[1] From the Dog Lane car park proceed to the banks of the River Severn. This can be done either through the lower part of the car park or by exiting at Dog Lane and turning left down to the Quay at the bottom of the road. Ahead you will see Bewdley Rowing Club. At the river turn right and proceed along Severnside North until you reach the road bridge over the river.
[A] The road bridge was built by Thomas Telford in 1798 and is a 3 span masonry arch bridge. The present one replaced another that had been destroyed by flooding in 1795. The remnants of the old bridge piers can be seen a few metres downstream of the current bridge sticking out into the river.
Continue along the riverside and pass beneath the bridge to join Severnside South and continue either along the road or along the walkway. The choice often depends on the amount of tourists there are along this section. You may notice on the floor of the quay square metal plates. These are part of the flood defence system that has been installed along the river in recent times to prevent the properties being flooded out during times of high river levels. Bewdley had been afflicted with this problem for centuries but now it seems the defences work well. At the far end of the quay the path narrows until it reaches the junction with Lax Lane. Continue straight on into the car park ahead.
[B] If you look to the left at this point you will notice that the river is much rougher and this is because the river bottom shelves at this point and is the original ford before a bridge was built. The car park ahead is Gardeners Meadow car park and is also an alternative to the Dog Lane car park and the walk can easily commence from here.
Continue along the wall which separates the car park from the river until you reach the point where the wall ends. Keep going in the same direction, initially with Bewdley Cricket Club on the right, along a rough path for about 800 metres until you reach a new road bridge. Ignore the steps to the right and pass beneath the bridge and enter Blackstone Riverside Park. Keeping the river on the left continue along across the meadow following the river as it curves round to the right. Note, across the river, the large outcrop of rock known as Blackstone. Eventually you reach a point where the path enters a narrow gap in the hedge at the meadow corner and meets the B4194 near a sharp bend.
[2] Beware of traffic at this point. Taking great care turn left at the road and walk along until you reach a road junction on the opposite side of the road, sign posted Ribbesford Church. Turn right into this tree lined lane and continue to the end where it turns right to become the car park for St Leonards Church, Ribbesford.
[C] Whilst walking up the lane you will notice on the left a large house. This is Ribbesford House and was the headquarters of the Free French Army during the Second World War.
St Leonards Church is certainly the oldest church in the Bewdley district and some parts date back to Norman times although it has been constantly updated over many centuries.
From the car park enter the church gate and proceed past the right hand side of the church to the rear. Turn right to go up through the cemetery until you reach a gap in the church wall, turn immediately left and pass through a pedestrian gate. Follow the path to the right and start climbing up a short incline in the field behind the church keeping to the right hand hedge pass through an avenue of recently planted trees until you come to a fence. There are good views across the valley from the bench situated at the top of the field. Pass through into Ribbesford Woods via a gap to the right of the bench and continue upwards, on a well defined path, keeping the edge of the wood on the right hand side. You emerge from the wood through a gap in the fence and into a small field. Keeping between the fence on your right and a fence on the left continue forwards to a gap in the hedge on the far side. Go through the gap and follow the path past a brick wall with wooden fence atop until it merges with a drive. Bear right on to this drive and continue on until it meets a road. At the junction look over the wide gate opposite and you can see the pointed tower of Beau Castle on the horizon. This is an architecturally distinct house built in 19th century by a blackcountry industrialist. Turn left on to this road through a wooded section and keep on it until it meets a junction at Horsehill Farm.
[3] Take the right fork signed "Frank Chapman Centre" and continue along passing a number of buildings until you enter a small wood. Ignore the Finger Post showing the Worcestershire Way on the left and continue on the road until it emerges into open countryside. On the right hand side is Wharton Park Golf Club. After about 400 yards the road meets the entrance of the Frank Chapman Centre next to a power line pole and a green lane on the right hand side. Take the right hand lane and proceed along the hedge of the Centre keeping the golf course on the right. Carry on along this path as it passes into a wooded, enclosed path. Ignore the stile on the right hand side opposite a brick built bungalow and continue until it emerges near a gate on the left. Ignore this gate and bear right onto the golf course along side a teeing area. Turn left before you get to the Tee. Take care at this point in case there are golfers on the Tee. The path is quite clear at this point and carry on until you meet a junction of paths near a large barn like structure which is the greenkeepers workshop.
[D] The wood here is Rock Coppice and together with the adjoining Burnt Wood are SSSIs. This means that the golf club is restricted to what can be done within the woods and to what species of trees can be planted on the course.
[4] At the junction turn left and proceed slightly downhill keeping a wire mesh fence on the right hand side. This section of path can be quite muddy at various times of the year. Continue on the same line after the fence ends to eventually cross over a small stream by a footbridge and proceed on along a well defined path through the woods. Eventually the path meets another coming from the left but ignoring this continue on passing over another stream with a field now on your left hand side. You will soon meet a marker post at a T-junction, turn left here and continue on a short way until you see a path again merging from the right by another marker post. At this point just ahead the path emerges into the open.
[5] Do not continue forwards but take the right hand path and proceed along it keeping the hedge on your left hand side. Keep on this path until it leaves the wood at a stile into a field. The path goes uphill keeping near to the left hand hedge across a field and through a wide gap in the hedge. Ignore the footpath sign and stile in the left hand hedge and continue upwards through another wide gap. Continue on the same line until you reach a stile in the corner of the field near a private driveway with a large water tower ahead. Cross the stile and turn left onto the drive until it meets the A456. Take care at this point because this is a very busy road. Cross the road and turn left to quickly meet St John's Lane on the right, enter the lane and continue on past St John's Trading Estate. Ignore the right hand turn at St John's Farm and keep straight on. Just past the entrance of Orchard Corner you enter the forest. Ignore the forest tracks on the left and continue down the lane to a wooden gate. Go through the kissing gate on the left of the gate and go forward with the field on the right until you meet a path junction with a way mark post showing Bewdley Forest Discovery Way. Ignore the path going to the right of the post and carry on with a wire mesh fence on your right hand side. The path is well defined at this point continues on going slightly downhill. When the fence ends ignore the path joining from the right and keep to the main path shortly you will come to a fork in the path ignore the left hand path and continue onwards along the right hand path. The path at this point is in Ruskin Land.
[E] The artist John Ruskin was a frequent visitor to this area and through his Guild of St. George purchased a number of plots of land in this area including Uncllys Farm and St Georges Farm which is close to the path at this point.
The path swings right and shortly comes to a fence which is the boundary of St Georges Farm. Keeping the fence on the right continue forwards until you reach a way-mark post. Ignoring the joining path on the left and continue downhill through the trees until it meets a wide cross path.
[6] Turn left at the junction along this wide forest track gradually going downhill until it emerges through a gap in the hedge and onto the bed of the old Bewdley to Wooferton Railway. Go across the track and through a gap on the other side.The route now goes sharply downhill and great care must be taken Follow the waymark and Geopark signs downhill until you reach a cross path at the bottom. When you reach the bottom of the slope turn right to quickly cross the footbridge over Dowles Brook and on the other side go slightly uphill to turn right to proceed downstream.
[F] Dowles Brook is a fast flowing forest stream along which you can see a variety of birds including Dippers and Kingfishers. In the Summer this stream seems quite innocuous but can become a raging torrent in Winter. A few years ago all bridges over this waterway were swept away. They have now all been replaced.
For those who may be too nervous or unable to take the steep route, turn left when you emerge onto the railway track and continue along until you pass a number of wooden posts across the track. Go past these and shortly you will see a cross path marked by a large finger post. Take the right hand path, signed Dowles Brook, After a short distance ignore the bridle-way sign on the right and continue along and more gradually downhill until you reach a way-mark post ahead. Turn right here past another post to continue downhill. The path along this section can be very muddy and there are a number of diversions along its route which the walker is advised to follow until you meet a wide cross path at the bottom. Turn right to go downstream and eventually the path starts to go uphill. This is the bridle-path that was ignored earlier. Turn left at this point to cross a small stream, using stepping stones, to shortly meet the more adventurous, steep path at waypoint No.7 and continue on to cross the footbridge.
Continue along the route of the brook and you eventually come to Cooper's Mill which is a new building erected after the ruins of the original corn mill were demolished in 1967. The current building is managed by the Outdoor Learning Service of Birmingham City Council. Continuing past the mill the path meets a wide clearing on the left continue on towards a concrete path ahead and 30 yards after reaching this bear right down a track towards the brook. Keep on this track, ignoring a right hand branch that only leads to the brook. Eventually you come to a footbridge across the stream. This is Knowles Mill and is worth pausing to take a look. This also makes a good refreshment stop.
[G] Knowles Mill is a derelict corn mill and is the only one left still in existence along Dowles Brook. It stopped working in the 1890s. Some restoration and stabilising work has taken place and display boards inside tell the story. The mill and meadows near the cottage and the wooded bank behind are part of a reserve owned by Worcestershire Wildlife Trust. www.worcswildlifetrust.co.
Retrace your steps over the footbridge and continue the journey downstream looking out for Dippers and Kingfishers. After about 1/2 mile you reach a stone bridge that crosses the brook. Carry on over and eventually the road turns sharply right. Here you leave the road through a gate at the left hand corner, marked Geopark Way. The track now is not so well made as before but easily followed. If you look over to the left, through the trees, you may catch a glimpse of Dowles Manor. This was a Tudor manor house but there was a fire a few years ago and although not destroyed much of it was damaged. The track crosses the brook and the path goes down a short incline to a wall that forms the boundary of the Manor. Proceed along the wall and fence until you reach the B4194.
[8] This is a very busy road and care needs to be taken because the route turns right at the road for about 50 metres then crosses the road opposite a stone bridge which carries the road over Dowles Brook. Turn right and continue along the road down a dip to the road bridge crossing Dowles Brook.Ignore the sign posted drive on the left and continue up hill where you will see the back of a road sign. Here there is a sign post pointing left. Turn down this track indicated and proceed to a gate with a gap to the right. This is the entrance to the churchyard of St. Andrews, Dowles and a number of graves can still be seen. Over to the right you may see the ruins of the church. The path is clearly marked by paving and proceed along until it ends at a fence with an iron gate.
[H] St Andrews Church at Dowles was demolished in 1956 and it served the parish of Dowles which was previously in Shropshire but was transferred to Bewdley in 1895. Only the walls are left of the church but there are still graves in the churchyard which is still maintained.
Go through the gate and continue forward to a stile in the fence opposite which leads to the river side path. If you look to the left after climbing the stile you will see the remains of an old railway bridge. Go over the stile and turn right to continue downstream towards Bewdley.
[I]The bridge supports are all that remains of the river bridge for the Bewdley to Wooferton Railway. The main span was blown up in the seventies to prevent people using it.
Continue along the riverside for approximately 1/2 mile. Eventually, after a kissing gate, the path becomes surfaced and you enter a parkland area. You will be able to see the river bridge along this section. Finally you will arrive at the bank along side the Dog Lane car park which is the end of the walk.
Those new to Bewdley may wish to visit the town's museum to learn more about the town and it's past. You can find this in the centre of the town near the pedestrian crossing.