Ashton Under Hill, South of Evesham, Kersoe and Ashton Wood

Turn right out the pub car park and go south to turn left into Station Road (signposted Evesham) to the footpath going off left just before the bus shelter (see photograph complete with walker!) after about 200 yards.

Go north along the footpath, through an orchard/wooded parkland and past Ashton playground and sports field then east across fields to the track of an old railway after about 1,500 yards.

• Turn onto the narrow footpath and go north between two fences with gardens and houses behind to come out into an old orchard at SO 9983 3780.
• Continue north through the orchard which changes to more wooded parkland (see photograph), then passes tennis courts on the right at SO 9983 3803.
• Continue north passing the playground on the right to reach a track at SO 9982 3808.
• Cross the track and take the path behind the hedge heading east with the football pitch on the right then just before the hut/pavilion on the right, turn left and head north along the edge of a ridge and furrow field to reach the line of a hedge at SO 9992 3818.
• Go through one of the gaps in the hedge and head east with the hedge on the right passing through a gate at SP0080 3821.
• Continue east along the southern edge of a large field passing under high tension power lines then lower power lines to reach the line of an old railway bordered on both sides by trees.

The track is the line of the old Midland Ashchurch to Evesham Railway Line. The photograph looks south east. Cross over the track and continue across fields east then north east to reach Sandfield Lane after about 800 yards.

• Cross straight over the old railway track and go east across the narrow end of a field which widens out to the south, through a hedge and continue east along the northern edge of a large field.
• Head north along Butt's Lane which is largely flat with some undulations.
• t SP 0113 3833 cross a wooden bridge with a gate at the far side over a ditch stream and go north east towards the gate visible in the fence opposite.
• At SP 0136 3844 go through a metal gate and pass the farm buildings to another metal gate at SP 0142 3850 and on to Sandfield Lane.

Turn left and go north west along Sandfield Lane to a bridleway leaving the lane on the left after about 700 yards. The character in the photograph may not be looking onto Sandfield Lane all the time.

Go generally north west along the footpath across fields to a path heading back east across the middle of a large field after about 850 yards.

• Go through a wooden gate and take the bridleway heading north west to go through a wooden gate at SP 0101 3900 into a light wooden area (recrossing the old railway track).
• At SP 0095 3905 go through a wooden gate and bear left to go west through an old orchard then bear right to go north west.
• At SP 0074 3912 go through a wooden gate and continue north west to another wooden gate at SO 0059 3931. The photograph looks north east to Sandfield Farm.
• Through the gate bear right to head north along the eastern edge of the field to a gate/stile in the fence at SP0055 3946. (Deep in conversation we missed this and ended up walking round the edge of the adjacent field to return to the planned path).

Go east across the fields then north and north east to the lane east of Ballard's Farm (Station Lane) after about 1 mile.

• Go through the gate/over the stile and go east across the middle of the field (the photograph looks west to Bredon Hill from here) then with a barbed wire fence on the right hand side then joins a farm track with a wooded area on the right.
• At SP 0122 3955 just before a gap in the hedge ahead turn left and go north along the eastern edge of the field.
• At SP 0124 3963 through a wooden gate and continue north past a man made pond on the left.
• At SP 0125 3981 go over a stile then bear right to head north east to cross a ditch (probably via a wooden footbridge) at SP 0130 3990. Again we missed this (the path was not clear obscured by the remains of a vegetable crop) and we went directly to Ballard's Farm rather than via the lane.
• Continue north east across the field to go through a hedge at SP 0141 4009.
• Continue north east climbing gently emerge on to Station Lane at SP 0162 4032.

Go west along Station Lane, turn south through Ballard's Farm, then go south east across fields and climb gently to the lane on Furze Hill after about 1,600 yards.

• Turn left and go west along Station Lane to turn left and go south through Ballard's Farm yard at SP 0140 4033.
• At SP 0140 3033 go through a wooden gate, turn right and go through another wooden gate after a few yards, then bear left to head south west across the field to a metal gate at SP 0131 4019.
• Bear right to head more west with a hedge on the right to SP 0109 4016 at a gap where four field meet, and bear a little left to continue west keeping a hedge on the right and start gently climbing up Furze Hill towards high tension power lines ahead (see photograph). As the climb flattens out the path bears left to head more south west.
• At SP 0060 3995 go through a gap into another field and continue south west now gently climbing again to reach the lane through a gap at the south western end of the field.

Turn left and go south west along the lane to where a bridleway leaves the road on the right after about 330 yards.

Turn right along the bridleway and go mainly north west and climbing to reach a lane at Kersoe.

• Turn right onto the bridleway which is fairly narrow through light woods with a stream first on the right, then on the left, heading north west. On the right hand side an old allotment or kitchen garden area.
• At SP 0000 3969 pass through a wooden gate and bear left to head more west with an open field stretching uphill on the right.
• At SO 9989 3971 go through a metal gate and at SO 9976 3971 through another metal gate.
• Through the gate the path runs between a barbed wire hedge to the right and a scrubby hedge on the left (the photograph looks up to Kersoe House from here) climbing gently and bears to head north west, then bears left and more and climbs more steeply for a short distance.
• The path levels out through a scrubby wooded area and passes some red brick cottages on the left onto a drive to reach the lane at Kersoe.

Go south west up the lane then head south across fields, and climb west to Ashton Wood.

• Turn left and climb gently up the lane to a stile on the left at SO 9929 3988.
• Go over the stile and head south descending past Kersoe House on the left. (Watch out for over friendly horses!)
• At SO 9935 3971 go over a stile and continue south through trees into a meadow. A streams runs across the meadow and the ground can be quite wet and boggy at times.
• The path goes into light woods and at SO 9940 3960 crosses a wooden footbridge with a stile at the end into an open field sloping quite steeply up to the west.
• The path runs south along the eastern edge of the field then climbs quite steeply west along the southern edge, but you can climb diagonally towards the gate into Ashton Wood visible towards the south west corner of the field at SO 9923 3931. The dead tree in the photograph is on the edge of Ashton Wood.

Follow an undulating path south west, south east and south through Ashton woods then continue south under Holcombe Nap to a lane above Ashton Under Hill.

• Go through the gate into the woods and bear left to follow the signposted path south then south west and continue to climb into the woods.
• At SO 9909 3926 the path turns left and heads south gradually descending towards Ashton Wood House then gently climbing again. The photograph shows one of the outbuildings of Ashton House.
• At SO 9903 3911 the path bears left to head east.
• At SO 9917 3917 the path joins a track/drive and bears right to head south east and undulates through the woods before bearing right to head south descending more than climbing.
• At SO 9952 3882 the track comes out of Ashton Wood giving views across Ashton Under Hill and the Vale of Evesham to the left.
• Further south the track goes back into lighter woods then starts to descend quite steeply to emerge onto Cotton's Lane.

Turn left and descend south east down Cotton's Lane then turn left and go south west down a narrow lane to a footpath leading of south on the left hand side of the lane after about 300 yards.

• Turn left and go downhill south east along Cotton's Lane.
• At SO 9957 3830 turn right and go south west along a narrow lane. The house in the photograph is on the left of the lane.

Take the footpath and go south climbing then descending to a track above Ashton Under Hill then descend steeply down the hillside past the church and back to the Star Inn.

• Turn left over a stile or through a gate onto the footpath and go south to cross a footbridge over a ditch with a stile immediately after at SO 9951 3816.
• Continue south up the fairly steep slope which levels out and the path then passes through a metal gate at SO 9951 3799 and descends down a steep bank , over a stile into a rough lane.
• Turn right and go south along the lane to turn left south west down a steep path at SO9952 3788.
• Descend the path down wooden steps and round a stone block (see photograph), then over a stile and go south east down the steep hill towards the right hand side of the church.
• At SO 9963 3771 go through a wooden gate and go east alongside the churchyard, through another wooden gate, down the church entrance path to the church lychgate. Turn left and head north back to the Star Inn.