The first part from Catshill to Belbroughton was mostly off road, whilst from Belbroughton to Hagley was mostly on quiet country or suburban roads. The off road section was mostly firm going, with just a couple of brief muddy sections around the Pepper woods....

Samuel Jack

Good facilities, loo and cafe half way at Lickey Hills plus lots more along the way. A short section of road passes a cafe plus other facilities then a climb into the Lickey Hills and the Visitor Centre which has all facilities including outdoor table tennis....

Ken

It's direct and is as off road as it can but the main problem is with delinquent landowners who have left stiles to rot and break apart....

David Sanderson

Shops and stops sprinkled throughout the route, including the Lickey Hills Country Park Visitors Centre, which is the highlight of the walk (the park that is)....

David Sanderson

Poor stiles, a failure to reinstate across plough, traffic noise from the motorway but there are also some good bits especially the excellent views on the approach to Romsley. The crossing of Sandy Lane (A491) was perhaps hampered by the road works creating slow moving and blocks of traffic. Money Lane was quite busy, it had a verge but this did involve criss crossing to the best on offer. Approaching the second motorway crossing there is an attractive clump of trees on a hill which suggests an ancient burial mound....

Ken

A little further on we take the sharp right turn onto the path that leads to Lickey Square, and from there we follow pavements into Catshill and the meeting point at the war memorial (the bench was inaccessible yesterday due to road works....

Hugh Hudson

From the war memorial in Catshill, we follow the pavement over the M5 bridge, then take the path right (we have to cross a crash barrier) into the field. We go sharp left at the farm then right to cross fields to reach Mill Lane, which we follow right round the corner then take the path straight on by the stream. At the A491 (Sandy Lane) we cross and follow the verge right (the old lane straight on is too overgrown to be useable)....

Hugh Hudson

This is a straightforward route that follows a single busy highway via the associated footpath linking Catshill with Brimsgrove. The only respite from the traffic is a short stretch of segregated cycle path....

The wanderlost surveyor

However, for the portion of the route out of Kidderminster, specifically at Kidderminster Golf Course, and between Dunclent and Mustow Green, associated waymarking signage regarding private property and trespassing can be intimidating....

The wanderlost surveyor

We follow the lane right over the south top of Romsley Hill, then down left at the junction with Winwood Heath Road. We turn right onto Bromsgrove Road, then cross and turn left up a surfaced lane. The map suggests that the right of way goes straight through the farmyard, but this route is blocked beyond the farm and the new but inadequately signposted Monarchs Way route follows the lane right of the farmyard then through a wood left and over a stile to rejoin the old "path", which goes through muddy fields to an obvious underpass under the M5. Beyond the motorway we cross a stream left then turn right across an open field to reach the busy A491 (Sandy Lane). The GPX plotting is lazy here - we follow the Monarchs Way sign left immediately beyond the junction and cross the car park to find the path right that leads back to the stream, where we go left and follow the path, crossing more slightly awkward stiles to emerge on Mill Lane, Here we go straight on and follow the road round to the right. Our path leaves the farm road to the right earlier than the GPX file suggests, and goes right along the far side of the first field (planted with vegetables when I did it)....

Hugh Hudson

Walked from Catshill to Bromsgrove, the final part of a long walk from Sandwell & Dudley via Oldbury, Rowley Regis, Halesowen and Romsley....

Hugh Hudson

I did the walk starting from Catshill to Hagley and, apart from a steep climb up steps shortly after leaving Catshill the stretch up to Pepper Wood is a very pleasant mix of field paths and lanes. There is also a 2 hourly bus linking either back to Catshill and on to Bromsgrove or on to Hagley and Stourbridge....

Dave4

Following the pavement of the "Salt Road" (Stourbridge Road) it takes you directly to Catshill....

David Sanderson

Prior to crossing the M5 using a footbridge there is a marvellous view back across Catshill, so there is a reward. The route from the other side of the motorway is a series of footpaths through fields, crossing the occasional lane on the way. The section around Pepper Wood was particularly bad, the path had clearly been rerouted, possibly because the original had collapsed into the stream. The walk from Belbroughton is quite different, following pavements, quiet lanes, farm tracks and crossing the occasional playing field....

David Sanderson