Awarded ’s Attraction of the year! www.cobhouse.org Circular Walk 1

Visi . . . Cob House .org t us for dly Fun Family Frien 45 acres! Leisure, Wildlife Centre, Café & Fisheries set in

Worcester Road, , Worcester, WR6 6YE (3 miles from Worcester on the B4204) Tel: 01886 888517

Leave Cob House Fisheries (1) and follow the old Victorian pools to the end. Cross over the narrow bridge and go straight ahead to the wooden gate (2). Go through 10 the gate and follow the route of the power lines south (fp 633á635) keeping the Cob House farm to your right.

Between you and the farm buildings are the remnants of an old orchard - the first on our walk - which, for a number of years, 1 have contained a family of little owls. Look out for the fierce 2 faces of the owls. They have a piercing stare that it is unlikely you will be able to overcome! Osbern Cobbe is recorded in the 12th century as owing 2 pigs yearly to the Bishop of Worcester. 9 And in 1299 Richard Cobbe is still paying the same. William Cobbe is listed as paying tax in 1327, so it is likely that there 8 has been a farm on this site for over 850 years.

5 Keep in the same direction through a gateway along the line 4 of the right side hedge. Before you pass through the 7 gateway, look to your left at the wide verge running along 6 3 the hedge. This is part of the old road from Worcester that can still be traced from Kenswick Mill to Cob House. It passes through the gate behind you to run alongside the large pond (probably the remains of a moat) by the house before joining what is now the drive to the farm. OS map licence number : 100051779 Circular walk 1 Continue to follow the power lines until you reach the hedge corner then cross the field diagonally, aiming for the right hand end of the trees facing you and a stile by an open gateway, then continue along the field edge with the line of trees and hedgerow on your left and fine views of the Malvern Hills in front of you. The wide row of trees to your left is a remnant of an ancient trackway running due north - south through Wichenford. Parts of it have been used for modern roads; parts remain as green lanes - you will end up walking one of these - and some have become mere footpaths. It is said that the track can be traced from the first ford on the Severn to the first ford on the Teme. In which case it is likely that its origins lie back in prehis- toric times. Cross a stile (note to your left a gate that closes off the entrance to the old trackway). Proceed a few yards then strike off slightly right to the right hand end of the Malvern Hills in the distance where you will find a metal signpost on the road and close to it a stile across the metal fence, out on to the road - beware of traffic! (3) Turn right on the road back towards for 90-100m then enter the field through the first gate on the left (4). Proceed along the track. On the right, a few more remnants of Worcestershire’s once extensive orchards can be seen in front of an old cottage. The house is Little Cob House and may well be the cottage recorded as being built for Mr Cresswell in 1765 “The Lord grants the possession of the sd. Mes. called the Cob House with the appurtenances (except a new erected Messuage or Tenement with Garden Homestall & orchard thereto belonging now in the tenure of James Cresswell)”. The orchard has sadly fallen into disrepair but would have contained a broad collection of apples and pears: names of such fruit known to have been grown in Wichenford include: Worcester Pearmain: Princess Pippin: Chatley Kernels: Lady Henniker - apples: Louis Bon, Pitmaston: Bon Chretien: Beurre dHuile - pears. Beyond is Berrow Hill and to the right, Woodbury Hill where, in 1405, the Welsh rebel leader, Owain Glyn Dwr, and his French allies fought the English armies. Only one contemporary historian refers to Glyn Dwr's advance into Worcestershire. However, a local story would support his report. It narrates how a man and his family living near Martley fled in front of the French. On arriving at the bridge in Worcester, he was stopped by the guards, only for his wife riding behind him on the saddle to fall dead from the horse; she had been shot in the back and had died on the journey to the city. It is a fact that Glyn Dwr's army was made up of many French mercenaries and that the city gate at Worcester stood on the St John's side of the bridge and would have been well guarded - so something in this story smacks of a true memory handed down over the years. You are now well into our beautiful grassland areas of traditional grazing where small numbers of Lapwings, Curlews (and Hares) still survive. These birds have disappeared from much of lowland Britain and are uncommon in many other areas of the county but especially during the spring, their display calls and distinctive flights can be heard and seen without too much difficulty. Also, in spring and summer, keep an eye out for Swallows flying low over the pasture in their endless search for insects.

Along the track you pass a waymark sign and eventually reach the first remaining hedgeline where you should turn right to a gate and left through it. Observe woodland with a long pond in it on the right. Reach and pass through an elegant gate, in the right hand corner of the field exiting to the front of Candleford (5), a local residence and path crossroads. The route to the right is to Hucks Farm, a beautiful half timbered residence and to the left, a large coppice, Peghouse Wood and the road from Broadheath. Your route is to walk straight on along the drive from Candleford to the road at Wants Green corner (6) where you turn right.

Wants Green (including the house and garden) is probably the remains of a parish gore - a triangle of no-man's land between three parishes, here , Martley and Wichenford. In ancient times meetings were held between parishes on this neutral land and disputes settled. Wichenford is fortunate in still having three recognisable gores: one here; one at Ockeridge and one on the Grimley / Hallow boundary.

65-70m along the road, turn right up some steps and over a stile (7). Head straight on, keeping the managed woodland and then the hedge on your right passing, to the left, horse paddocks (fp 661). Cross two stiles; after the second, cross the field diagonally left to reach junction with the path from Candleford (fp 655 from the right) between some farm buildings (8). This is rough grazing land – keep an eye out for hunting birds, such as kestrels and, perhaps even barn owls who will be after voles in amongst the uneven grass tussocks. Turn left then a slight right then left to regain the northerly line of the path, along a well used access road to Huck’s Farm - now residential units.

Huck's farm is named for a family known to have been resident in Martley in 1366 but not traceable (so far) in Wichenford until 1669. The earliest known resident is Richard Clark, who was living here in 1526.

Cross over a footpath then the stream, through a field gate and left into a narrow field (stream to the left), aiming slightly right to a stile in the hedge line. Here the path should follow the left side of the hedge to the road (9), but at the time of writing (May 2011), this is blocked by a horse paddock, a clear route being usable on the right side of the hedge line. Turn right along Willow Road for just over 1km, to nearly reach the junction with Martley Road B4204.

You are now walking along part of the Saxon Boundary as described in a charter dated 757 AD! At that time the boundary line wriggled its way round tumuli (ancient burial sites) which lay along this way. Unfortunately no sign of these can be found any longer. The two houses at the T junction, called Boxleys and the Old Forge / Boxley Farm stand on very ancient sites. Boxley was formerly known as Abbots, named for Simon Abbot who paid dues to the Bishop in 1299. The Old Forge/Boxley Farm was previously Hawe House, so named for the hedge (Saxon haw: as in Hawthorn) that divided Martley and Wichenford recorded in the same Saxon charter of 757. One owner, John at the Hawe, paid taxes in 1327.

Go through the metal gate on the right (10) and along a green lane between properties and lovely stands of woodland made up, firstly, of Scots Pine, Oak and Ash and then of poplar which is well adorned with Mistletoe – a common midlands semi parasitic plant (more usual here than elsewhere in the country) that grows on the trunk and branches of the tree. Every time a man kisses a girl under the mistletoe, he is perpetuating a magic ritual that has gone on for thousands of years. Enjoy !

You are now walking part of the prehistoric trackway mentioned earlier. Going north it crosses Laugherne Green, becomes the main Worcester Martley Road until the top of Laugherne Hill, where it continues as a footpath until Highfields; It then forms part of the Martley/Wichenford boundary as Rosses Lane also part green lane, before turning back into a footpath from Ross Green to Witton Hill. It leaves the two parishes as a bridle path called Shockley Lane before entering . You followed it going south earlier in the walk: where the stile met the road, it continues down Withermore Lane to Cobblers Corner, then onto Broad Green by road before ending at the old ford in Broadwas.

Until the last gate that takes you back into Cob House Fishery land and where you joined the route (2). Go straight ahead back over the bridge and return to your starting point (1).

We hope you enjoyed the stunning natural beauty and scenic views you may have encountered along the way. There are Toilets within Cob House and a cosy Café to reward yourself with some welcome refreshments.

Congratulations on completing your walk! www.cobhouse.org 01886 888517 Cob House .org Leisure, Wildlife Centre, Café & Fisheries