Walks you can reach from Northfield by train

A gentle climb through open country on the Monarch’s Way and canal towpath.

Waterway: three fifths along the Worcester & Birmingham Canal.

Time: 3h30–6h30

Walk details: Worcestershire Community Rail Partnership (PDF).

Reverse direction: Railwalks (inc. GPX).

Mostly along canal towpaths with field paths and road sections. Walk through mid-Worcestershire from Bromsgrove to Droitwich Spa, tracing salt industry heritage and Victorian spa development via canal routes. Droitwich is a town literally constructed on salt.

Waterway: four fifths along the Worcester & Birmingham Canal.

Time: 3h–6h30

Warnings: Be careful of fast-moving cars on lane; towpath muddy in places.

Walk details: Walk Midlands (tips, photos and local insights).

Reverse direction: Worcestershire Community Rail Partnership (PDF, inc. GPX) and Railwalks (inc. GPX).

Most pleasant rolling countryside. Pastoral yet industrial terrain of north east Worcestershire. Two towns shaped by 18th-19th century canal development. Alvechurch has long history under Bishop of Worcester from late 8th century.

Waterway: four fifths along the Worcester & Birmingham Canal.

Time: 2h30–5h

Warnings: Fast cars on lane; narrow busy road with no pavements.

Walk details: Walk Midlands (tips, photos and local insights).

Towpath along canal with suburban and greenbelt sections. Nearly 1000 years ago Kings Norton was valued five times higher than Birmingham for taxation; canal junction constructed 1796; area incorporated into Birmingham in 1911.

Waterway: three quarters along the Worcester & Birmingham Canal.

Woodland: a fifth under tree cover.

Time: 2h30–5h

Warnings: Narrow road with fast traffic; dark tunnel to avoid (2.5km Wast Hill Tunnel).

Walk details: Walk Midlands (tips, photos and local insights).

Hilly north Worcestershire landscape. River Blythe rises near Earlswood Lakes.

Time: 2h30–5h

Warnings: Cars travel fast on twisty road with no pavement; busy A435 dual carriageway crossing.

Walk details: Walk Midlands (tips, photos and local insights).

Rolling countryside into a riverside country park, finishing through Redditch town centre.

Time: 2h30–4h30

Walk details: Worcestershire Community Rail Partnership (PDF).

Similar walks: Railwalks (inc. GPX) and Slow Ways (inc. GPX).

Ridge walk over North Worcestershire Hills, open hilltops, scrubland, gorse, woods, pastures, motorway bridge crossing, country parks and heathland with bilberry and heather.

Time: 5h

Warnings: Steep descents.

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

Reverse direction: Railwalks (inc. GPX).

Dodford founded 1848 by National Land Company; Chartist settlement for small farmers; later became market garden community for strawberries.

Time: 3h30–7h

Warnings: A38 dual carriageway crossing; busy A448; M5 footbridge.

Walk details: Walk Midlands (tips, photos and local insights).

Spectacular views to Birmingham and Worcestershire. Ridge lip with fields, woodlands and lanes. Traces the Midlands Watershed Ridge along the Birmingham Plateau lip; route parallels Roman Icknield Street.

Time: 4h–8h

Warnings: A441 Redditch Road busy; M42 motorway crossing.

Walk details: Walk Midlands (tips, photos and local insights).

Pastoral yet industrial terrain of north east Worcestershire into Birmingham. Walk traverses the Worcester and Birmingham Canal (1792-1815), featuring 30 locks at Tardebigge Flight.

Waterway: four fifths along the Worcester & Birmingham Canal.

Time: 5h–10h

Warnings: Fast cars on suburban lanes; dual carriageway crossing.

Walk details: Walk Midlands (tips, photos and local insights).

Canal towpath (Worcester and Birmingham Canal). Kings Norton was site of a 1642 English Civil War battle.

Waterway: nine tenths along the Worcester & Birmingham Canal.

Time: 2h30–5h

Walk details: Walk Midlands (tips, photos and local insights).

Canal towpath, urban paths and suburban streets. Walk along the Worcester-Birmingham Canal from city centre to Cadbury's model village.

Waterway: four fifths along the Worcester & Birmingham Canal.

Time: 2h–4h

Walk details: Walk Midlands (tips, photos and local insights).