Cleobury Country Walk 13: The Far Forest

Walk directions

1. Step 1

   Head away from the A4117 around left hand bend at bottom of New Road, ignoring right turn, then left again at next bend (Church Lane) ignoring road straight ahead. Pass Far Forest church then take path on right through gate into woodland.

2. Step 2

   Follow waymarks to keep to right hand edge of woodland. At end (with stile on your right), turn left downhill. Continue forward where edge of woodland turns right. Go through old metal kissing gate, over footbridge and into field.

3. Step 3

   Continue along right hand field edge, (ignore FP on left) and over stile ahead. Go diagonally left across field towards bungalow, through gate and forward then left along lane. Shortly turn right down track at bend then left (opposite house) onto bridleway. Continue to road.

   For short option, turn right to walk along road, passing turning on right to entrance to nature reserve at Step 10.

4. Step 4

   Turn left for 100 metres. Take track on the right, just after buildings and straight on into the grounds of Catswell Farm. Veer left off the drive, into a hollow before the drive bends right keeping to the left boundary of the property and in the far corner descend into woodland via steps.

5. Step 5

   Go left over a stile and continue through woodland. Where the main track starts to go up again, take the path on the right downhill to a footbridge. Once over the footbridge (county boundary) into a field, follow the right hand field boundary uphill and bending left to a gate and the A4117.

6. Step 6

   Turn right and walk along the right hand side of the A4117 for 150metres to turn right down a bridleway. Pass a metal gate and forward along a track. Where the track bends right, veer left through a metal gate in deer fencing.

7. Step 7

   Walk in the same direction to a waymark post at a path junction. Continue forward (ignoring path to metal gate on right) on track and through a metal gate. Go downhill through a cutting to a cross track THE OLD RAILWAY.

8. Step 8

   Go forward uphill. At the top, take the track to the right out of the wood and shortly left over a stile. Keep the field boundary on your right to gate at end of field and forward to a track.

9. Step 9

   Turn left and continue along track to a lane and turn right. At road junction go right. Continue along lane, over a river bridge (county Boundary) then uphill to an entrance to THE BETTS NATURE RESERVE on your right.

   To explore the reserve, go downhill to an information board showing the route of permissive paths around the reserve.  Following a path around the reserve and eventually exit at the same access point

10. Step 10

    Take the stile opposite. Keep the field boundary to your left. Go over a stile and forward between fence and hedge over another stile. Continue in same direction through gates and then with field boundary on your right through a kissing gate to a road.

11. Step 11

    Turn left and continue along lane for some distance. It winds to go under old railway route then uphill. Where the road bends sharp right go left down a bridleway and to the right hand side of a house. Continue down to footbridge, left and up again to go over stile on right.

12. Step 12

    Go over next stile ahead then uphill with field edge to your left, then after stile, onto concrete track uphill into farmyard.  Follow main track through farm and left past barn. Follow this track which eventually becomes road in same direction back to the car