Distance: 5 miles
Difficulty of the terrain: hard
Get the route via: Ordnance Survey Maps or download the GPX. file from Dropbox
Walk from Barnt Green to Frankley taking in some of the most dramatic stretches of the Midlands Watershed escarpment, including the Lickey and Waseley Hills dividing the city of Birmingham from Worcestershire.
The Story
The Walk
Getting Back
Across the Most Rural Sections of the Midlands Watershed Escarpment
For much of its extent the Midlands Watershed, the divide between the catchment areas of the River Severn and the River Trent which cleaves the north east from the south west of the region, is not especially perceptible.
The section to the far south and west of West Midlands county is different. Here a long intermittent ridge, over three hundred metres at its highest point in the Clent Hills, runs on or near the watershed.
Northern parts of the ridge are in West Midlands county. Turner’s Hill, the county’s highest peak, is part of the formation. While the southern, and also more eastern, sections of the ridge are largely in Worcestershire.
While the West Midlands sections of the ridge are often quite built up, the Worcestershire sections are greenbelt. Home to verdant fields, large tracts of country park and typical peri-urban land uses like golf courses.
Worcestershire is also home to one of the most contiguous sections of the Midlands Watershed ridge, being largely unbroken in its extent between Barnt Green and Frankley.
Here the hills form a steep escarpment known as the Lickey Hills. A popular weekend destination for generations of Birmingham residents ever since the late 19th Century. The southern terminus of the city’s tram network was even sited there.
Beacon Hill, the highest point of the Lickey range, stands 298 metres above sea level. Very tall for this part of the Midlands. Centuries ago a castle, or at least some kind of fortified hunting lodge, stood on its summit. Today an early 20th Century folie stands near its former location. Though during World War II thanks to the nearby Longbridge car factory in south Birmingham which was essential for producing materiel the folie did take on a true military purpose having been home to an anti-aircraft battery.
At the northern end of this stretch stands the Waseley Hills. Undoubtedly one of the Midlands most beautiful country parks, especially once you get into the wilder stretches beyond the car parks. It is home to the source of Birmingham’s totemic River Rea, as well as a nearly 300 metre tall ridge with commanding views across Worcestershire and West Midlands county alike. Windmill Hill, its highest point, stands 287 metres above sea level. From its toposcope superb views of the Malverns, Abberley Hills and Rowley Range. On especially clear days distant glimpses of Cannock Chase to the north across Birmingham city centre and Bredon Hill and the Cotswolds to the south east, are possible.
The two sets of nearly contiguous hills are linked by a series of wonderfully paradoxical tracks and paths, simultaneously rural, yet merely metres away from Birmingham’s southernmost suburbs.
The Walk
Get the route: via Ordnance Survey Maps or download the GPX. file from Dropbox
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This walk from Barnt Green to Frankley takes in some of the most dramatic stretches of the Midlands Watershed escarpment, including the Lickey and Waseley Hills which divide Birmingham from Worcestershire’s Bromsgrove District.
It begins at Barnt Green Railway Station.
Barnt Green is a commuter village just inside north Worcestershire, situated within Birmingham’s southern greenbelt.
Upon alighting at Barnt Green Railway Station, which is served by trains south from Birmingham New Street, and north from Bromsgrove, Droitwich, Worcester, Malvern and Hereford as well as Redditch, use the footbridge to exit the station to the right onto the main road through Barnt Green beside the railway station.
On exiting the station, to the left on the far side of the road there is a wooden gate way leading onto a track running uphill along an avenue of trees.
Cross the road and begin walking up this track.
At the top of the slope keep walking straight ahead until you reach a quiet, narrow road.
Upon coming out beside the road there is another footpath on the far side to the left.
Walk across the road and head along the path on the other side.
Presently you come to a fork in the path beside a bench. Take the right hand arm of the fork and keep walking straight ahead through the woodland.
Keep an eye out on the right for a narrow, but well worn path off through the trees to the right.
After a short distance you come to another path. Here take the left hand arm of the fork.
Continue walking straight along this path for quite some distance.
Eventually you approach a stile out onto open fields.
Having crossed the stile follow the path straight up the hill.
From near the top there are impressive views north and east out across the hilly Worcestershire countryside.
At this point turn left heading for a stile leading back into the woodland.
Once across the stile turn left, then turn right walking along a path through the trees for a short distance.
Soon on the right there is a fairly steep flight of steps up a bank through pine trees.
Partway up, turn left, until you come to another flight of steps through the trees which you also climb.
Upon reaching the top of the steps you are near the brow of the ridge on Cofton Hill, the summit of which is 263 metres above sea level. Here turn left and follow the path along the top of the hill.
Presently you come out into an open area near the top of the hill.
Keep on walking along the path approaching the Lickey Hills Visitor Centre.
Upon reaching the car park for the Lickey Hills Visitor Centre, turn left heading downhill across the car park towards the visitor centre and the access road leading to the site.
The car park can be quite busy at all times of day with cars coming and going so take care as you navigate it.
Just past the visitor centre on the right there is a wide unpaved track. Turn right and walk along this track as it runs steadily downhill.
Continue straight along the track passing two buildings, the second of which is a cottage on your left.
Presently the track narrows slightly and runs quite steeply downhill.
Soon you pass through a stand of trees passing a place where the rock the bulk of the hills is made from is exposed and cross a wooden bridge to come out beside Rose Hill, the main road over the Lickey Hills connecting Bromsgrove and Birmingham.
Cross over the road here and head onto a footpath on the left.
Once on the footpath turn sharply left and follow the path around a little way until you reach an ornamental type garden in front of the Old Rose and Crown Hotel.
Upon reaching this garden head around to the right making for the car park behind the Rose and Crown building.
Inside the car park walk straight ahead making for the single storey Lickey Golf Course clubhouse.
Beside the clubhouse turn right making for a gate which leads to a path running uphill past the golf club’s putting green.
Past the putting green, continue uphill across a grassy meadow heading towards woodland. You are now climbing Beacon Hill which at 298 metres above sea level is the tallest hill in the Lickeys, and stands slightly detached from the ridge as a whole.
Upon reaching the tree line following a clearly defined path into the trees and climb up a short flight of steps.
Soon you reach a wider path. Here you turn right and follow it uphill.
Presently the path widens out even further and you continue walking uphill.
After a short distance you find a path on your left. Turn left here and follow it.
Look out on your right for another path. Upon reaching it, turn right and follow the path.
Very soon you come to a junction where three paths meet beside a clearing. Walk across the junction.
Here carry on to the right and straight uphill through the trees.
Presently the path curves around sharply to the left and you see the large meadow at the top of Beacon straight ahead.
Soon you leave the trees and emerge out onto the meadow.
To your right you see the castle style folie that is Beacon Hill Monument. A modern castle-like structure on the site of an earlier fortification. Ornamental in purpose, the modern structure was used to defend the nearby Longbridge car factory in south Birmingham during World War II when an anti-aircraft battery was set up upon it.
Walk straight ahead across the meadow at the top of Beacon Hill.
On the far side you reach a car park with a lane beyond it with an excellent view out into the heart of Worcestershire.
Upon reaching the car park, walk straight across it.
When you reach the road there is a pavement on the far side which you can cross over and walk along. Once on the pavement on the far side of the road turn right and begin walking along the road heading back into woodland.
Presently you reach a junction where you take the right hand fork.
After walking a short distance you come to a very small layby with a black plastic municipal bin in it.
Beside the bin on the right there is a footpath running down into the woodland.
Once inside the trees turn left and follow the footpath through the trees walking along the top of a bank near the road.
As you walk the path narrows and steadily runs downhill.
Soon having travelled some distance downhill you arrive beside the road again just after a sharp bend.
Here there is a well worn and very steep place where you can clamber down the bank to the side of the road.
Once on the side of the road, taking care to avoid cars, turn left and cross over the road heading for the end of a wall on the far side.
Behind the wall there is a footpath running off to the right. Turn right and begin walking along it.
Very soon the path widens into a bridleway or green lane of sorts.
Continue to walk straight along this lane which works its way steadily downhill for quite some distance.
There are great views off to the right across Rubery and Frankley Beeches.
Having walked down the track for a fair distance you come to a gate out onto a track above the busy A38 dual carriageway linking southernmost Birmingham with the M5 at Lydgate Ash.
Through the gate turn right and head out onto a main road.
Once on the road turn left and cross a road bridge over the A38.
On the far side you approach a residential area right on the edge of the Birmingham built up area.
Here there is a road where you turn left and walk downhill alongside a road of large inter-war houses.
Just past the houses on your right you reach Waseley Hills Country Park’s southern car park.
Turn right and walk up the car park’s short access road.
Once inside the car park head for a wide footpath on the left.
Follow this footpath along a wooded path uphill.
At a metal gate the trees recede and you continue along the well worn path uphill.
At the brow of the hill now walking next to a meadow with great views of Birmingham to the left continue along the path.
Soon it begins running downhill towards another patch of woodland.
Here there is a metal gate which you pass through and walk along a short stretch of footpath through trees and bushes.
You soon reach a second gateway which leads to the grassy southern flank of Waseley Hill.
Follow the clear path up to the top of Waseley Hill.
The summit is quite flat and you continue walking straight ahead passing to the right of a stand of trees.
Carry on straight past the trees following the path along the crest of the hill until you reach a metal gate out onto a path near the summit of Windmill Hill.
Through the gate turn right into the meadow at the top of Windmill Hill.
Walk straight ahead to reach the toposcope at the very top of the hill. This is the highest point of the Waseley Hills at 287 metres above sea level. Down below lies the spring that forms the headwaters of the River Rea which flows north through the heart of Birmingham to near Spaghetti Junction where it joins the Tame.
Past the toposcope you begin descending the hill.
Turn left towards a pylon and make for a gateway set in the fenceline.
Walk through this gate and straight downhill across a meadow above the Waseley Hill’s main car park and visitor centre.
Head through a gate to enter the visitor centre and car park area.
Here to reach Frankley turn right, walking across a patch of grass through a picnic area and past a playground.
Past the playground turn right again walking along a wide track past a groundkeeper’s style shed.
At the top of the track, turn left and begin walking along the recently constructed, well made path which runs from the visitor centre, beside the gathering River Rea, towards Frankley.
After quite some distance you reach the bottom of the path and turn left into Frankley.
Here there are some traffic lights which you can use to cross the road.
On the far side of the road head left onto Boleyn Road. This is where the bus stop for buses back towards Birmingham is situated.
Getting Back
From the bus stop on Boleyn Road (at the time of writing in autumn 2024) the 63 bus ran back towards Birmingham city centre. It goes via the Bristol Road (A38) stopping near stations on the Cross City Line (between Lichfield and Sutton Coldfield via Birmingham city centre to the north and Alvechurch and Bromsgrove to the south) as well as intersecting with the route of the 11 Outer Circle in Selly Oak. The Boleyn Road stop was also served by the far less frequent 202 bus, which ran more or less hourly from early morning until late afternoon, between Bromsgrove and Halesowen.