Worupt two

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Worupt here.

A bit of a mixed bag of a route. Overall it was safe, offroad and not unpleasant to walk. It didn't start well for me, the first section diverts away from what looks like it would be a really gorgeous section of the Severn Way to follow a route which was poorly plotted, not that easy to follow and gained little in terms of direction and nothing in terms of enjoyment. My only other gripes with the route were the seemingly pointless loop away from the road at Severn Stoke and the extra loop in Worcester to follow the Severn Way. The environment of the Severn Way can be a little intimidating, with lots of reminders that you are frequently passing through private land. I must say, my enjoyment improved as I entered the city limits past the site of the Battle of Worcester. As you reach Diglis, the path becomes paved and the riverside becomes decidedly picturesque. The route to the meeting place at Foregate Street is via the Cathedral grounds and through the pedestrianised shopping centre. This is a good Slow Way, but I think there's a better one out there that goes through Kempsey and is less distracted by the Severn Way. But that would need a return to the drawing board. There are steps and kissing gates on this route.

I created this route having discovered that WORUPT 1 has a serious flaw which in my view makes it unwalkable. This is the route I actually took from Worcester to Upton, except that a short section of the river path through the nature reserve south of Diglis was temporarily closed for resurfacing, and I was forced to find a way around that which is too temporary to be worth sharing.

This is a pretty route, much of it along the banks of the river Severn. The only facility en route is the Rose & Crown pub at Severn Stoke, but more may be available near the route in Kempsey - I didn't have time to investigate, as my plan was to continue to Tewkesbury.

Leaving the meeting point at Foregate Street station, we follow the road south to the cathedral, and take the path through College Yard and the churchyard (there are steps here) that emerges on the lane leading to The Stables. We go straight on, heading down to the riverside path down more steps. The riverside path is surfaced here, and leads over two dock entrances to Navigation Road, then straight on past Diglis Bridge on another surfaced path. Unfortunately the Severn Way path through the nature reserve was closed for surfacing work when I walked it, but once this is done this section of path looks good. My attempts to return to the river took me up to Waverley Street and down the far side of Buck Brook, and where I rejoined the riverside path it is narrow and a little muddy.

From here the route finding is easy - the clear path leads around a bend in the river into a caravan park, where we go straight on through the A4440 bridge (at this point I was looking for a path up the bank - the path along the top is visible but there is no way up to it before the yacht club access road which is signed Private). So at this point I abandoned WORUPT 1 and continued along the Severn Way by the river, which leads easily through fields and more caravans to Lanes End (the route into Kempsey). We continue on the riverside path around another big bend in the river, beyond which the path gets a little rough and narrow as it passes below the fields. Eventually we climb back up to field level and head inland along an obvious lane, then turn right along a quiet lane that leads to the A38.

We go a short distance along the main road (the left/east side has a wide verge and a narrow pavement), then cross to the signposted path that heads right into the fields towards some artificial lakes. Our path turns left (no sign!) along an embankment and past the houses at Clifton to join a lane which leads past Sheepacre Farm back to the river (and has rather more twists and turns than the WORUPT 1 GPX file shows). We follow the riverside path along the embankment then turn left up Ham Lane into Severn Stoke. Just before the main road we turn right into Church Lane and pass the Rose & Crown pub (the only facility on this route). Beyond the pub we go left back to the main road and follow the pavement right up the hill, then turn right along the lane. Beyond the houses we continue on a bridleway that leads back down to the river. Here we follow a muddy lane left, and follow it past Ryall's Court then take the field path right (unsigned, but the metal gates are clearly visible). This leads past more quarry workings to Upton Bridge, which we cross to reach the meeting point by the church.

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