There are plenty of stunning landscapes to be seen through Danzey.

DANZEY Green is located a few miles east of Redditch, in the area that Shakespeare referred to when he wrote about the Forest of Arden. Even in his time, the forest was not composed solely of woodland, and that remains true today. Plenty of copses remain, along with some statuesque oaks dotted around in fields and hedgerows, and the landscape is still pleasant and peaceful. There's not much at Danzey itself, just a handful of houses and farms, so it's a near-miracle that it has retained its railway station. It used to have a windmill but that's long gone. Nonetheless, many of us will have seen it because it now stands in the grounds of Avoncroft Museum of Buildings, near Bromsgrove.

Umberslade Hall stands just over a mile north-east of Danzey and was built in 1700 for the Archer family. The hall was originally surrounded by parkland, much of which has been converted to arable farmland, though it's still known as Umberslade Park. A long avenue known as the Mile Walk leads from the hall, through the former park, to Tanworth-in-Arden and was used by the Archers when driving to and from the church at Tanworth. The Archers are no longer at Umberslade Hall, which is now divided into apartments.

Tanworth-in-Arden was originally plain Tanworth but the suffix was added in the 19th century to avoid confusion with Tamworth in Staffordshire.

It has a village green, lovely houses and the popular Bell Inn. The church of St Mary Magdalene was built in the 14th century but very badly rebuilt in 1790. Ironically, the vicar at the time was Phillip Wren, grandson of Sir Christopher Wren. St Mary's is best known as the burial place of musician Nick Drake (1948-71), who sold relatively few records in his short lifetime but has acquired a cult following since his death.

FACTFILE

Start: Danzey Station, Danzey Green, grid ref SP122696.

Length: Seven miles/11km.

Maps: OS Explorer 220, OS Landranger 139.

Terrain: Pastoral and arable farmland, mainly flat.

Footpaths: Mostly very good, with one potential exception - be prepared for the possibility of lots of nettles at Little Forde Hall.

Stiles: 15.

Parking: Danzey Station.

Buses: Daily trains from Worcester to Danzey, changing at Birmingham to the Stratford line; nationalrail.co.uk or National Rail Enquiries 08457 484950.

Refreshments: Bell Inn, Tanworth-in-Arden.

DIRECTIONS

1 Leaving the station, turn left on Danzey Green Lane, left again on Pig Trot Lane, and finally left towards Bickers Court Farm. Ignore a path branching left and keep straight on into the farmyard, then turn left to find a stile into a field. Turn right to continue in the same direction as before, past a barn. Proceed along the edge of the next field, ignoring the first stile on the right and continuing past a pool into the field corner. Cross a stile and bear right over another field to the far corner. Cross two more fields to a path junction and turn right.

2 Take another path that goes to the left. It's not waymarked but it branches off the first path by an ash tree before you reach a stile. Go along a field edge to the left of a hedge heading towards a poplar plantation. Cross a stile and footbridge in the corner and keep straight on past the plantation until the path turns left to a stile. Walk past young ash trees then left along a field edge. Cross a stile and keep left to meet a lane. Turn left.

3 Take a path on the left and walk across the Umberslade Park to Tom Hill at Tanworth. Go left on Butts Lane. Pass The Butts and turn right on a footpath, which crosses fields and passes through the churchyard. Nick Drake's grave is to the left of the path behind a large oak tree. Leaving the churchyard, walk across The Green, past the Bell to a junction. Turn left on Bates Lane. When the lane bends left, go straight on along a footpath. Walk through fields to a junction at a stile. Keep straight on to meet a lane at Aspley Heath.

4 Cross to a bridleway opposite, go straight on at a junction with another lane but turn left at the next lane. Walk to a junction and go left on Alderhanger Lane. Take a bridleway on the right after 300m. Go diagonally across a field and then keep straight on at all junctions along a farm track.

5 When the track meets a lane after Grange Bungalow, turn right on a field-edge footpath, which leads to Little Forde Hall where you will turn left. Walk through fields and a farmyard to Forde Hall Lane. Turn left and take the first right on a bridleway by a barn. Follow the right-hand field edge and keep straight on at a junction, following the bridleway to Danzey Green Lane. Turn left to the station.

9:51am Monday 16th June 2008

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