.

5. Turn right, walk along the road for 400 metres looking out on your left for old lime workings and a derelict loading bay used as a practice stand for the village band in bygone days. Turn uphill through a wicket gate on your left and follow the path upwards.

6. After 100 metres the track winds back on itself between two old beech trees. Follow the path which strikes obliquely right uphill across a pasture, and then exit on to a track at the gate by some sweet chestnut trees. Before the gate note the old fence stretcher post with its winding-in attachments and admire the good views of Ditton Priors and the distant Wrekin.

7. Turn right, following the track for 500 metres and then through a five -barred gate. Follow the fence on the right and go through the wicket gate on to the open hillside. Notice the remains of the ancient boundary wall on theleft between Ditton Priors and Abdon parishes.

8. Continue straight on, following the contour of the hill, crossing two fences until you reach a wide track. Turn left here and follow the path to the trig point, the summit of Abdon Burf. Admire the views of the Welsh Marches, the Brecon Beacons, Cadet Idris and Snowdonia on a clear day.

There are visible remains of coal and stone quarrying here, and pre-1900 there was a large hill fort and boundary stones, the meeting place for farmers gathering stock from the hill.

9. Drop down on to the tarmac road and turn right, following the road over the cattle grid, keeping Lake Kilowatt on the right as you continue. More views of the Malvern Hills to the east and across the West Midlands.

10. Take the grassy path on the right at the end of the lake, keeping the old stone crushing house well to your left. The track drops down an ill-defined path which gradually gets clearer. Notice the remains of an old stone wall for about 40 metres on the left of the path. Head for a fir tree at the bottom of a short rocky descent and follow the grassy track ahead with a beech wood on the left and a small water course on the right, until you come to a gate leading into woodland.

11. Continue down the woodland track until you pass through a gate at the bottom. Turn left along the forest road for a short distance, forking right just before the double gates. Carry on down the grassy path to the Hillside picnic site. Take advantage of the commemorative benches to admire views of the Black Country and the Clent Hills to the east.
12. Over the stile turn left, following the lane for 1km. passing the junction with Bent Lane. Turn right at the stile by the cottage and retrace your outward route to Ditton Priors.