1. Start at Sandwell Park Farm car park. Leave the car park through a gate in the hedge, into Park Farm Wood.
2. Follow path through the wood to emerge up steps onto a broad concrete track (Priory Track). Turn left to go over the M5 Motorway Bridge and, ignoring the first turn left, go straight on to the ruins of the old Sandwell Priory.
3. From the Priory, retrace steps a short way to turn right off the track into Priory Wood. Follow the wide path through the wood, which veers to the left, then to the right to arrive at the path on an embankment between the two priory fish pools.
4. Cross between the two pools to turn left along the path on the bank of the left hand pool. Just after the turn, there are openings on the bank to view the many heron’s nests in the tall trees on the island near to the far bank.
5. Continue on this path to the end of the pool and then straight on down a slight slope out of the wood to reach a concrete road running parallel with the motorway.
6. Turn right on the concrete road, which soon changes to a tarmac surface, straight on to the start of Swan Pool.
7. Upon reaching Swan Pool, turn left up and over the M5 Motorway Bridge. This is the bottom end of Salter’s Lane. Continue for about 75 yards along the lane, from the bridge, to turn right through an opening in the fence into a field path. (Hill House Farm fields, which is a relatively new area for Sandwell Valley visitors).
8. Keep to the broad grass path (muddy track in the winter) on the right of this area, initially with a fence on both sides to make a short turn left for about 75 yards before crossing right over a small bridge over a ditch. After the ditch, the hedge is on the left of the path until reaching an opening into another meadow. Turn right opposite a gate with the hedge now on the right and a field fence on the left. Continue to the edge of the golf course where the path turns left at 90 degrees, still with the hedge on the right and fence on the left.
9. At the top of this meadow, the path turns briefly left before passing through a gap on the right (opposite a stile in the left hand field fence), and then returns to the hedge on the right to continue up the hill. After about 300 yards, go right down the first set of steps into sots Hole Nature Reserve. Turn left and follow the path (muddy track in winter) through Sots Hole to the gate into Dagger Lane/Church Vale.
10. Turn right along the pavement in Dagger Lane, which quickly becomes Church Vale, and turn first right into Temple Meadows Road. Take the first turning on the left passing a wide grass island, and again first left (both still Temple Meadows Road) to turn right at a T-junction into Vale Street.
11. Take the tarmac surfaced path on the left, behind the black railings. After reaching the end of Vale Street, the path turns sharp left.
12. Keep on the narrow path which emerges onto a lay-by (Bizarre Café) on the Newton Road.
13. Turn left along the pavement on Newton Road for about 400 yards to enter, on the left, the car park of Old Church (All Saints). Proceed along the path to the left of the church (passing the gravestone to Captain James Eaton who fought with Nelson at Trafalgar) to leave by the main entrance through the Lychgate. Turn right following the Church wall to the traffic lights at the end of Newton Road.
14. Cross at the traffic lights, with care (dual carriageway), to turn right along the pavement (which becomes a wide grass verge) in Newton Road. Turn left down a ramp and steps to Water Lane (directly opposite the lay-by). Follow Water Lane to reach the gatehouse entrance to the former Wigmore School.
15. Turn left at Wigmore School along the pavement in Pennyhill Lane to the T-junction withHolyhedge Road (by the Crown & Anchor public house).
16. Turn right into Holyhedge Road. Cross Holyhedge Road at the pedestrian crossing by Willet Road. Turn back along the right-hand pavement in Holyhedge Road to turn right into Thursfield Road. At the end of Thursfield Road, turn left along Walsall Road (extreme care is required – a very busy road) at the refuge by the junction of Lyndhurst Road, and proceed to the entrance to West Bromwich Cemetery.
17. After entering the cemetery, the Pauper Monument is sited on the right, opposite the War Memorial and overlooking the pauper Burial Ground. To leave the cemetery, take the first path on the left to Heath Lane gate.
18. After leaving the cemetery, cross over Heath Lane at the traffic lights to proceed alongthe right-hand pavement to the junction of Heath Lane and All Saints Way (opposite All Saints Church).
19. Turn right along the right-hand pavement of All saints Way to turn left through the underpass by the bus stops. Upon reappearing on the left-hand side of All Saints Way, turn right along the pavement.
20. Fork left along Church Vale with the old animal pound on the green on the right. In previous years a public house (the Ring of Bells) was sited next to it. The locals claimed it was the only pub in England where beer was sold by the pound (lb.).
21. Cross over Vale Street and continue along the left-hand pavement on Hallam Street toarrive opposite the old buildings of Hallam Hospital on the right (site of the Union Workhouse)
22. From Hallam Hospital, look for the footpath across the car park opposite the hospital (marked by black and yellow posts) which takes you back into Church Vale, opposite the entrance to Sots Hole. Turn right in Church Vale which immediately become Dagger Lane, crossing the road to take the left-hand pavement. Hill House, (the home of Captain James Eaton) is situated on the left at the bend in the road.
23. Carry on past Hill House to turn left into Salters Lane. Walk down Salters Lane past the gate on the right and Warstone Old Peoples’ home on the left, to continue down the track. Turn right after about 350 yards on a tarmac path with fences on both sides. Park Farm and the car park soon come into sight across the wide grass area on the left.
Distance approximately 6 miles. Allow 3 hours for the full walk.
John Scott (25/06/2007)