THERE was a once Roman camp at Kempsey, near the site of the present church. Roman coins, tiles and an inscribed stone were dug up in 1818 in the vicarage garden. The Romans weren't the first to live here; there was an Iron Age community on the site long before the legions marched in.

However, the village takes its name from Kemys, an Anglo-Saxon chieftain who settled here 400 years after the Romans had left.

You can now advantage of the new access laws on this enjoyable walk around Kempsey, where some of the riverside meadows are open to all walkers to explore as we please. However, if you take your dog with you, please remember to keep it on a lead in Lower Ham, which is currently being grazed by both sheep and cattle.

It's a huge and beautiful meadow, with close-cropped turf making for easy walking. It offers fine views of the surrounding countryside, including the Malvern Hills. The ham is overlooked by the tower of St Mary's Church, which has a lovely setting next to willow trees by Hatfield Brook. There is a small patch of woodland by the brook too, above a ford and an 18th Century footbridge.

Though this is mostly a very easy walk, the footpath which runs from Holdings Lane to Taylors Lane, crossing Broomhall Lane on the way, is not as well-maintained as it might be. Ironically, this path was once a Roman road. It's hard to trace more than two or three miles of the road today, because it has been obliterated by the M5.

PLEASE NOTE This walk has been carefully checked and the directions are believed to be accurate at the time of publication. No responsibility is accepted by either the author or publisher for errors or omissions, or for any loss, accident or injury, however caused.

FACTFILE Start: Just south of the A38/A4440 roundabout between St Peter's and Kempsey, grid ref SO852515. Or in the centre of Kempsey, by the Crown Inn.

Length: Six miles/9.5km.

Maps: OS Explorers 190/204, OS Landranger 150.

Terrain: Mostly meadows, no hills.

Footpaths: A section of the path from Holdings Lane to Taylors Lane is poor; hard to follow and badly waymarked at first. Two stiles and a footbridge are overgrown by nettles, brambles and hedges (this path was only chosen because the alternative route is even worse). Most of the other paths are excellent, apart from the fact that nettles are encroaching in several places, even on the Severn Way.

Stiles: Nine.

Parking: There is a parking area off the A38, between the roundabout and a petrol station. It's marked on OS maps as a viewpoint (though it isn't). Alternatively, park considerately in Kempsey.

Buses: Astons 372/374, daily; First 32, Mon-Sat; choice of stops but it's best to get off at The Crown in Kempsey and start by taking Old Road North; Traveline 0870 608 2608 or www.worcestershire.gov.uk/bustimetables Refreshments: Crown Inn and village stores at Kempsey; shop at petrol station; Ketch Inn nearby, north of the roundabout.

DIRECTIONS

1 Join the Severn Way and head south. Pass the Severn Motor Yacht Club and then walk through a meadow. This is access land, according to the relevant government website (www.countrysideaccess.gov.uk), but the appropriate signage is missing for some reason. Continue through an arable field and then through Upper Ham. The access signage is in place here and you may choose any route through the meadow, though the riverside towpath is the easiest option. Leaving the ham, continue past a caravan park and through two more meadows to reach Lower Ham. Again, access signage is in place and you can choose any route through this meadow. Rejoin the towpath at the far side. Leaving the ham, continue along the towpath until steps rise into a field.

2 Leave the Severn Way, turning left instead, along the field edge. Turn left again when you reach a gap in the conifers on your left, descend into another field and turn right along the edge. A stile in the corner gives access to Lower Ham once more. Keep close to the right-hand edge so as not to miss a stile in the next corner. Leaving the ham, follow a well-trodden path through another meadow, soon forking right at an unmarked junction. Walk to a lane and turn left. Cross a footbridge above a ford, proceed a few paces further towards St Mary's Church then turn right through woodland beside Hatfield Brook. Walk through the trees to Church Street then turn right to the A38, meeting it by the shop and pub.

3 Cross over and walk along Old Road North. Keep straight on when the road bends left, along an attractive footpath (Dave Humphrys Memorial Walk) which is easily followed to a large field. Go straight across for 200m then turn left and walk to a gate at the far side. Turn right along Brookend Lane, then left at a junction, walking along Holdings Lane until it bends right. Join a footpath on the left.

4 A newly erected fingerpost appears to direct us along the left-hand field edge, but the actual right of way is supposed to go roughly straight across, to end up at a point about 50m to the left of Lower Broomhall Farm. The right of way has not (so far) been reinstated after ploughing, and many walkers will obviously prefer the field edge. Whichever you choose, you will need to look carefully to find an easily missed, un-waymarked stile to the left of the farm. Once you have located it, cross a paddock to an overgrown stile giving access to Broomhall Lane.

5 Turn left, then immediately right, along a driveway signed to The Elms Broomhall'. Keep straight on past a farm, along the right-hand edge of an uneven field then across an overgrown footbridge. The path improves now, easily crossing two more fields to Taylors Lane. Turn left to the A38, cross over and turn right to your starting point.