This walk follows some of the lesser used footpaths out of Alcester, joining more popular routes at The Spittle Brook ford. Care must be taken at the ford and crossing the Alcester Bypass. Fields and some paths can be boggy especially after rain. Guidance begins at St Nicholas’ Church Alcester. The main town car park is in Bulls Head yard but beware the far end is the property of Waitrose and while free is strictly time limited.
- Take Pudding Lane between the church and the convenience store. Follow it past The Hollybush pub and down the hill. Turn left into School Lane. Follow to the traffic lighted cross roads and cross into Station Rd. Follow until the pedestrian walkway onto Eclipse Rd. Very soon you will see a green footpath sign to the left.
- Follow the path behind the houses. This leads to a new housing development. Follow the signed route until you reach a gate. Go through the gate and cross the bypass using extreme care. You will see the yellow footpath sign across the road.
- Once across the road cross the field. You will see a yellow pole. Pass the pole through a narrow hedge entrance then turn left into the field. Keeping the properties to your right follow the indistinct path until ultimately you go through a wide gap in the hedge. You will see a large property, Alcester Lodge, ahead of you. Aim to keep this to your right. Then follow the field perimeter down to the stream.
- Very carefully ford the stream. You might notice some Victorian Brickwork in the copse. This is reputed to have been part of the first Alcester Waterworks. Having forded the stream, keep it and the hedge to your right and head for the far right hand corner of the field. On arrival pass right into the next field and then almost immediately left over a narrow wooden bridge.
- Keep the field perimeter to your left follow the path up a gentle rise. Keep going until you reach the top of the field. Then turn left. You are now on The Monarch’s Way. You will follow this back to Alcester. Enterring a large undulating field, carefully follow the path roughly straight on.
- This takes you to Coldcomfort Wood. Follow the path through the wood and out onto the lane beyond. Follow this lane, crossing the footbridge back over the bypass and onto Allimore Lane beyond.
- Crossing the old railway bridge you will reach a cross roads. Go straight on into Seggs Lane. At the round about follow the second exit into Swan St and first left into High St.
- You will see the church at the top. Please feel free to sample the shops, cafes and pubs as you walk towards the end of your walk.
The Hermit's Cave 