[1] Some of the oldest trees in Worcestershire are found in Piper's Hill and Dodderhill Commons (A). The commons were historically used as woodland pasture, where cattle were grazed on grassland sheltered by large trees. The area is now one of the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust's nature reserves. As the commons are Access Land you are not confined to rights of way. From the car park at Piper's Hill walk south on one of the high level paths parallel to the main road. You soon have a dry valley on your right. As you approach the top of this valley look for a faint path on the left, leading under beech trees and out onto the road. Cross with care. Take the track with a footpath signpost leading through trees on the far side of the road.
[2] Continue on the track past a cattle grid and down a slope. To the left you can see the Clent and Lickey Hills. You can pick out Waseley Hill by the line of pylons crossing it. The Clent Hills are to the left and the Lickey Hills to the right. Do not follow the track round to Piper's Hill Farm but continue straight ahead to a metal kissing gate. Follow the fence line on your right past one field gate and go through a second gate into an orchard. Now follow the hedge on your left to reach a gate leading out onto a minor road. Turn left and walk down the road. The low escarpment you see ahead is known as Forest Hill. The forest in question is the Forest of Feckenham which covered a large area on the borders of Worcestershire and Warwickshire.
Where the road makes a sharp left turn there are two rights of way leading off to the right. Disregard the first, which is a bridleway, but take the second, a footpath leading up slope with a hedge on the right. Continue through a gateway to find the ground levelling out and follow the hedge on your right to a stile. Grassy meadows predominate in the landscape ahead. This area is still known as Bentley Common although the common has long since been enclosed. Disregarding other footpaths to left and right, your route goes over the stile and diagonally across the next field to a gateway beside a junction of hedges. Go through the gateway and turn left. Keep close to the hedge until you see a gate in the far hedge, slightly to your right. Make your way to this gate, which has a signpost beside it. Go through the gate and follow a farm track to reach a road junction.
[3] Walk along Lower Bentley Lane until you pass a red post box at the entrance to Perrymill Farm. 100 metres further on go through a gate on the right beside a footpath signpost. In the next field go through a line of trees to a stile in the far hedge. To the left you can see the Victorian church of Lower Bentley. Go over the stile and follow the hedge on the right. As the hedge curves away keep straight on to a gate onto a minor road. Cross the road to another gate on the far side and walk directly out into the field passing an 'island' group of trees, then a solitary one, to reach a gate in the far hedge. On the left is Thrift Wood (B), ancient woodland with memories of the Forest of Feckenham, although we should bear in mind that medieval forests were by no means exclusively woodland. There is no public access to the wood. Continue with a hedge on your left to a stile beside a great oak then keep the same direction, but now with the hedge on your right, to a concealed stile in the corner of the next field. You may find shoots from the hedgerow obstructing the path here - secateurs could be put to good use.
Once in the next field walk alongside the hedge on your right, but carry straight on as the hedge curves away to reach a gateway in the opposite hedge. Continue with a hedge on your left to reach a metal gate. A track emerges from this gate and runs across the field to your right. Turn to follow this track, but carry straight on as the track swings right. Although initially difficult to spot there is a metal pedestrian gate through the hedge straight ahead.
Navigation should be easier on the next leg as you will be walking along the edge of two fields with a hedge on your right. At a distinct corner at the end of the first field cross a stile over a roundwood barrier (hunt jump?). Continue in the same direction now also with a wire fence. Disregard a footpath over a stile on the right. Near the far end of the second field go through a gap and continue in the same direction with the hedge now on your left. You approach a house in Hill Lane. Go over a stile, turn right and go though a gate to pass the house and enter the lane. Walk down the lane to its junction with Woodgate Road where you turn right.
[4] After 50 metres go over a stile on the left beside a footpath signpost. You have entered Eades Meadow (C), a nature reserve belonging to the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust. You can tell from the variety of wild flowers that this meadow is different from the others you have walked through. This meadow has never been 'improved'. It has not been ploughed up and reseeded and fertilisers and weedkillers have never been applied. Eades Meadow is still farmed in a traditional way. It is cut for hay in late summer, after the flowers have seeded, and grazed by cattle in the autumn. The Trust asks visitors to keep to the clear paths (even though these do not coincide precisely with the right of way shown on the Ordnance Survey map). Follow a path beside the hedge, then turn left onto a path running down the centre of the meadow. At the far end you reach a path junction. Turn right and leave the meadow through the right-hand hedge by a stile followed by a bridge and another stile.
Head diagonally left over the next field to a gate in the projecting section of the far hedge. Once over the gate walk towards the right hand side of the buildings in Foster's Green ahead. Go through a wooden gate onto a driveway and then over a stile onto a lane. Turn left and walk along the lane, which continues as a bridleway known as Dark Lane (information board here). Follow the bridleway as it turns right and then left through a metal gate then under a pylon. Walk westwards on a clear track with a hedgerow on your right. When you reach a crossing track continue in the same direction. The track peters out at a field gate, but the bridleway continues through the gate and along the left hand side of the field. There is a good view of Bredon Hill to the left. Walk parallel to the hedge but not too close or you may fall into a badger sett. Descend a slope and go through a gate in the corner of the field.
[5] Turn left and walk along a green lane for 400 metres. Look out for a point where a footpath crosses the lane. Go through a gate on the right and walk straight across an arable field, following a line of trees. Cross a stile and walk along a grass path with a hedge on your right to reach a gate opening onto a private drive. Walk ahead along the drive. Eventually the drive turns right and rises to meet the main road.
If you wish to visit the Jinney Ring craft centre turn left and walk along the verge to the first bend. Here you cross the road and continue along the footway to reach a cross roads. Look out for traffic along this section. Go straight on. The craft centre is on the right.
You can leave the craft centre by a footpath which starts from the southern end of the gardens and can also be reached through the overflow car park. This well used path is waymarked as part of the Hanbury Circular Walk. The path takes you south to a path junction where you turn right and go over a stile, heading towards Hanbury Church. Continue in this direction over four fields. Walk alongside the primary school to reach a kissing gate leading out onto the road at waypoint 6. Take care crossing the road.
To continue on the main route cross the road carefully and go though the wooden gate opposite. There is an ivy covered footpath signpost next to it. Continue through a second gate onto a path going downhill with a fence on the right. Disregard gates on the right. You emerge onto a minor road and turn right. Look out for traffic as this road can be busy. After 300 metres you reach the primary school on the left.
[6] A footpath on the right hand side of the road, over a stile, takes you directly to Hanbury Church up a short but steep ascent. There are seats at the top of the climb, with panoramic views of Bredon HIll and the Cotswolds. For an easier route continue up the road, taking the first turning on the right. Hanbury Church (D) stands some distance from the centre of its parish, but its hilltop site has a long history. There are traces of an Iron Age hillfort on the hilltop, the Romans were here, and there is some documentary evidence of a Christian monastery in the Saxon period. The name Hanbury means 'high fortification' and presumably refers to this hilltop. The present church dates in part from the early 13th century with considerable rebuilding over the centuries. The church has also been used as a film set, standing in for the village church of Ambridge.
Go round the west end of the church and take a path that goes through a gate in the north-east corner of the churchyard. Continue down slope towards the woodland of Piper's Hill. Go through a gate onto a track and follow the track until it curves to the right. Here you go straight ahead onto a broad path which you follow until you pass a large pond on the right. Now take a track up the slope to the right to return to the car park.
Extended route starting from Shaw Lane. From the junction walk up Astwood Lane over the canal bridge. Take the first turning on the right, signposted Astwood Fishery. Continue on the road for 500 metres, past the entrance to the fishery. Look for a well-used footpath on the left waymarked as Hanbury Circular Walk. Follow these waymarks, at one point crossing straight over a farm track, and later switching to the left hand side of the hedge. Go through a kissing gate into the woods of Piper's Hill Common. At a path junction turn right onto a broad path. As you reach a pond on the right turn left onto a narrow path. Turn left again at the next path junction and climb a slope. At the top of the slope turn right and follow a path through trees. Continue to a main road and cross with care. Walk down a track on the opposite side of the road, with a No Parking sign. Almost immediately turn left onto a path through the beech trees. Follow this path until it crosses a second track. Turn right along this track and join the main route at waypoint 2.
Extended route returning to Shaw Lane. Leave Hanbury churchyard through the car park. Turn right and walk along the road. Ahead you can see the masts of the Droitwich radio transmitter, then further to the left Brown Clee Hill, Titterstone Clee Hill and the Abberley Hills. Continue to a triangular junction where you turn right. This takes you to the canal bridge on Astwood Lane and you should recognise your outward route.