(A) The Fir Tree Inn dates back 200 years and the Murderers Bar tells the gory history of the Oddingley murders in 1806.
[1] Leave the Fir Tree Inn car park and turn left at the road towards a level crossing. Just before the crossing turn right at a newly built house. Walk up to a wooden kissing and having passed through turn left behind the house towards a stile up an embankment. Go over the stile and taking great care cross the railway line and then over a stile on the opposite side.
After a short climb follow this footpath until the wood ends and pass through into an open field. Continue along the ridge and when you pass a clearing on your left enter Trench Wood and proceed in the same direction with the field on your right hand side.
There are marvelous views of the railway, the canal and the M5 over to the right.
(B) To your left Trench Wood is a mass of bluebells and primroses in the spring. This wood belongs to Worcestershire Wildlife Trust and is one of a number of similar nature reserves throughout the county.
After 2 kilometres you arrive at the end of the wood which is at Sale Green and you pass through a gate into a lane.
[2] At this point turn sharp right and follow the lane to the right hand side of some houses up to the end of the lane where you turn left at the last house and follow a bridal path in front of other houses. Pass through a gate opposite the last house and proceed keeping the hedge on your left hand side. Ignore the kissing gate in the left hand hedge and continue along in the same direction. After a short while the hedge passes the start of a wood and just after you will notice a footbridge on the left. Cross the bridge, turn right and continue through the wood.
When you exit the wood at an awkward stile continue on in the same direction across the field keeping the hedge on your right. In the field corner pass over a stile and through a kissing gate into another field. Cross the field in the direction of a white house and cross a stile into Netherwood lane.
[3] At the lane turn right ignoring the finger post on the left hand side and continue along the lane. In a short distance you will see Netherwood Farm on your right.
(C) The Farm was where in 1830 Charles Burton whilst dismantling a barn discovered the remains of a body. Thomas Clewes had left this farm in 1816 but when the bones were discovered in 1830 he maintained that Captain Evans, James Taylor and George Banks had been responsible for the murder of Reverend Parker in 1806 and these bones were probably those of Richard Heming the Man they had hired to do the evil deed. Clewes , Banks and Barnet were arrested and taken to Worcester jail but later released. After his release Clewes took the lease of The Fir Tree Inn and became a coal merchant on the canal. Captain Evans had died in 1829 aged 92 and apparently beset by terrors and demons. He spent his later life in Friar Street, Droitwich and is buried in St Peter’s Churchyard.
[4] Continue up the lane and when it turns left notice the level crossing ahead. Cross the railway at the level crossing. Taking great care.
When you have crossed the railway line you have the option of a small diversion to see a good view of St James Church.
(D) To view the church walk up to the canal bridge and just before you cross take a path on the right down to the towpath where you turn left and walk a short distance along with the canal on your right until you get the glorious view of Church Farm and St James Church. It was higher up this lane that Reverend Parker had his rectory which is long since gone. Every afternoon he left the rectory and walked to his Glebe Meadow to collect his cows. On Midsummer’s day 1806 he was shot and beaten to death. Glebe Meadow now lies beneath the M5
(E) Church farm was where Captain Evans lived in 1806 the time of the murder. He was believed to be the main participant.
If you wish to take a shorter route directly back to the Fir Tree Inn turn around and walk along the tow path until you reach the next road where you leave the canal and turn right back to the Fir Tree Inn
Retrace your steps to the bridge and cross over to continue up Church Lane passing the entrance to St James Churchyard………… a lovely place to stand and stare.
[5] Just past the church entrance notice the footpath in the right hand hedge. Cross over the stile, there is an orchard on your left and walk across 2 fields. At the far side of the second field there is a stile with way marks showing straight on or bear right. Cross the stile and bear right about half way across the field where the route goes towards the right hand corner of the field. Pass into a field by a way marked, open gate and continue along the left hand hedge, out through the gate at the corner and the over the canal bridge back to the Fir Tree Inn.
(F) Wash Pool Meadow where Reverend Parker was killed whilst tending his cows