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Worcester to Bewdley

Worcester Cathedral
Worcester Cathedral

I think it's fair to say that my mind is a little too organised for its own good. A walk of this stature requires a fair amount of planning, and for me this means being at least two days ahead of the game; I like to know what I'm doing for the next 48 hours, I like to have my accommodation booked, I like to have the maps to hand, and I like to know the weather forecast. After those two days are up I don't mind so much – a vague itinerary is good enough – but I don't like the idea of walking into a place only to find there are no places to stay, no pubs and no sympathetic faces.

The swans of Worcester
The swans of Worcester

Static Walk

Holt Church
Holt Church

From Worcester the path slips along the banks of the River Severn in the manner to which I have become comfortably accustomed. Again the river kept me company as the miles ticked by, and I found the change in the riverside walk fascinating.

Holt Castle
Holt Castle

Across the Drink

Holt Fleet Bridge
Holt Fleet Bridge

Today all the pubs seemed to be on the wrong side of the river, and it nearly drove me to drink. The Severn isn't exactly overrun with bridges; indeed, between Worcester and Bewdley there are only two bridges, one at Stourport-on-Severn and the other at Holt (the latter, the Holt Fleet Bridge, was built by Thomas Telford and is effortlessly beautiful, something the architects at Upton clearly failed to learn from). I can't remember how many pubs I counted on the west bank of the river, but I remember exactly how many I counted on the east: there was just one, in Stourport, and by that stage I was so close to Bewdley I figured I might as well enjoy a pint there instead.

Posh static caravans by the Severn
Posh static caravans by the Severn
A not-so-posh static caravan gently mouldering by the River Severn
A not-so-posh static caravan gently mouldering by the River Severn

We Meet Again

A lock in Stourport-on-Severn
A lock in Stourport-on-Severn

After a pleasant day's walking along the river, with only one diversion to take in the lovely little village of Holt, I arrived in Stourport-on-Severn, a small town just south of Bewdley. It was here that for the first time in days I came across heavy industry, and it was quite a shock.

A lock on the River Severn
A lock on the River Severn
Bewdley
Bewdley