15/01/11 - Tenbury Wells

Distance - 9.5 Miles
Walk from - Country Walking Magazine - March 2004
Starting Point - Teme Street, Tenbury Wells
Number of Caches - Tenbury has no caches.

So far, this year has been around ticking off local walks that have caught my eye.  If I continue like this, I will also knock off the third Stieg Larrson book and get my sky planner down from 8% free to 50% free.  And start the new Medal of Honour game.

I think that I need to give up work to concentrate on these better activtities.

Tenbury is a decent sized town on the western borders of Worcestershire and Shropshire.  In victorian times, it tried to reinvent itself as a Spa Town - adding the Wells and building Spa facilities.  Unfortunately, nobody came.

It now has that tired, jaded look of many of our towns.  In the lengthy high street, most of the shops are getting very shabby looking and there are a few gaps of shops up for let.  However, unlike Stourport, it seems to have a lack of charity shops, or chinese restaurants. 

One thing it has that Stourport doesn't is a grand Theatre.  Although, as Jim Davidson is playing this year, I think this is something that I can live without.  Unless he does that Joke about Chalky.... hilarious.

The walk starts in the town.  Rather than pay a £1 and make a much needed contribution to the local coffers, I park in the street and walk around the back of the houses to the stepping stones over the Kyre Brook.  Due to the high water levels, these are a challenge.

There's not too much to say about the walk.  You go South from the town, heading down Terralis Lane to pick up field after field of Sheep Pastures.  In the mud.

Sat Nav would be essential due to the high number of footpaths going off in every direction.

The guide says take the Bridleway

Field after field is taken in.  There is an abandoned farms house in one, which looks in reasonable condition and has the front door wide open.  In the hope of an adventourous story, I do pop in but it feels far too much like Blair Witch, so I did a Ross Kemp and got the hell out of there.

The turning around point is at Kyre Park.  What on earth is this place?  It is a collection of imposing buildings, with gardens designed by Capability Brown that you can pay £2.50 for a look around.  The buildings are in major disrepair and its really in the middle of nowhere.  The only cars there were parked for the adjacent bike shop, which seemed to be doing a roaring trade.  Very odd place.

Then, I am heading North back across more farmland.  The views are better on the return with Clee Hill acting as the marker for where you neeed to walk to.

Clee Hill, Background.  Me, Foreground.

This walk has been a bit of a slog.  There were two rewards to make up for the lack of Geocaching activity and mud.  1)  The first batch of new born sheep came this week.  This cycle of life always gladdens my heart and makes Sonia happy, as she likes to eat them whilst they are tiny and 2)  Tenbury Chippy is allright.

Sonia's Tea in March.

Tenbury Wells at EveryTrail