Caynham Village, Shropshire
Approximate duration: 25-30 minutes with optional 5 minute detour to Pervin.
Number of stiles: 1;
Leave the church by the lychgate and cross the road carefully to the barn opposite. Before you go down the lane to the right of the barn, look along the road to the right of the church.On the right hand side of the road note the old vicarage and the adjoining coach house with its circular windows.
Approximately 50 yards on the left you can see the smithy that served Caynham. In the old stone wall there is still one of the original hooks where horses were tied up.
At the start of the lane is a large barn, part of Glebe Farm, built of stone on the first storey and of brick higher up, probably an improvement of a timber upper storey made possible by an agricultural boom in the last century.
Go down the lane, the oldest track in Caynham, part of the route taken by traders bringing salt from Droitwich, and you can see that the side of the track is built up with stone, again possibly an improvement which can be found on other parts of this Glebe Farm. After you go over the bridge after about 50 metres, the track would continue to North Cottages and along the ridge and become Whitewayhead Lane, ("Whiteway"; because of the salt).
At North Cottages, turn sharp right in front of the buildings to cross a stile in the hedgerow leading to a cultivated field.
Walk parallel to the wood on the right (following tramlines if the field is in crop) through the metal gate at the far end of the first field, ("Side Brooks"). Keep walking in a fairly straight line across Kiln Bank until you come to a wooden gate by the road. Turn left for a detour if you would like to look at Pervin, an old and almost fortified farm, on your right after 100 yards.
Turn right back into the village and at the road junction notice the plaque which informs you that the field on your right was the village pound, where stray animals could be claimed. Keep on the main road and take great care going back to the Church.
Caynham Village Walks -
lychgate
smithy
barn
lane
bank
Pervin
plaque