Brewood and Chillington

Head south along Church Road, past the Parish Church, and bear left at the bottom- a public alleyway is seen to the right. Take this between houses to an unsurfaced road where a left turn and an immediate right at a footpath sign takes you across fields to emerge at Deans Bridge. Turn right across the canal bridge and follow the unmade road to The Woolley. At the farm continue following the Staffordshire Way sign to a bend with a pool on the right and a stile on the left. Cross the stile and following the field to Upper Avenue, the drive leading to Chillington Hall. Cross ‘The Avenue’, with the Hall in the distance to the right and, still following the Staffordshire Way signs, cross another filed to arrive at a green lane. Go right as far as a small white thatched cottage where the track becomes more of an estate road. Continue to reach a minor surfaced road. Turn right along this road to the entrance gates of Chillington Hall.

Continue along the edge of Horse Paddock Wood where the road bears left and at the drive to Chillington Farm turn right. Pass the farmhouse and farm buildings on your left and walk between two outbuildings ahead onto a field. Keep the hedge on your left climbing up the well-trodden track until you reach the top. Turn right, passing a house and pond on your left, follow the garden hedge turning left as it does. When you reach the corner of the hedge go ahead following the crop-free path leading across a field to a gap in the opposite hedge. Through the gap the now distinct path bears right and over a wooden bridge. Go up the left-hand side of the next field arriving at the opening into a green lane which brings you to the road at Oakley.

Turn right along the road and then quickly left at the drive to Oakley Farm to come to a right hand bend. The route is straight ahead on a clear track continuing until the path turns sharp right. Stop do not follow this track but look ahead of you, the path ahead is not apparent, line up on a neatly shaped oak tree in the distance and keeping the small wooded area to your right walk parallel to Dry Brook Plantation. Continue, you will see a signpost in the distance by the oak tree, the hedge gap then leads you to narrow lane. You will see ahead of you the expanse of Belvide Reservoir.

Turn right along the lane for about ¾ of a mile to Lee Fields Farm on the right. Shortly after the farm turning the left hand bend you will see a newly renovated cottage. Walking down the public right of way keeping the cottage wall to your left follow a distinct path to arrive at Broomhill Bridge (Bridge16) over the Shropshire Union Canal. Turn right along the towpath and follow it all the way to Brewood Bridge (Bridge 14). Climb to the road into Brewood. Turning right to lead you to St. Dominics School. Opposite the school turn right this brings you to Church Road and the center of the village.

Points of interest

Chillington Hall – Mentioned in the Domesday Book. The parkland owes much of its present form to Capability Brown. The Hall is open to the public on Thursday afternoons from May to September and on Sundays and Bank Holidays.

Belvide Reservoir – A canal feeder and now a nature reserve for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

Brewood- A delightful Staffordshire village with along history. Originally a Roman Fort defending the nearby Watling Street.