Northycote Farm to Moseley Old Hall walk, near Wolverhampton
Trace the footsteps of a King as you join up with the Monarch's Way in the West Midlands. In 1651 King Charles II walked parts of this route to escape Parliamentary soldiers, which includes a short section on a lane, but mostly through woods and parkland.
Map
Start:
Northycote Farm Car park; grid ref: SJ929032
1
From the car park at Northycote Farm, head directly towards the farm buildings and the animal paddocks. At the gateway to the paddocks follow the wooden footpath sign indicating to turn right and follow the broad track to the right which has a tall hawthorn hedge on its left side.
Northycote Farm
Northycote Farm, run by the local council, has sheep, cattle, ducks, chickens and more. There are toilets and a tearoom here.
2
A short way along the track it is crossed by a well marked footpath. On the right hand side is a black kissing gate and dog bin. However, you should turn left on this path, going through the hedge. It swings slightly to the left, heading towards a group of pine trees.
Path leaving Northycote
Path leaving Northycote Farm, alongside the hawthorn hedge. Turn left through this hedge to continue the walk.
3
At the foot of the pine trees you'll see the white iron railings that mark what was once the entrance drive to Moseley Court. Continue straight ahead on the path into the wooded area.
Entrance Drive
These are the railings that marked where the entrance drive to Moseley Court once was.
4
You are now in the grounds of Moseley Court (now demolished), the home of the Whitgreave family, after they left Moseley Old Hall in the early nineteenth century, until the 1920s.
5
The path then leads on to a white kissing gate on the left. Go through the gate and turn right. Follow the bridle path downhill until it crosses a stream by a wooden bridge. Continue to follow the path.
6
You will reach a black metal barrier at the junction with a lane. Turn right onto the lane. Beware of traffic as the lane is a public highway.
7
Walk along the lane and on the right you'll pass the entrance gates and driveway to Moseley Hall - which dates from the 18th century. Continue onwards until you spot the brown National Trust sign for Moseley Old Hall on the left. Turn left along the lane and you will reach Moseley Old Hall.
8
From Moseley Old Hall you can take a slightly different route back to the car park at Northycote. Turn right out of the main drive of Moseley Old Hall. Beware of traffic on these public highways. Walk to the end of the lane and at the T junction turn right. You'll pass the entrance gates and wide driveway to Moseley Hall on the left (see step 7). Shortly after this turn left at the black metal barrier on to a bridle path (see step 6). Follow this path as it goes through trees.
9
After a while cross a bridge over a stream. Continue uphill until you see a white kissing gate on the left.
Bridge over stream
This bridge runs over a stream that was diverted to power a mill that was meant to provide hydroelectric power for Moseley Court. The ruins of the mill are on private land.
10
Go through the white kissing gate (see step 5) and take the left hand path through the woods. These are the grounds of Moseley Court, home of the Whitgreave family after they left Moseley Old Hall in the early 19th century, until the 1920s.
11
On the right hand side of this path towards the end of the woods, note the remnants of an old brick wall which are the remains of the boundary wall of the kitchen garden of Moseley Court.
12
At the end of the woods the path continues a short way through parkland until it meets a main track at a T junction. Turn right and follow this track down to Northycote Farm. There is a tall hawthorn hedge on the right and as this ends there is gated access on the right to the tearoom and toilet facilities (marked number 1 on the map).
View across Northycote
At the end of the walk, enjoy the views across Northycote Country Park before treating yourself to a warming drink in the tearoom.
End:
Northycote Farm Car park
