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Arley Walk

Arley and the River Severn

Map illustrated by Kendall Walford from Oldbury Wells School

Start: The village of Upper Arley, on the River Severn four miles upstream from Bewdley. The village is off the A442 Bridgnorth-Kidderminster road. Grade: Moderate. Distance: Four and a half miles. Terrain: Gently undulating on field paths some over arable land and riverside path. Refreshments: Village tea rooms and Harbour Inn on the western side of river via footbridge. Arboretum tea room open to non visitors Wed - Sun March to November. Recommended map: OS Explorer 218 Wyre Forest and Kidderminster.

The picturesque riverside village of Upper Arley is the start of this walk which offers views across the Severn valley. The final part of the route follows a path alongside the River Severn.

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The Route

(1) From the car park walk back to the road. At the junction go left uphill. At the arboretum gates go ahead on the signed footpath which follows the drive with Arley House to the left. Pass through a gateway and continue forward on a surfaced path.

(2) Immediately right of the next gate cross a stile. Ignore the footpath down the field and go left and ahead keeping the fence immediately on your left. When the fence ends go half left over the drive and ahead to cross a stile. Go half right up the arable field aiming for a particularly large tree in the middle of the copse and a waymark post.

(3) At the field edge go ahead on path through the trees. Over a stile and forward on the field right-hand boundary heading for the buildings and passing a tree-lined pool, left. In field corner go right through a gateway and ahead on an enclosed farm track which bends left and on to the farm buildings.

(4) At the metalled drive go right for a few paces and then left over a stile. The right of way is left into the corner, then right and ahead on what once was the field boundary - with a clump of trees to the left - to eventually join a hedge-line, on your left, down the field to a stile in the corner. The line of path over this arable field may be marked out on a slightly different line. Cross the stile and continue forward on field edge.

(5) Cross a stile and go half right up the field to pass through an old hedge-line with a fenced wooded former quarry on the left and ahead to a stile a adjacent a gate to exit on to a farm road. Go left on the road and at the barn conversions veer to the right on the tarmac drive keeping the homes and then garages on your left. Go ahead to pass through a facing gateway and on an enclosed path at end of which go left and forward on the field boundary with hedge on your left.

(6) Pass two ponds on your left and follow the field edge round and on to a corner stile. Cross and go right over a stone footbridge. Go half left across the field, passing under power lines, to join a fence line and raised area on your right. Veer left to pass immediately to the right of a smaller raised area - on your left - and ahead to a stile. Cross the stile and footbridge - beware stones can be slippery - going forward over the field to a gate out on to a lane.

(7) Go left on the road and just before reaching a house go left through a gateway on signed footpath which goes forward on field boundary. Pass through two gateways keeping to the right-hand boundary. In the field with part of a motox track the right of way has become completely overgrown in the field corner. So in the corner go left a few paces and then go right with the ruins of a stone building immediately on your right. Within a few paces, at the top of the steepish slope, go right again and down the field keeping to the right-hand boundary - avoiding any bikes if the track is in use! At the bottom pass through trees and on to the river bank.

(8) Go left and ahead on the riverside path for the two-mile walk back to Arley. Initially the path is undulating and then levels out as it passes through meadows.