Wolverhampton Walks: A Green Trail Around Essington
Wolverhampton Walks: A green trail around Essington.
This walk is a part of a new series on the blog which will be channeling all of the local walks in Wolverhampton. And hopefully beyond!
As the corona virus took hold of the world, we entered a state of ‘lockdown’. We are unable to access the more well known beauty spots and AONB. So we have to stay local. Without access to transport, we are left to our own devices to find our outdoor fix.
And if you live in Wolverhampton, you will know that finding a ‘beautiful’ spot to walk, is a bit tricky! Hopefully, with these posts, I can show you that all of our local areas have more to them than just backstreets and housing estates.
Starting Point
First up in the series are a network of footpaths that loop around Essington/ Blackhalve Lane and the Cannock Road.
We started this walk by crossing a stile that sits on Linthouse Lane, just up from the Pheasant pub. Cross over to the grass verge and walk along about 100 yards until you hit the stile. I was always under the impression that the fields were private land. Actually, there are a little network of public footpaths that can get you lost for a few hours.
The path is not very wide, but it takes you straight through with fields either side. Listen as the traffic noise depletes, the birds race through the hedgerows and the bees buzz around you.
Crossing the Road
This first part of the path leads straight on to Blackhalve lane. Please be careful as there are no crossing points and the road is a 50mph zone. The lane stops and you have to cross over to the other grass verge where it is a little bit wider. Walk right up Blackhalve lane and you will see a path to the left.
This track is wider as it is part of a dismantled railway line. Trees cover each side and the kids can run free. You can walk all the way up here, which runs alongside the Cannock road, or 500 yards to the right will take you down another footpath and continues along the Monarch Way.
The Monarch Way
The Monarch way is a 625 mile route that King Charles II took, after being defeated at the battle of Worcester in 1651. The route runs from Worcester via Bristol and Yeovil, to Brighton. It is an approximation of his escape route, using public rights of way. A lot of this route is located in the West Midlands. More of the routes can be found here, which we have also been walking during lockdown.
Essington Farm
This track will lead you straight to Essington Farm. The farm is well known for it’s strawberry and pumpkin picking (season dependent) and has gorgeous home grown fruits and vegetables. As you get closer to the farm, cows greet you to your left and a pool shows itself to the right. You can go straight on to the farm and sample some of their delicious food or take a right just before the buildings to carry on the walk.
There is still no traffic noise, and it sure feels like you are in the countryside with miles of rolling fields. The sense of freedom overwhelms and happiness ensues. A wooded area opens up in front, with trees to climb and bluebells to photograph. At the end of the woods you will come to a crossroad. A stile points to the Wulfrun Way, which is a new 15 mile walk set by Staffordshire Council. It links the edge of Wolverhampton and Chasewater by using disused colliery railways and canals.
Getting Back
We walked opposite to the stile to go back on ourselves, heading towards Blackhalve lane (remember to be careful when crossing). The rest of the footpath is across the road, to the left, hidden in the hedgerow. We walked all the way down to Kitchen Lane to visit family in Ashmore Park, but you can always follow a number of paths to get back to where you need to be.
We completed the route in 2 hours and added a little extra for getting back home. 6 miles later and we were refreshed and happy with our outdoor fix. It’s surprising really, as Wolverhampton is not somewhere where we would associate green fields and feelings of nature. Try it out and see for yourselves how it feels.
Try It Out!
If you have the OS maps subscription, here is the information for the route. Green trails around Essington. You can download it to your routes if you wish.
If you don’t have a subscription, you can try it for free for 7 days or purchase it for your own use. Sign up here:
If you enjoyed Wolverhampton Walks: A Green Trail Around Essington, please have a look at my other local posts.
