Distance: 6.1 miles
Difficulty of the terrain: medium
Get the route via: Ordnance Survey Maps or download the GPX. file from Dropbox
Countryside walk from Alvechurch in Earlswood through the hilly north Worcestershire landscape. walk goes via the summit of Hob Hill and Forshaw Heath source of the River Blythe.
The Story
The Walk
Getting Back
The Source of Solihull’s River
Only being sixteen miles from its source just west of Earlswood Lakes, the River Blythe is not especially long, but it is an undoubtedly significant stream in the part of the Midlands where it runs.
The River Blythe is one a myriad of significant streams, including the Rea and the Cole, which rise on raised land towards the southern edge of the Birmingham Plateau before flowing north towards the River Tame (which also rises from raised ground to the south of the plateau) and eventually the River Trent. Rivers also flow from similar ground the other way south towards the Severn and the Avon including the River Stour and the River Arrow. In this regard the watershed has quite an uneven boundary although it is a major feature of the English Midlands.
Like its peers which also rise along the Severn – Trent Watershed the River Blythe is a twisty waterway. Winding its way north and westwards across the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull before flowing in a pretty straight line northwards across the Meriden Gap. The Meriden Gap is significant as the most substantial, primarily rural part of West Midlands county, it comprises the bulk of the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull and provides a green buffer space between the built up mass of Greater Birmingham and Coventry. In this way it is truly the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull’s river.
Indeed rather than taking the name Meriden, which refers to a large village to the north of the Meriden Gap area, the area might be more appropriately called Blythe Valley, (as indeed could the Metropolitan Borough as a whole) because the river is a prominent feature cutting its way straight through the middle of the landscape. Though the name Blythe Valley has now been taken by a myriad of commercial and residential property developers alike to describe developments on the eastern outskirts of Solihull.
The River Blythe’s significance as a site for nature is also quite substantial. Since 1989 much of its course has been recognised as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, because of the river’s character as an excellent example of a lowland clay bedded stream. There are numerous nature reserves and over sites of wildlife, woodland and fauna conservation along its course.
Unfortunately, like so many British rivers the condition of the River Blythe is currently unfavourable in many ways. This is partly due to poor water quality, partly because of historical works to straighten the river for flood prevention, industrial and other developmental purposes.
Earning the Blythe a place of significance in British history is the fact that Coleshill, where the River Cole converges with the River Blythe, merely hundreds of metres from where they both join the Tame, is believed to be the place where the first skirmish of the English Civil War took place. The musket ball pockmarked walls of the local fortified manor house were unearthed a few years back by archeologists working for HS2 Ltd.
The Walk
Get the route: via Ordnance Survey Maps or download the GPX. file from Dropbox
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This walk from Alvechurch in Worcestershire to Earlswood in Warwickshire, via places where the headwaters of the River Blythe rise, begins from Alvechurch Railway Station.
Upon alighting, walk to the far end of the platform beside the road bridge on the edge of the village. Here clamber up a short flight of steps and head out along the access road onto a residential street.
Once on the public road turn right and walk along a residential road lined with Twentieth Century vintage houses running along the southern edge of Alvechurch village.
Presently you come to a fork, with a narrow lane running off to your right. Cross over the road and head right down this lane approaching Alvechurch’s parish church.
Before you reach the church you come to a part-timbered, rather Alpine, or at least Germanic looking building. Here there is a narrow lane running off to the right, once more, running through an old residential part of the village characterised by large grand houses.
Turn right and begin walking along this road. Taking care as cars travel along it fast, it is quite twisty, and there is no pavement in many places.
Keep walking straight along the road for some distance.
Presently you come out beside a main road running out of Alvechurch south towards the major A441 which runs between Birmingham and Redditch.
Here turn right and walk for a very short distance until you are opposite a driveway flanked by trees.
Cross the road here and head down the driveway which is waymarked as a public bridleway.
Head down the tarmacked bridleway path descending across an expansive north Worcestershire landscape.
Presently you approach woodland, crossing the River Arrow, which flows southwards through Redditch towards the Avon at Alcester.
Amidst the trees you walk beneath a bridge which carries the A441 across your head.
Continue along the bridleway heading out of the woodland and walking uphill, on the far side of the tunnel.
Presently nearing the brow of the hill you walk past Alvechurch Lodge Farm.
Here the tarmac driveway ends and the bridleway turns into a well-worn, well defined dirt pathway, walking along the brow of a hill, accessed to the left of where the driveway peters out beside the farm.
Continue along this track for some distance.
Presently you reach a metal gate which you walk through to enter the farmyard of Rowney Lodge Farm. Once through the gate walk down the driveway past some cottages on your left straight ahead approaching a main road.
Once on the road turn right and taking care walk uphill for a short distance.
Soon on your left you come to the driveway of Rowney Green Court, a tall 18th Century vintage house surrounded by outbuildings.
Walk down the track passing Rowney Green Court on your left and a set of barns on your right.
For a little way beyond the barns you follow a well worn track for some distance.
Presently next to a tumbled down stile you leave the track and begin heading off to the right following a path up a short, but quite prominent hill, making for a patch of bushes at the top.
Follow the path into the bushes and continue up to the brow of the hill on the other side.
Presently at the top of the hill you come to a stile on your right which you climb over into a hilltop meadow on the other side.
Once in the meadow head to the right making for a couple of trees just over the brow of the hill.
Upon reaching them there is a stile down onto a farm track which you clamber over. Here in front of you slightly to the right there is a stile leading into a field which sharply slopes downhill.
Cross this stile too and then walk to the left passing a little pool in the middle of the field obscured by a patch of trees.
Past this pool you approach the far side of the field.
On the far side of the field there is a stile which you cross and then head to the right down towards a further stile.
Cross this stile and then head straight down hill towards some flat marshy ground at the base of the hill not too far from where a farmyard is situated.
Approaching some trees clustered on the marshy ground around a brook, head to the left until you reach a little wooden bridge across the brook. The ground is very wet on either side immediately around the bridge.
On the far side of the bridge walk straight ahead, and then slightly to the right, making for the right hand corner of the field.
Here there is a gate leading out onto a lane.
Once on the lane turn right and walk a short distance until you come to a gate leading onto a sturdily made bridleway situated on the left hand side of the road.
Through the gate walk straight ahead along the track for quite some distance.
Presently approaching a farmyard there is a gategate set in a fence slightly to the left. Head through this gate and carry on straight ahead over the grass of the meadow, rejoining the track just after the farmyard.
Carry on along the track a little further until you reach a gate set in a hedgerow leading out into a lane.
On the far side of the lane there is a corresponding stile which you cross.
Once in the field on the far side you are confronted by the fairly steep western face of Hob Hill. Which at 183 metres above sea level at its summit, is tall for a hill in the area.
Begin climbing the hill walking straight up the side and slightly to the left.
Near the top of the hill amidst some trees turn left until you reach a gap amongst the branches.
Here turn right and walk through some long grass up to Hob Hill’s summit.
From here there are great views back across northern Worcestershire towards Bromsgrove, the Lickey Hills and in the very distance Frankley Beeches.
Walk straight ahead across Hob Hill past a trig point standing in the middle of the summit.
Past the trig point you reach a gateway into a meadow beside a farmyard.
Once in the meadow turn right and begin walking across it.
On the far side of the meadow beyond a hedgerow there stands a row of new looking houses. They are near an impressive view across northernmost Worcestershire.
The right of way shown on Ordnance Survey does not match up with the placement of stiles on the ground here. So upon reaching the hedgerow opposite the new houses turn left and walk up towards the barns in the farmyard.
Here there is a stile leading down onto a driveway.
Cross the driveway, climb a bank on the far side, and head through a gate into the field.
Once in the field head to the left making for the now pretty useless remains of a stile in the middle of a field.
Upon reaching this cross into the next field heading the left between two trees stood in the middle of the grass.
Past these trees continue walking straight ahead approaching a stile on the far side.
This leads out onto a lane. On the far side of the lane next to a little brick outhouse there is a stile which you cross to enter a field.
Inside the field walk straight ahead towards some high conifer hedges on the far side.
On nearing the conifer hedges turn right making for the corner of the field.
Here there is a stile which you climb over. On the far side there is a clear path running along the side of a house (with a pretty impressive swimming pool for north Worcestershire).
At the bottom of the path you reach a lane. Here turn right and head down the lane, passing numerous suburban type, mostly bungalow houses.
Just past a country pub geared up for drivers you reach the very busy A435 dual carriageway. This stretch of road forms the boundary between Worcestershire and Warwickshire.
Upon reaching the A435 head slightly to the right, to a place where you can, taking care, cross over.
On the far side of the road turn left. Walk for a short distance until you come to the mouth of a lane running through woodland running off to the right. Being in Warwickshire you are now into Forest of Arden country, and the terrain you are walking through is less marked by hills and dells like north Worcestershire is, and far more heavily and consistently wooded.
Follow the lane to the right for quite some distance.
Presently you reach a short tunnel which carries the road beneath the M42 motorway.
On the far side of the M42 the road twists around to the left soon coming to a busier country road.
Upon reaching this road turn right,
Walk straight along this road for quite some distance. Take care as you do so as traffic comes very fast. Thankfully there is a pretty good grass verge for most of the distance.
Presently you enter Forshaw Heath. The hamlet where the River Blythe officially rises.
You reach a junction and take the right hand turn.
Walk along the road through woodland for a short distance.
Presently on the left hand side of the road there is a driveway running off past some newbuild houses into farmland.
Cross over the road and head down this driveway.
You soon reach a gate which leads onto a farm track. Head through this gate, and a further gate a little way after it, and walk along the track which runs straight ahead beside open fields.
Soon you reach the edge of Warwickshire Wildlife Trust’s woodland Earlwood nature reserve. This is almost the end of the walk.
There is a gateway out on the field to your left. Walk through this gateway and follow a well worn footpath around the edge of the woodland nature reserve.
After some distance up in front of you there is a green railway footbridge.
Walk up and over the bridge descending into the woodland nature reserve on the far side.
Once across the bridge turn left and follow a narrow but very well worn path right beside the railway fence.
This soon leads through the trees to the edge of a field.
Follow the path running around the edge of the field until you reach the backs of some houses. These houses near the village’s railway station lie just outside Warwickshire and inside the Solihull Metropolitan District.
Upon reaching the houses turn right and follow the path running along the backs of their gardens. Up ahead you can see a footpath waymark in the far corner of the field.
This points out through a gap in the hedgerow onto a busy road.
Once on the side of the road, taking care as the road is busy with big cars and vans travelling fast, turn left and begin walking uphill towards the station.
Upon reaching the station the near side of the bridge is for trains to Stratford-upon-Avon and the far side is for trains to Birmingham and on towards Kidderminster and Worcester via Whitlock’s End and Shirley.
This is where the walk ends.
Getting Back
At the time of writing (in May 2024) there was an hourly service throughout the day from Earlswood both south towards Stratford-upon-Avon and north towards Whitlock’s End, Shirley, Hall Green and Birmingham, with many trains then continuing through the southwestern Black Country towards Kidderminster, Worcester and Droitwich Spa via Smethick, Rowley Regis, Stourbridge and stations in between.