Eight other walkers joined Maggie and Mac for this walk from Arley. After parking at Arley Arboretum, we climbed steadily towards Shatterford, on the main road from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster. There we passed a row of cottages whose owners had competed to create the most decorative front garden, with statuary as the theme, before stopping for our morning break. A further gentle climb brought us to the highest point of the walk, from where we began a long descent, mostly through woodland, along part of the North Worcestershire Path. After crossing a field, where the friendly bullocks kept their distance, we reached and crossed the Severn Valley Railway line. The SVR was celebrating diesel locomotives that day, and we saw several examples. We then circumnavigated a sludge pool and climbed the embankment beside Trimpley Reservoir, where we ate lunch while watching birds and trains. Conditions were ideal for walking, with sunshine and dry ground underfoot, and only one minor mishap befell a member of the group.
The Route
