The Clent Hills are one of Worcestershire's most popular visitor attractions and are criss-crossed with many public footpaths winding through coniferous forest and heathland. Dogs are welcome although you have to stay on your lead in the carparks and in the areas were livestock are grazing. Mountain bikers, horse-riders, kite flying enthusiasts, walkers and picnic-lovers flock here in all seasons to enjoy the stunning views and share the open space with a variety of wildlife including rabbits, fallow deer and buzzards.
One of the most popular access routes is from the Nimmings Wood carpark off Hagley Wood Lane in Clent but today me, Sacha, Onny and Tumble parked with our owners on St Kenhelm's Pass just past Vicarage Farm to take the pathway up to Walton Hill in the deep snow.
At the top of that gentle incline, you'll come to a five bar wooden gate and stop to admire a partial view of Clent spread out below you. If you turn right, you can see two wooden benches ahead of you, and will follow a shorter track across the cleft of Walton's Hill.
We went straight on past the gate and carried on down a slight incline which takes you across open heathland. On the right you'll see outcrops of conifers and there are plenty of little benches dotted around if you want to stop for a rest with your flask.
Climb up another gentle incline, you'll see a pile of chopped trees to your left with another five bar gate, carry on straight ahead across a lovely flat path which take you on a circular walk winding gently to the right. From here you can walk across the summit of Walton's Hill and if you want to walk on down into Clent, take a steep path ahead of you.
Today, it's too snowy and slippery to take this path, so we went back up the hill to the toposcope where you can look out across the Malvern Hills, the Worcestershire and Herefordshire Beacons, the Bromyard Downs and, on a clear day, the Black Mountains.
You can also see the peak of Abberley Hill, Clows Top and the Radnor Forest, amazing when you consider Radnor is nearly 50 miles away from the vantage point. There are also views of the Wyre Forest, Kinver Edge and the magnificent Wenlock Edge.
Carry on past the toposcope (on your left) on the lower path which curves round to the right. At the end of this track, you'll come to a little cafe and loos on your left and out on to the road where we turned right.
At the road junction sign-posted Romsley and Halesowen to the left and Clent and Belbroughton to the right, we turned right onto Chapel Lane which takes you past a sign-post to Walton Hill on your left and into St Kenelms Pass where we parked the car. A round walk of just under two miles.
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