Gibbet Wood and Whittington, near Kinver

This is a very attractive 4 mile walk, just outside Kinver

The route starts along Gibbet Lane - the site of the last gibbeting in England. 

John Roberts aka William Howe, was convicted of shooting and killing Benjamin Roberts of Dunsley Hall (Then a manor house, now a  hotel). You can read some gruesome accounts by clicking here or here. There was no sign of this on the sunny day I walked here. (The wood is supposed to be haunted.)

The path has good views - this is Gibbet Wood stretching along the edge of the field  

I must look up what these flowers are: I thought they were loosestrife, but they aren't. Ideas, anyone?

The walk was noisy at times, with these four buzzards mewing overhead.

Just as the path reaches the road to the Round hill Works, the path turns off, across the entry road.

A fierce warning...

...but all the cattle were at the other end of the field

The next stile (all the stiles on this walk were tall - and some were quite difficult)

Don't normally see these on my walks. Possibly to stop horse riders?

Looking back to the path

The cattle were curious.

The path is quite easy to follow (this is looking back - Bunkers Hill Wood in the distance)

Looking over to Gibbet Wood

The path was impassable for about 50 metres just after this because of a leafy crop. I was checking path conditions*, so I waded through: it was shoulder high in places, and I was soaked in dew. It's best to wait until the spring for doing this walk!

Old hawthorn by the fence

An unexpected crop of sunflowers

The next part of the path is fine

It led to the Whittington Inn, currently being refurbished 

At the canal,I kept to the non-towpath side.

Colours are just starting to turn.

Two runners enjoying the sunshine

 Lots of moss among the trees

Beautiful canalside garden

Views over to Kinver edge as the path climbs 

Instead of going all the way to Kinver, I took this path

It keeps up high, giving views over to the Sheepwalks. 

The view ahead, taking me back to the start. 

Today's walk: Park at the entrance to Gibbet Lane - follow it (it's a path) until reaching the entrance to the Roundhill Works. Turn right here, follow the path across fields, and eventually back to the A449 near the Whittington Inn. Cross over and follow the path to the canal. Turn right, keeping on the side opposite the towpath, and where the canal turns, turn right uphill, following a path straight across to the A449 again. Cross over - then either follow the path opposite, (Rather overgrown and difficult, but not impossible)which leads back to Gibbet Lane, or walk along the side of the A449 to your start. Fantastic and varied views, but the path is quite hilly, and two sections are overgrown. One alomst impassable, so I can't recommend this at the moment. If all the paths were ok I'd give the walk 9/10.

* I did this as part of the Big Pathwatch. For details, click here

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