[1] Go through metal kissing gate on north side of A438 and bear diagonally right across field, through gap in hedge, and continue in same direction to another gap in far right hand hedge about 100 yards from corner of this second field. In next field bear diagonally left towards far corner and wood. Cross bridge with low stone parapets and bear right across field to the centre of several agricultural buildings. Go down vehicle alleyway at right hand side of buildings with tree , garden and tennis court to your right. Continue forward past cottage on your right, working your way across rough ground, a small car park to a stile onto a minor road. Turn right and follow road past Birtsmorton Church (St Thomas of Canterbury with St Peter & St Paul) on your right to the stone pillars and private entrance to Birtsmorton Court, also on your right.Turn left through a farm gate opposite the private entrance to Birtsmorton Court and bear diagonally right across the field to follow the deep ditch/brook on your right to a footbridge in the far corner.
(A) Although you will walk through Birtsmorton Park and the outbuildings of Birtsmorton Court you will see little of Birtsmorton Court itself unless you trepass a little!
Birtsmorton Court is a manor house and is mentioned in the Domesday Book. The present house, partly half-timbered built on a courtyard plan, is in part of the 13th century. In 1424–25 Birtsmorton became the seat of John Nanfan, who had most of the earlier structure demolished before his death in about 1447. The House was remodelled for Giles Nanfan in about 1572, as heraldry in the Great Hall suggests. The present aspect of the house is in part due to antiquarian restoration in 1871–72. The east range was destroyed by fire in the 18th century and rebuilt in 1929–30 by A. Hill Parker and Son. The house was a setting for William Samuel Symonds' historical novel Malvern Chase. The house is now privately owned and available for special events, particularly weddings.
(B) You are likely to see a considerable number of scavenged ie open, freshwater pearl mussel shells in this field. This species is in decline and has been fully protected in the United Kingdom under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 since 1998. Clean, fast-flowing streams and rivers are required for the freshwater pearl mussel, where it lives buried or partly buried in fine gravel and coarse sand, Clean gravel and sand is essential, particularly for juvenile freshwater pearl mussels, for if the stream or river bottom becomes clogged with silt, they cannot obtain oxygen and will die.Also essential is the presence of a healthy population of salmonids, a group of fish including salmon and trout, on which the freshwater pearl mussel relies for part of its life cycle.
[2] Over footbridge continue with field hedge (and ditch) on your right to a gate into a wooded area to your front and another footbridge on your right over ditch. Do not go through gate but cross footbridge on your right and bear left to field gate. In next field bear right to gap in hedge (not to gap uphill to your front) and then bear left uphill to farm buildings. At farm yard turn right along track with farm house on your left and continue forward to brow of hill. Continue forward, slightly right, steeply downhill to pass small pond (possibly dry in summer) on your left – there is a much larger pond to your right a little further away - to a stile hidden in the hedge. Over stile continue forward to a farm gate and in next field bear diagonally left to a stile at the brow of the hill where the fence becomes a hedge. Over stile follow farm track with hedge on your left to corner and stile. Over stile turn left through farm gate and then follow fence on your right to stile onto road, A438.
[3] Turn right along this busy road and near bend, after a couple of houses on your left, at finger post go through farm gate on your left into field. Now follow right hand hedge to farm gate at end of field, passing a couple of farm gates in the hedge on your right. Do NOT go through gate but turn left in same field to reach a footbridge in hedge on your right. Over footbridge turn left and follow hedge on your left to farm gate. In the next field, bear diagonally right to reach the right hand field boundary at a slightly wooded area. This corner of the field is often uncultivated and overgrown and finding the path line through it can be difficult. However there is a plank bridge just short of the field corner, by a large willow tree. Go over the plank bridge and work your way through a short section of tall reeds to reach a field. Now bear diagonally left towards a raised earth bank corner and cross the deep ditch on the earth culvert just to the left of the earth bank corner. Continue forward to the hedge just to the right of the wood. Cross stile, ie a converted kissing gate, in hedge and bear diagonally right to gap in far hedge. Continue forward across centre of field to gateway and a footbridge next to it. Do not go through gate and along track but cross footbridge and cross centre of next field towards left hand side of bungalows at far corner. NB Permanent double strand electric fence in centre of this field has ‘hook type’ access. At corner of field by bungalow go over fence type stile onto minor road.
[4] Turn right along road and almost immediately turn right up farm access road to Underhill Farm. Before reaching the farm house itself follow track round to the left and where track splits follow left hand track uphill with hedge on your left to the edge on the wood. Continue on track round left hand corner as it gets steeper and when it flattens out at tree plantation follow track to your right through young trees. At junction turn right and then bear left (there are many tracks in this area) to keep the mature wood on your left and the younger new trees on your right. Follow green track round significant left hand bend to keep wood on your left and younger trees on your right until eventually the green track takes a hard right hand bend and there is a narrow path directly to your front into the wood, Follow this narrow path steeply downhill through the wood to reach a field. Cross stile on your left, just inside field, and bear diagonally right to right hand of two farm gates a little apart in far hedge. Through gate turn right and follow hedge on your right to stile. In next field continue forward across rough ground to cultivated field and then forward across field to far right hand corner and stile onto road. Turn right along road and where road bends left continue forward with small green and seat round tree on your left to go along Chancels Close. Go past Berrow Church (St Faith) on your right and soon turn left down short path and over footbridge. Continue forward through farm gate and field to another farm gate onto a minor road. Turn left and at T junction turn right and follow this minor road to your car.