[1] The first part of this walk follows Worcestershire’s waymarked Wychavon Way, a 64km/40-mile long-distance route that runs from Droitwich Spa to Broadway via Pershore and Bredon Hill. From St Barbara’s Church walk through the churchyard then head up half-right through the field to a stile and track beyond. Turn right then left over a stile and follow the waymarks through the fields. Looking back you’ll see wooded Dumbleton and Alderton Hills, with the main Cotswold escarpment in the distance. Having gone through a gate, you pick up a bridleway. At a second gate, turn right then bear left to follow the high-level path that runs alongside a wall - later woodland - to your right, with fields to your left.
After about a mile at the first junction of bridleways (now offering a welcome bench), the OS map shows the Wychavon Way turning off right, but the waymark indicates ahead (the route has been revised). Carry straight on, passing the mast over to your left, and keep ahead at the next junction where the Wychavon Way briefly leaves us. Go through a gate at the end of the wood and continue ahead (not as shown on map). Further on, after the Wychavon Way has rejoined us, another gate leads into open grassland where you can see the earthworks of an Iron Age hill-fort. Continue alongside the wall, bearing round to the left to reach the stone tower.
[2] The 18th-century tower, Parsons Folly, marks the summit of Bredon Hill (299m/981ft) – a wonderful viewpoint, with the Malverns in view to the west. Carry on along the wall on your right, go through a gate and continue on to enter a narrow strip of woodland. Where the Wychavon Way turns off right to finally leave us, keep ahead on the bridleway, ignoring a footpath left, to the end of the woodland. Go through a gate and bear left, now descending on a pleasant grassy way to pass through 2 further gates. Another bridleway joins from the right. Carry on down finally passing a vehicle barrier and path junction to continue on a broad track leading to a lane.
[3] Turn immediately left here by a cottage along the (currently unsigned) footpath and right at the T-junction, down the track towards Kemerton. When you reach the road, keep straight on and take the next left. At the T-junction, cross and carry on along the footpath through fields to the road. Turn left and walk along the pavement to Overbury. St Faith’s Church is worth a look inside. Continue to Conderton, passing the Yew Tree and turning left.
[4]. Having passed a road junction turn right along a track by a high wall and follow the footpath ahead through fields to a gate. Here turn right and then left to continue uphill alongside a hedge. Cross a bridleway and continue ahead. At a fork bear slightly right through tall poplars to cross a brook and pass through a belt of woodland. On leaving the woodland, bear half-left across the field, go through a pedestrian gate in the fence and maintain your direction (there is no obvious path) to pass a fenced plantation on your right. Head on down keeping right of another fenced plantation to a gate and track leading to Grafton.
[5] Follow the lane past houses, bearing round to the right, and turn left at the T-junction. At a footpath junction where the road turns right, keep ahead. Follow the footpath across a field, over a footbridge and alongside first a left-hand then later right-hand hedge to a garden boundary at Paris. Here go through a gate and head half-right to a gap in the far field corner, where it can be very muddy after heavy rain. Ignore the stile immediately right but instead go straight on to the churchyard, seen ahead, and Ashton.