With around a million visitors each year the Clent Hills are Worcestershire's most popular non-paying tourist destination. Managed by the National Trust they provide a much needed escape back to nature from the city of Birmingham and the surrounding conurbations of the West Midlands. The hills themselves (Wychbury Hill, Clent Hill and Adams Hill, Walton Hill and Calcot Hill) are part of the larger North Worcestershire Range taking in the Waseley Hills Country Park and Lickey Hills Country Park (another popular recreational area for Brummies).
On a clear day despite their relatively low elevation the views are stunning. Taking in much of the West Midlands Conurbation, Kidderminster, Stourbridge, Dudley, Halesowen and, perhaps of more interest to walkers, the Malvern Hills, Kinver Edge, The Wrekin, Wenlock Edge, Shatterford Hill, Clee Hills, Black Mountains of Wales, the Cotswolds and Peak District.
The hills have a rich history and were no doubt a source of inspiration for one of Halesowen's better know local sons, the Poet William Shenstone. Shenstone lived on The Leasowes estate in the mid 1700's overlooking Clent. The Leasowes itself is now a Grade 1 listed park. His neighbour Lord Lyttelton of Hagley Hall (also grade 1 listed) constructed several folly's on the Clent Hills, which have become much loved landmarks synonymous with the hills themselves. The most famous, being the Wychbury Obelisk erected in 1758 on Wychbury Hill and the four stones on the summit of Clent hill.
Travelling back even further in time the Clent Hills are referenced in the Doomsday book of 1086 as Klinter. Continuing our journey back through time we come to 820AD and the medieval legend of St. Kenelm. The legend states that St Kenelm was a member of the royal family of Mercia, a boy king and martyr, murdered by an ambitious relative at the tender age of 7. It's said that when his body was discovered a rushing fountain burst out of the ground, and flowed away into a stream, which brought health to anyone who drank from it. Today the 15th century church of St. Kenelm, another grade 1 listed building, stands adjacent to the spring, which is in fact one of the sources of the River Stour. St. Kenelm's day (17 July) was traditionally celebrated with a village fair and the ancient custom of "crabbing the parson" - bombarding the unfortunate cleric with a volley of crab apples. A sixty mile trail (St. Kenlem's Trail) traces the route his body took from St. Kenlem's chuch to his his final resting place in Winchcombe Abbey. One for the Bucket list Perhap's?
It was interesting to note on my walk that the pagan tradition of tying ribbons or tokens to the branches of trees adjacent to a sacred spring appeared to have been adopted to commemorate lost loved ones and celebrate Christmas. It's impossible to know if this harkens back to some even older associations with the spring. However it's worth noting that near-by Wychbury Hill contains the remains of an Iron Age hill-fort and some local historians claim that Clent Heath was the site battle between the ancient Britons and Romans.
The National Trust are currently offering regular 5 mile guided walks starting from their Nimmings car park at 10am, on the second Wednesday and last Sunday of each month, for those wishing to explore and find out more.