Walton Hill
Encyclopedia
At 316 metres above sea level
, Walton Hill is the highest point in the range of hill
s in northern Worcestershire
known as the Clent Hills
. It is the highest point for 21 miles in all directions, and as such commands an excellent panorama
. Its neighbours include Clent Hill, Wychbury Hill
(which is hidden from view by Clent Hill), Calcot Hill, and Romsley Hill.
The summit of the hill is open grassland and heath
, which was commonland of the manor
of Clent
. This became a regulated common in 1935, as a result of action by Bromsgrove Rural District Council, and was given to the National Trust
in 1959. Woodland
s on the side of the hill in the Clatterbach valley were bought by Worcestershire County Council in 1957 and given by it to the National Trust in 1959.
, The Wrekin
, Malvern and Abberley hills are usually visible. On a clear day one can see 30 miles south to the Cotswolds
, 25 miles south west to the Malvern Hills
, 35 miles north east to Charnwood Forest
, 40 miles north to the Peak District
, 20 miles west to the Shropshire Hills, the Bromyard Downs
in Herefordshire
, and 55 miles south west to the Black Mountains
. This comes from its situation in the middle of England, distant from all other hills but not too distant.
via Hagley Wood Lane (leaving it between Hagley
and Hayley Green
) or Uffmoor Lane (leaving it just east of Hayley Green). Both lead to a tee-junction at the top of St. Kenelm's Pass next to High Harcourt Farm. The lane from High Harcourt Farm skirts Walton Hill finishing at another tee-junction with the A491 road
at the Hollybush (public house
). For access routes please refer to the relevant Ordnance Survey
map (Explorer 1:25,000 series - Wolverhampton & Dudley).
Further along the lane the hill can be accessed on foot via the long bricked paved driveway to Walton Hill Farm. From the same lane, about half way to the Hollybush, is Sling Common near the entrance to Calcot Hill Farm on Calcot Hill, which gives access to the summit of Walton Hill along a footpath which follows a ridge through private farm land, leading Walton Hill Farm, where the path enters the National Trust land on the summit of Walton Hill. A bridle path runs from Calcot Hill Farm, along the southern face of the Walton Hill to the hamlet of Walton Pool. This crosses a footpath from Belbroughton
and the A491 across farmland on its way towards the summit. From Walton Pool, a hamlet in the parish of Clent
, two bridle paths follow the lines of two ridges, and meet to form the main south western spine of Walton hill. To the north west of Walton Pool there is a footpath which starts at St. Leonards church, the Parish church
in Clent
, and joins one of the two bridleways emanating from Walton Pool. Another path starts in the hamlet of Clatterbach, near the Vine Inn in Clent village and this allows direct access to the north western flank of Walton Hill.
The northern car park is at 260 m above sea level. The other access points onto the hill start from slightly lower down the slope at 250 m. The access from the northern car park has the steepest and shortest route to the summit, but there is also an easy access trail which winds around the end of the hill. The Calcot Hill route is about two kilometre (just over a mile) long. The other routes are all about a kilometre and a half (about a mile) to the summit.
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
, Walton Hill is the highest point in the range of hill
Hill
A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills often have a distinct summit, although in areas with scarp/dip topography a hill may refer to a particular section of flat terrain without a massive summit A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills...
s in northern Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
known as the Clent Hills
Clent Hills
The Clent Hills lie 9⅓ miles southwest of Birmingham city centre in Clent, Worcestershire, England. The closest towns are Stourbridge and Halesowen, both in the West Midlands conurbation. The Clent Hills range consists of, in order from north-west to south-east: Wychbury Hill, Clent Hill , and...
. It is the highest point for 21 miles in all directions, and as such commands an excellent panorama
Panorama
A panorama is any wide-angle view or representation of a physical space, whether in painting, drawing, photography, film/video, or a three-dimensional model....
. Its neighbours include Clent Hill, Wychbury Hill
Wychbury Hill
Wychbury Hill is a hill situated off the A456 Birmingham Road, at Hagley, Stourbridge, on the border of West Midlands and Worcestershire.It is divided between the parish of Hagley and former parish of Pedmore. It is one of the Clent Hills. The hill offers good views across the Severn Valley as...
(which is hidden from view by Clent Hill), Calcot Hill, and Romsley Hill.
The summit of the hill is open grassland and heath
Heath (habitat)
A heath or heathland is a dwarf-shrub habitat found on mainly low quality acidic soils, characterised by open, low growing woody vegetation, often dominated by plants of the Ericaceae. There are some clear differences between heath and moorland...
, which was commonland of the manor
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
of Clent
Clent
Clent is a village and civil parish in the Bromsgrove District of Worcestershire, England, southwest of Birmingham and close to the edge of the West Midlands conurbation. At the 2001 census it had a population of 2,600...
. This became a regulated common in 1935, as a result of action by Bromsgrove Rural District Council, and was given to the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
in 1959. Woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
s on the side of the hill in the Clatterbach valley were bought by Worcestershire County Council in 1957 and given by it to the National Trust in 1959.
Scenic beauty
From the summit looking south west down the main spine of the hill the closer peaks of the Clee HillsClee Hills
The Clee Hills are a range of hills in Shropshire, England near Ludlow, consisting of Brown Clee Hill , the highest peak in Shropshire, and Titterstone Clee Hill...
, The Wrekin
The Wrekin
The Wrekin is a hill in east Shropshire, England. It is located some west of Telford, on the border between the unitary authorities of Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin. Rising to a height of above the Shropshire Plain, it is a prominent and well-known landmark, marking the entrance to Shropshire...
, Malvern and Abberley hills are usually visible. On a clear day one can see 30 miles south to the Cotswolds
Cotswolds
The Cotswolds are a range of hills in west-central England, sometimes called the Heart of England, an area across and long. The area has been designated as the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
, 25 miles south west to the Malvern Hills
Malvern Hills
The Malvern Hills are a range of hills in the English counties of Worcestershire, Herefordshire and a small area of northern Gloucestershire, dominating the surrounding countryside and the towns and villages of the district of Malvern...
, 35 miles north east to Charnwood Forest
Charnwood Forest
Charnwood Forest is an upland tract in north-western Leicestershire, England, bounded by Leicester, Loughborough, and Coalville. The area is undulating, rocky and picturesque, with barren areas. It also has some extensive tracts of woodland; its elevation is generally 600 ft and upwards, the area...
, 40 miles north to the Peak District
Peak District
The Peak District is an upland area in central and northern England, lying mainly in northern Derbyshire, but also covering parts of Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, and South and West Yorkshire....
, 20 miles west to the Shropshire Hills, the Bromyard Downs
Bromyard Downs
Bromyard Downs are an area of common land just outside Bromyard in Herefordshire.The most notable feature on the common is the outline of an old disused horse racecourse....
in Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
, and 55 miles south west to the Black Mountains
Black Mountains, Wales
The Black Mountains are a group of hills spread across parts of Powys and Monmouthshire in southeast Wales, and extending across the national border into Herefordshire, England. They are the easternmost of the four ranges of hills that comprise the Brecon Beacons National Park, and are frequently...
. This comes from its situation in the middle of England, distant from all other hills but not too distant.
Ascents
The hill can be walked up on foot from most directions. The most common ascent is from a car park north east of the summit. The car park is most easily accessed from A456 roadA456 road
The A456 is a main road in England running between Birmingham and Woofferton, Shropshire, south of Ludlow.-History:Much of the road is almost certainly medieval in origin...
via Hagley Wood Lane (leaving it between Hagley
Hagley
Hagley is a village and civil parish on the northern boundary of Worcestershire, England, near to the towns of Kidderminster and Stourbridge. The parish had a population of 4,283 in 2001, but the whole village had a population of perhaps 5,600, including the part in Clent parish...
and Hayley Green
Hayley Green
Hayley Green may refer to the following places in the United Kingdom:*Hayley Green, Berkshire: part of the parish of Warfield*Hayley Green, West Midlands: a suburb of Halesowen, West Midlands...
) or Uffmoor Lane (leaving it just east of Hayley Green). Both lead to a tee-junction at the top of St. Kenelm's Pass next to High Harcourt Farm. The lane from High Harcourt Farm skirts Walton Hill finishing at another tee-junction with the A491 road
A491 road
The A491 is an A road in Zone 4 of the Great Britain numbering scheme.-History:The road north of Oldswinford forms part of an ancient road, probably of Anglo-Saxon origin, joining the burhs of Worcester and Stafford...
at the Hollybush (public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
). For access routes please refer to the relevant Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
map (Explorer 1:25,000 series - Wolverhampton & Dudley).
Further along the lane the hill can be accessed on foot via the long bricked paved driveway to Walton Hill Farm. From the same lane, about half way to the Hollybush, is Sling Common near the entrance to Calcot Hill Farm on Calcot Hill, which gives access to the summit of Walton Hill along a footpath which follows a ridge through private farm land, leading Walton Hill Farm, where the path enters the National Trust land on the summit of Walton Hill. A bridle path runs from Calcot Hill Farm, along the southern face of the Walton Hill to the hamlet of Walton Pool. This crosses a footpath from Belbroughton
Belbroughton
Belbroughton is a village and civil parish in the Bromsgrove District of Worcestershire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,380. It is about six miles north of Bromsgrove, six miles east of Kidderminster and four miles south of Stourbridge, in Worcestershire...
and the A491 across farmland on its way towards the summit. From Walton Pool, a hamlet in the parish of Clent
Clent
Clent is a village and civil parish in the Bromsgrove District of Worcestershire, England, southwest of Birmingham and close to the edge of the West Midlands conurbation. At the 2001 census it had a population of 2,600...
, two bridle paths follow the lines of two ridges, and meet to form the main south western spine of Walton hill. To the north west of Walton Pool there is a footpath which starts at St. Leonards church, the Parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in Clent
Clent
Clent is a village and civil parish in the Bromsgrove District of Worcestershire, England, southwest of Birmingham and close to the edge of the West Midlands conurbation. At the 2001 census it had a population of 2,600...
, and joins one of the two bridleways emanating from Walton Pool. Another path starts in the hamlet of Clatterbach, near the Vine Inn in Clent village and this allows direct access to the north western flank of Walton Hill.
The northern car park is at 260 m above sea level. The other access points onto the hill start from slightly lower down the slope at 250 m. The access from the northern car park has the steepest and shortest route to the summit, but there is also an easy access trail which winds around the end of the hill. The Calcot Hill route is about two kilometre (just over a mile) long. The other routes are all about a kilometre and a half (about a mile) to the summit.