A Kinver walk, part 2 - the steep bit!

This walk takes you to St Peter's Church, Kinver, where the views are fantastic.

You can link it with the the previous walk - see here - but is also good as a stand-alone walk. Below: The Black Country far away on the skyline

From Kinver High Street into the Acre car park (near the Post Office) where the church looks down onto the cars...

...I took the path at the back which goes between gardens.

Quite a steep climb, but very quickly I was looking at roof tops

The steps helped a bit!

Nearing the top of the 160ft climb

...and the church suddenly comes into view

From the church yard, looking over to the Sheepwalks,...

...and over the village

The church is well-used and there are modern fittings in keeping with the ancient ones - like the door here

View west to the Clent Hills

I walked on past the church, turning left onto the lane

At this crossroads I turned right - away from Kinver.

Like many local roads, this one goes through a sandstone cutting.

After about 50 metres, I turned onto this path

...which went through this meadow: I think it's a special wildflower mix

Reaching the Staffs and Worcs canal, I noticed that the modern houses still make use of carved out rock for their sheds.

I love this cottage and its garden, at Whitting Horse Bridge

I turned left down the canal,

A lovely spot

Houses perch on the cliffside

As I reached Kinver, there were more boats waiting at the lock

From here, you can continue as I did down to the Stewponey, if that's where you started - or turn left along High Street and back to the start of this walk.
To look at the other half (well, two thirds) of this walk, click here.
Today's walk : about 2.5 miles. Start at the Acre Car Park, and take the steeply rising path to the church. Left onto the road, and right at the cross roads for about 50 m. Then follow the clear field path which turns into an unmetalled road to Whitting Horse Bridge. Then left along the canal to Kinver Lock -. Turn left again and follow the High street to your starting point.

A Kinver walk. Part 1 - the gentle bit

Like many of my walks, this one started at the Stewponey Lock, Stourton. (There's good parking in the layby right next to it.)

Turning my back on the canaI, I headed up the hill for about 300 metres, until I was opposite the gatehouse to Stourton Castle.

From there, I turned left across the field on a lovely clear path through the barley. It's just beginning to ripen.

The walker at the stile had walked from Wall Heath: that would be at least 12 miles as a round trip.

The path continued past Chance Wood Nature Reserve, famous for its snowdrops earlier in the year, but now full of rhododendrons in flower. Technically a pest, but definitely beautiful.

It seems to have been a good year for foxgloves.

The path reached the Hyde, and there were several options

I took this one, which squeezes between greenery and the River Stour

...past lots of comfrey...

...and onwards, through well-kept horse paddocks.

There are three chalets here - built on blocks because of occasional flooding.

The path reached the Marsh Playing Fields - not named because of its wetness, but after a local family, part of the Marsh and Baxter firm of butchers, which once had the largest meat-processing plant in Europe.

Some people were playing bowls

The path reached the main road through Kinver. Look how the houses crowd together on the sandstone ridge here.

The River Stour flows lazily past the playing fields. Who would know that it was responsible for closing Kinver's famous Country Fayre the week before because of widespread flooding?

A horse trotted past.

Kinver High Street, with the church "floating" above.
I took a route up the cliff towards it at this point. (Click here to see that bit of the route. Very steep, but well worth it)

The main route carries on through the village, passing over the Stour again

..complete with heron.

From here, I followed the canal all the way back to the start. (This is where you would rejoin if you took the longer route)

Hyde lock - an idyllic setting

I carried on past the lock.

The canal was teeming with fish here. I've never seen so many.

Narrow boats moored peacefully in the shade.

Lovely colours in the trees

The canal is cut through red sandstone here. The white colour is due to the salts rising to surface

Dunsley Tunnel - only 25 metres long

And back at the start: the sun highlighted the rope marks on the wall at Stewpony Lock made by generations of boatmen's horses.

Various old canal buildings at Stewpony Lock

NB Stewponey or Stewpony. Both are correct. The name is from the Stewponey and Foley Arms (now demolished) which got its name from the landlord's wife who was from Estepona in Spain.

Click here to look at the extension to this walk. (Adds about 2.5 miles)

Today's route: just over four miles. Start at the Stewponey, up the hill on the A458. Turn left at the stile opposite Stourton Castle's gatehouse. Keep on that path through field and then woodland (ignore a path off to the right. When you reach the buildings in the Hyde, turn down by the side of the river (don't cross it) . Follow this path in a straight line until the playing fields : then the the tarmac until meeting Kinver's main street. Turn left onto this and through the village (good teashops, etc) and out the other side. At the canal bridge, turn left onto the towpath and follow this back to Stewpony Lock