Enville to Kinver - your big winter walk?

This is a lovely walk in its own right, but combine it with the previous walk (click here) and you can get a 9/10 mile walk which could be done on Boxing Day or New Year's Day.

It passes though the Enville Estate's sweeping parkland, much of it designed by William Shenstone.

I started this section in Enville,  - you can park near this shop

I went up to look at the church - it's one of my favourites, because of this lovely stone work on its tower

Sandstone churches are fairly rare - and sandstone does erode easily, as the worn door decorations showed

I walked past the post office

...and on into Enville Hall's grounds

There's a glimpse of Enville's church through the trees.

Past Enville cricket club's scoreboard 

...and the impressive stables.

A horse dashed up to meet me. Enville is famous for its point to pointers.

Looking back towards the hall

The last of the Autumn leaves were still clinging on

The pool by Home Farm

This walk is mostly on the Staffordshire way, and is easy to follow (and to walk)

There are good open views back across to the Million (the woodland from the previous walk)

It's easy to miss the old ice house.

The higher land aheasd is Kinver Edge

The path continued to the very edge of Kinver, 

...where I turned right along a road for about 100 metres, then left into the next woodland (still on the Staffs Way)

The path brought me to Windsor Crescent, 

...where I looked towards Kinver Edge, with its famous rock houses.  I decided to leave them to another day. (They are worthy of a blog all to themselves)

Instead I followed paths between the houses. (They all lead to the next so it's difficult to go wrong). Here, at Compton Gardens, I turned down Stone Lane and into the village

Kinver's sandstone church is on a rocky outcrop high above the village

The windows were decorated ready for Christmas

This route is very easy, and very worthwhile to walk. It's just over 3.5 miles. You can use two cars and walk it one way, or do it as an out and back route of 7.2 miles
Or you can combine it with this route (click here)  Then all you need to do is walk an extra mile along the canal to the Stewponey Lock. This combination makes a 10 mile round trip. Suitable to walk off the Christmas calories on Boxing Day? Or to walk on January 1st to start a New Year's resolution to get fitter/walk more? Of which, more anon....

Today's walk: 3.5 miles, easy walking. Park in Enville. (Visit the church first - lovely views) Then follow the Staffordshire Way through the Enville estate and on to Kinver. On reaching the road in Kinver, walk in a straight line between the houses, until you reach Compton Gardens and its junction with Stone Lane. Turn left down Stone Lane and right at the bottom onto Kinver High Street. Cafes, restaurants and pubs galore here. My current favourite is the Olde House Tea rooms

Stewpony to Enville - a beautiful, but easy winter walk!

The weather has been fantastic just lately. Cold, but bright and sunny. Just the ideal conditions for this walk.
I started at Stewpony Lock (the Stewpony was a famous local pub - now demolished), where there is good parking.

These circular weirs are a feature of the Staffs and Worcs Canal

Having admired the rushing overflow, I began walking along the towpath,

...catching a glimpse of Stourton Castle through the trees (it's invisible from here in summer). One of the castle gates has a hole in it, made by a cannonball in the English Civil War.

Towards Stourton Bridge,...

..and then on, northwards.

Two waterways here, the canal on the right, and the glassy River Stour on the left

I crossed the aqueduct over the Stour

It was almost December, yet there were still plenty of leaves on the trees, especially the oaks. Lots floating in the canal though.

At Prestwood Bridge, I turned left ...

...onto a clear bridle path

...which crossed Greensforge Lane, and then began to climb gently

Near the top, the views were fantastic, over towards Worcestershire's Clent Hills on one side...

...and towards the Black Country on the the other.

Gothersley Farm's tree was almost as bright as a burning bush

The path continued through The Million woodland

It was very easy to follow - and good walking underfoot, because its on sandstone

Eventually, the path reached the A458, with a handy footpath on the verge

After about 100 metres, I turned right onto another lane/path

Quarter of a mile later, I turned left onto this footpath. The donkeys in this field didn't want to be photographed! (Nor the Shetland - too interested in feeding)

As the path continued,the village of Enville came into view

Reaching the very minor road, I turned left, past an inquisitive sheep

Being on a main road, people often overlook Enville

...but there are some interesting buildings, mostly built in Enville brick

The church is sandstone, with lovely views and lacy stonework - well worth a visit

You can get chocolate from the tiny, old-fashioned Enville Post Office

The old school .

The walk was about 5 miles, and a top quality walk. You can do it with two cars, leaving one at the Stewpony, and one in Enville. Following your walk, you could drive back to Kinver and its tearooms or eat at the Cat Public House.
Or you could wait for the next blog, and see how this walk can be combined with the next one to make a nice 10 mile round trip- to do on Boxing Day, or New Year's Day perhaps.
The route: Start from Stewpony lock  - Junction of A449 and A458. Good parking, but no phone signal!Walk past the lock, along the canal (ignoring the turn off to Stourbridge) until Prestwood Bridge, where you turn left onto a bridle path - follow this uphill (it becomes a private road at one point), past Gothersley stables and into the Million woods. Just keep going straight on, ignoring any junctions. At the road, cross and continue in the same direction on the other side. Then follow the raod verge for 100 metres. Turn Right onto a road/track. After just over 1/4 mile, turn left onto a path which heads towards Enville. The path becomes a lane. At the junction, turn Left and follow the road into Enville. Make sure you visit the church, or at least its grounds. Return by the same route if you haven't left a car here!

The next blog continues this, to make a round walk. Click here. You combine the 2 walks, and then walk a mile along the canal to get back to your start at the Stewponey. Can't recommend highly enough.