Kinver Edge: Centenary woodland and hillfort circuit

Begin at the signed Compton Road lay-by parking near Holy Austin Rock Houses. The route starts at the woodland path on the western side of the parking area and makes a 6.4 km circuit through Kinver Edge and the former Kingsford Forest Park. Allow three hours for the slopes, woodland junctions and a stop at the hillfort.

Walk southwest through the woods towards the Nanny’s Rock area, then continue into the southern woodland loop. Return north on the higher paths, climbing to the hillfort and its toposcope. From there, descend towards the old Warden’s Lodge, turn back into the woods near the war memorial and return by the woodland steps and paths to Compton Road. Use the purple Centenary waymarkers alongside the map, taking care at the five-way junctions.

Expect sandy tracks, roots, uneven ground, kissing gates and a few short, steep slopes. The return through the northern woodland includes steps. Walking boots are useful after rain, and the wooded sections can take longer than the distance suggests. Stay on the walking paths, give cyclists room on shared sections and keep dogs under close control, on leads wherever livestock or seasonal signs require it.

The National Trust recommends the Compton Road lay-bys for parking; use the signed spaces and check roadside restrictions. There are no guaranteed refreshments on the southern loop, so bring water. The Rock Houses tea-room and toilet are reached separately by steep steps and have limited opening days and hours. Admission applies to visits inside the restored Rock Houses. Vale’s Rock has no public access; do not leave the trail to enter it.

Route reference: the National Trust’s Centenary Trail and current Kinver Edge countryside map. The plotted circuit uses the western parking approach and returns directly to the lay-by; a visit inside the Rock Houses is an optional separate stop.