Gentle stroll, fantastic views – 1 mile

Clent Hills,

The Hills have been enjoyed by day-trippers from nearby Midlands towns and cities NT places nearby for over 200 years. This short walk leads through woodland to the top of a hill where on a clear day the Welsh Black Mountains are visible on the horizon. Visitors in spring will see Back to Backs, Coughton Court, Edge, the hillside and woodland floor coloured lilac by bluebells. Hanbury Hall.

Getting there and facilities The Four Stones on the summit of Clent Hill may look a little The are SW of Birmingham, not far from the M5 (Junction 4 then the A491). Regular mysterious, but they were buses (-Birmingham) take you within 10mins walk of the start of the walk. Go to actually created in the 18th www.traveline.org.uk for public travel advice. Map & start grid ref: OS Explorer 219, SO 938807. century for Lord Lyttleton as a Facilities include accessible toilets, a café, picnic spot and information point. A National Trust to be viewed from down in leaflet is available with more walk options around the Clent Hills. the valley by visitors.

Points of interest © NTPL/David Noton

• Victorian tourists:

Just eight miles from Birmingham city centre, the Clent Hills have attracted huge numbers of visitors since the early 19th century when they formed a picturesque back drop for ‘Bicknall’ Beacon on Clent Hill Park, the fine home and estate of Lord Lyttelton. One Victorian report raised concerns about was such a good viewpoint that ‘midnight revelling’ and to discourage such rowdiness the park gates were locked to the public in 1588 it was used as part of a for a while. This didn’t last for long though and by the early 1900s, the hills were more popular chain of bonfires which sent than ever. warning of the Spanish Armada into the Midlands.

• Conservation: Donkey rides and grass-toboganning were among the activities that thrilled visitors but led to © NTPL/David Noton quite severe erosion of the Clent grassland. At the same time local farmers grazed their sheep and cattle less and less on the hills. All this meant that if the open landscape wasn’t being

churned into mud by tourists, it was being invaded by bracken and scrub. Today the National Trust is restoring acid heathland here. It is now a rare habitat throughout the UK, but a great The colourful yellowhammer environment for supporting birds like linnet, butterflies such as the small heath and small can be found in and around copper, and solitary bees. the woodland and scrubby hillsides here. They have an • Wildlife: interesting high-pitched song Despite being close to a major city, there is a good variety of wildlife to search for in the Clent which is said to sound a bit Hills. Try to spot birds like buzzard, yellowhammer, redstart and warblers. Butterflies can also like “a-little-bit-of-bread-and- be seen flitting over the grassland in summer. no-cheese”!

• Horse’s Mane Woodland: “In the words of one of the founders of the Trust, Octavia Hill, the As you walk through this area, you’ll pass lots of old beech ‘pollards’. These are 250 year old Clent Hills are an ‘urban sitting room’ – a place where a great trees which were cut just above head height so that they sprouted a mass of branches low diversity of people come to for tranquillity and fresh air.” down, providing food for livestock. Today, they are home to insects, beetles and nesting birds. Anna Russell, NT Property Manager Distance, terrain and accessibility

This is a gentle 1ml (1.6km) walk. A wide ‘all-ability’ path, with compacted gravel and little gradient, goes to the fantastic viewpoint of The Four Stones. It is suitable for pushchairs and most wheelchairs. The circular route returns via a steeper and slightly more uneven woodland trail.

Many paths criss-cross the National Trust’s Clent Hills estate. If you want to extend your walk and explore the area further, try taking a route off to the south west from The Four Stones, towards Adam’s Hill, for more interesting countryside and Clent village (see dotted-line on this map). Refer to an OS map to help plan where to go.

Route directions

1. Climb up a gentle zig-zag slope into the woodland from Nimmings café and information point. Turn right and follow an easy access path through the trees, with some fine views and resting points on the way.

2. Emerging from the woods you reach a sweeping panorama looking west towards Wenlock Edge and the .

Return to your start point via the ‘all-ability’ path you came on or turn left and walk up to what appears to be some prehistoric standing stones... ‘The Four Stones’ are not in fact ancient at all but were erected in the 1770s. The views from here are some of the best in the Clent Hills. To the west is the Severn Valley and the Welsh boarder, while to the north is Birmingham and the .

3. Skirt to the left of the clump of trees behind the standing stones and enter through a gate into Horse’s Mane Woodland. Listen out for or try to spot birds like thrush, nuthatch, perhaps even a greater-spotted woodpecker. © Reproduced by permission of Ordnance Survey. 4. While taking care not to trip on exposed tree roots, look up All rights reserved. through the woodland canopy and you may catch sight of OS licence no. AL 100018591 buzzard circling above. Skirt left and return to the car park.

As a charity, independent of government, the National Trust relies on the generosity of its supporters to continue caring for our countryside and wildlife, so that everyone can enjoy the beauty of the outdoors for generations to come

Find out more at www.nationaltrust.org.uk