Car-free guide to KidderminsterWorcestershire
Stroll in wild hills, forests or gardens, learn about carpet-making or ride a steam train by the river. Here are just a few of the places to visit by train near Kidderminster. The area makes a surprisingly lovely base for a staycation with all kinds of adventures nearby accessible by rail and bus. Scroll to the end for tips about where to stay and how to get around.
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1. Kidderminster: railways, rugs and riverside walks
A wool-weaving Worcestershire town, Kidderminster was full of carpet factories by the mid-nineteenth century. Head to the Museum of Carpet to celebrate this aspect of Kidderminster’s heritage. The River Stour, five minutes’ walk from the museum, runs through the town with waterside paths on its banks. And in 1852 Kidderminster’s first railway station opened. You can arrive on the mainline railway from Birmingham, Worcester or London.
- From next to the mainline station, ride a steam train along the Severn Valley from Kidderminster to Bridgnorth. Our feature writer, stayed in Bridgnorth last year and wrote about it in the Guardian. The cliff railway there is a great way of travelling car-free. The Severn Valley Railway runs for 16 miles through the Worcestershire countryside with lots to see and do along the route, including walks along the River Severn.
- The Stour Vale Mill houses the Museum of Carpet. There are hand and power loom demonstrations and four galleries exploring the surprisingly interesting history of carpet design.
- How to get to the Museum of Carpet car-free: simply stroll down the main road from the station and take the left hand exit from the underpass at the bottom onto Green Street (see map below).
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2. Hartlebury Castle
Walk through history at Worcestershire’s County Museum in a former Bishops’ Palace. Just stroll down from the station through the village of Hartlebury. A colourful collection of Gypsy caravans, an 18th century cider mill, a collection of toys through time and lots more. Winner of Visit England’s Hidden Gem award in 2018 and 2019, the museum is packed with interesting things to see, from mammoth tusks to flapper dresses. At weekends, you can see the restored palace itself. And, in the grounds, there is a short leafy walk near the old moat.
- How to get to Worcestershire County Museum car-free: A mile’s walk from Hartlebury station with pavement all the way. The roadside walk from the station starts off, a little unpromisingly, by heading under the main road, but you are soon strolling through the village, past flowering gardens and St James’s church. (See map below).
- Don’t miss the village pubs: the White Hart, serving great food just steps away from the entrance to the castle and museum, or the Tap House in the old station building – very handy if you need to wait for a train!
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3. Whitlenge Gardens
Whitlenge Gardens are full of fairies and hobbit holes, water features and leafy walkways. They are easy to get to without a car – just 3/4 mile north of Hartlebury station up Whitlenge Lane (see map for 2 above).
- Winding paths leads visitors past pergolas and gazebos, rockeries and herb gardens, out into the meadows. Here, standing stones, a spiral tor and turf labyrinth stand among the wild flowers and grasses.
- Don’t miss the delightful tea room, serving everything from full English breakfasts to trad cream teas (the cherry scones are particularly good!)
- For adventurous visitors, who prefer not to walk along the road, which is quiet but narrow, there is an alternative route to the gardens using footpaths. It’s slightly longer, but passes through some lovely Worcestershire countryside (see map below).
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4. Clent Hills
Energetic visitors can explore the beautiful Clent Hills on foot from Hagley railway station, just ten minutes from Kidderminster by train. Just 3/4 mile from the station (see map below), walkers reach the popular Lyttleton Arms pub. Crossing over into Hall Lane, you can already see stately parkland stretching out on the right. Bus 318 from Stourbridge also stops nearby.
- Hagley Hall, at the end of this lane, is sometimes open to visitors. Turning right along the wooded path nearby, the pinecone way marks of the North Worcestershire Path lead up through the woods to the Four Stones, a mock-prehistoric folly from the 18th-century.
- The views from up here are stunning, taking in miles of conurbation to the west and rolling countryside to the east.
- Another mile or so through the beautiful trees is Nimmings Wood café, famous for its doorstep sandwiches. It’s the perfect place to refuel before heading back towards Hagley station. Walk via Adam’s Hill to find a choice of pubs and the Four Stones Italian restaurant.
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5. The Falconry Centre
More than eighty birds of prey live at the Falconry Centre near Hagley. Visitors can see owls, hawks, eagles, vultures – and falcons, of course from all round the world.
- How to get to the Falconry Centre car-free: it’s about a mile from either Hagley or Blakedown stations. Or catch bus 192 from Hagley station, which stops just a few minutes from the entrance.
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6. Wyre Forest and beyond
Miles of trails to walk, run or cycle through 6000 acres of trees. Wyre Forest is a huge area of woodland near Kidderminster, home to all kinds of birds, including long-eared owls and wood warblers.
How to get to Wyre Forest without a car: Simply follow Good Journey’s directions
For more adventures in the area, see our car-free guide to Stourbridge, just ten minutes north of Kidderminster by train.
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Buses, bikes and places to stay
Here’s a bit more practical info if you’re planning a staycation in the Kidderminster area.
- A West Midlands Rail Rover gives you unlimited train travel over a huge network that stretches from Stratford-upon-Avon to Stoke on Trent.
- For bus journeys on the day that you arrive or leave by train, get a bargain PlusBus ticket when you buy your train ticket for unlimited bus rides around the whole urban area. This one takes you to the West Midlands Safari Park, Hartlebury (see 2 above) or Chaddesley Corbett (see below).
- You can hire bikes from the Wyre Forest Centre for a wheely good family day out.
- There are lots of places to stay in and around Kidderminster, like the red brick Premier Inn. It’s a short walk, bus or bike ride from the station. If you’ve brought a bike with you, you can keep it in your bedroom.
- For a far more luxurious staycation, Brockencote Hall Hotel is a lakeside Victorian mansion in the Worcestershire countryside. Bus 52 from Kidderminster bus or railway stations stops just round the corner near the village of Chaddesley Corbett with its pubs, farm shop and twelfth-century church.
- In spring 2022, Brockencote opened a converted two-storey lodge that sleeps six, with a kitchen, rural views and a hot tub.
