[1] From the car parking follow the road eastwards to find a fingerpost on the left hand side of the road (opposite Peghouse Farm). Pass into Peghouse Wood through a wooden pedestrian gate. Walk straight ahead following a very wet path to a crossing path marked by a waymark post, Turn right and very quickly, at another marker post, left to eventually reach a small gate into a field. In the field follow the wood on the left to a footbridge and then walk onwards until you come to a broken down iron field gate in the left hand hedge. Pass over the gate passing the wood on right (and riding arena on left) until you come to a pedestrian gate. Pass through the gate so that there is now a wooden fence on the left and the wood on the right. Continue onwards across a lawn until you come to an old iron gate at the end of the right hand hedge. Turn right through the farm gate (not way-marked) and follow the wood on the left to a gateway. Continue in the same direction until you reach the field corner. Bear right at the corner until you reach a gap in the hedge. Pass through the gap into the field beyond.Cross the right centre of the field passing manure heaps to reach a road. Turn right along the road and at a junction turn left using a cross step in the iron railings to enter a field. Go diagonally across the field to the far corner and a stile Follow the wood on your right to a gate/gap. In the next field go diagonally right to the far hedge corner and follow the hedge on your left to the end of the field. There was an official diversion here in 2012 that bypasses Cobhouse and Woodhall Farms but is unlikely to be shown on older OS maps - it is reasonably well way-marked.
[2] At the gap in the field corner turn right (new waymark post buried in the hedge) and follow hedge then at the end of the field turn right for a short distance then through the gap and continue on with the wood on your left. to far end of wood where you meet a pedestrian gate. Go through the gate and, ignoring the gap on the left, continue in next field with hedge on your left to a gap in front of you. Pass though the gap following the hedge on your right to the next gap/gateway on your right. Go through the gateway and bear diagonally left across field to the next gateway. Now follow the fence on your left round Woodhall Farm to reach a good farm track. Turn right and follow the track for approximately 3/4 mile until it forks at the far side of a small wood. Take the left hand fork and follow the path along a field until it re-enters the wood. Continue along the track through the wood.
[3] Turn right along the road past a farm gate/gap on the left hand side until you reach a stile in the left hand hedge opposite Kenswick Mill on your right. Cross over the stile and walk across the field to a plank bridge in the opposite hedge. Pass the bridge and cross the next field to the far right hand corner to a footbridge. Depending on the time of the year the area in front of the bridge may be heavily over grown and may need some finding. In the next field follow the hedge/ditch on your right to reach a minor road. Cross and enter the nature reserve through a farm gate. Continue forwards for approximately 200 yards and, at a gateway by some ponds on your right, follow a broad grass track (permissive path) to your left to the ‘Sculptures Park’ (A).
(A)Take some time to observe the modern sculptures of dinosaurs along the grassy path. (see photos section)
[4] Continue to follow the broad grass track round to the left, past the prehistoric sculptures, to reach a minor road near a house.Turn right, either along the road or just inside the nature reserve hedge. If you follow the track inside the reserve keep on it until you emerge near a barn. Turn left at this point onto the road and follow it right for 0.5 mile to a stile on your left a little before Greenstreet Farm. Pass over the stile, bear diagonally right, over another stile and onto a further stile to the right of a water trough in the hedge. In the next field bear diagonally left to a farm gate in far corner near a large single oak tree. Pass through the metal gate, follow the hedge on your right until it ends and then diagonally left across the field on a well defined path to a stile in the far hedge. Cross the next field once again on a well defined path towards the junction between barns and a bungalow. Go through a small gateway and follow the fence on the right to reach the farm road. Cross it passing between the barn and ponds bearing right around the ponds and make for the protruding corner of a wooden fence opposite. On reaching the corner go downhill with the fence on your left to cross a footbridge to the left of a farm bridge. At the far side of the next field turn right through a metal gate to follow a wide field margin/track with the hedge on your left. Cross a tarmac farm road and continue with the hedge on your left through two farm gates. Continue to follow the hedge on your left as it bears left along a very muddy farm track until just before some farm buildings.
(B) Wichenford Court. A substantial medieval manor house originally stood on this site complete with moat, drawbridge and gatehouse. From early C15 to late C17 the house was belonged to the Washbourne family and it is alleged that during the wars between Henry IV and Owen Glendower a French nobleman was held captive in the house and subsequently murdered by Margaret Washbourne. A bloodstain is maintained on the landing to this day. Major rebuilding took place in C17 but by early C20 the building had deteriorated and was sub-divided for farming purposes. The mid C20 restoration included several additions to the rear and the re-creation of a formal garden.
Turn right through several gates. After passing through the last pair of wooden gates continue forwards with the left hand hedge until you reach a kissing gate leading to a minor road. To visit Wichenford Dovecote turn left at the road and after a short distance the dovecote can be seen on the left.
(C) Wichenford Dovecote. This is a National Trust property. An historic C17 timber framed dovecote in a quiet, rural setting beside Fitcher Brook. The dovecote belonged to nearby Wichenford Court manor and is built to a square plan with walls of wattle and daub infill. It stands on a sandstone plinth and is topped by a tiled roof. The dovecote was restored in C20 and is a supremely beautiful example of vernacular architecture. After visiting the dovecote return to the gate from the field.
Pass through the gate turn right and follow the road to Wichenford Church (on your left). Depending on the time of day this is an ideal place for refreshments.
(D) Church of St. Lawrence, Wychenford. A church or chapel has existed at Wichenford from early times with mention of a chapel in Wichenford which was attached to the church of St. Helen, Worcester around 1234. Parts of the present church of St. Lawrence date from about 1320
[5] Leave the churchyard by a gate at the rear and cross a long field uphill to a pedestrian gate in the far right hand top corner. Cross the centre right of the next field to a footbridge, then slightly uphill to a stile and across the next field on a well defined path with a copice of trees on your left to a plank bridge through a metal gate in the hedge. Bear slightly right in the next field to a protruding corner to find another plank bridge through the opposite hedge. In the next field follow the hedge on your right to the corner then through a gap onto a road. Turn left and almost immediately right over stile. Continue over the field to a farm gate then onwards to a stile in the opposite fence. In the third field aim for the far left corner by farm buildings (Buryendtown Farm). Go through the farm gate which is often very wet with mud and slurry from farm yard. Now turn right past two barns on your left before turning left past a machinery shed and then right to a farm gate into a small field. Bear diagonally left to a stile in the hedge at a minor road. At the road turn right and follow it to the main Martley/Worcester road (B4204) by the Mason Arms Inn.
[6] Cross the main road and take path up poor steps by a telephone building. Follow a path across the field and downhill to a gate in the fence. Pass through the gate and continue on in the same direction until you come to another pedestrian gate. After passing through this gate bear to the right keeping between a large house, (Laughern House, see photo) on the right and the hedge on your left. The direction is towards the far right hand corner where there is a substantial footbridge. Cross over the bridge and turn left alongside a stream on your left for about 50 yards. At a gap by a marker post turn left again along the track through a small wooded area. Follow the hedge on your left until it ends then look for a footbridge on your left. Cross the bridge and continue forwards, through a recently planted orchard, to a stile in the opposite hedge. Cross the stile and continue slightly left and uphill across the field and through a farm gate onto the road.
[7] Turn right and in about 150 yards turn left at a finger post off the road though a small gate and cross the field diagonally uphill to the corner of a wood to your left.
(E) As you climb to the top of the hill it is worth looking backwards at the excellent views over the countryside to Abberley Hill and Titterstone Clee in the left distance.
At the corner of the wood bear right across the same field to the far corner of the wood to your front. After the corner follow the edge of the wood on your left until you reach a stile. Cross the stile and turn left along the field edge eventually bearing even more left and downhill to enter the wood at a corner near a waymark post. Go through wood slightly downhill past a fallen tree and taking the left hand of two tracks. Exiting wood at a footbridge ignore the path going diagonally left and go directly uphill towards farm buildings in the distance. At the top of the first field pass over a stile to the right of a farm gate. Cross the stile and continue in the same direction towards a gap/gateway ahead. Pass through the gap onto the road beyond. Cross the road and take the broad farm track to the left to enter a field. Follow the hedge on your left downhill for 0,5 miles through two fields. Ignore all crossing paths. At the bottom of the second field the hedge turns sharply left. Ignore this, the correct line is straight ahead to a gap in the fence where you cross a brook to enter the field beyond and onwards to a stile in the far hedge to reach the road. Turn left at the road and follow it past a road junction on the left and then on the right to return to Peghouse Wood.