Every year we run excursions to places of interest in the local area.
Our trips are open to members and non-members alike.
Exploring Aston: a walking tour of historic Aston in Birmingham
Date: Thu, 8 Jun 2023
Time: 13:15 – 15:45
Location: Meet at Aston Hall, in Stable Yard Cafe
Price: £5 + booking fee for members, £7 + booking fee for non-members
Join Birmingham & Warwickshire Archaeological Society to explore Aston. This walking tour includes a rare opportunity to see inside the parish church of St Peter and St Paul in the company of Nigel Cripps, project officer at the church.
After the guided tour of the church continue with us as we explore Aston by foot. We’ll be taking in the site of the medieval village, various historic buildings at Witton Island and walking back through the park and gardens surrounding Aston Hall.
Whilst this excursion does not include access to Aston Hall you’re invited to visit this important heritage property independently before the walk. Find out more about visiting Aston Hall.
Useful Information
The tour will take approximately 2½ hours. We will start promptly at 13:15, departing from Aston Hall’s Stable Yard Cafe. The cafe is open from 11am.
Free parking is available at Aston Hall Park off Witton Lane, B6 6JD. Various bus services operate nearby and the closest rail stations are Aston and Witton, each approx. 10 mins away.
Please wear comfortable footwear and dress for the weather.
This walk is £5 (+booking fee) for members and members of affiliated societies.
This walk is open to non-members, please book a non-member ticket for £7 (+booking fee).
To find out more about becoming a member of Birmingham and Warwickshire Archeological Society, click here.
Attendees under 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Children who are covered by a BWAS Family Membership must be accompanied by an adult from the same membership.
2022 Summer Excursion
Introducing the Birmingham & Warwickshire Archaeological Society Summer Excursion for 2022.
Our trips are open to members and non-members alike.
We start in Radway, under the Edgehill escarpment, a settlement perhaps best known for its connection to the adjacent Civil War battlefield. We will be guided round the village. Medieval in origin, the settlement shifted away from the medieval church, which was demolished and relocated in the 19th century. A Civil War Exhibition has been established in this small church, which also houses the Kingsmill monument, commemorating a casualty of the conflict.
It is a short walk to the site of the Old Church and churchyard, which has been the focus of recent research, and contains several listed headstones, as well as the Miller family vault. From there it is a short walk to King John’s Lane, an historic territorial boundary, and then the excursion will ramble through the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust wild flower meadows to Westcote DMV, sited on the spring line under the escarpment. Lamented by Rous in the 15th century, it has well-preserved earthworks. And refreshments, courtesy of Westcote Manor Farm.
A walk along the ridge, much quarried, takes one back to overlook the historic designed landscape of Radway Grange, created in the mid 18th century by Sanderson Miller, a precursor of “Capability” Brown. The Castle Inn at this famous viewpoint was a Miller “folly”, but has been an inn for many years. The pub, the woods and the collection of Edgehill tea rooms were the focus for Sunday outings from the late19th century to the mid-20th. The visit ends with a trip down the escarpment, back to Radway village.
The second part of the visit will be through farmland with some steep slopes.
Member Tickets: £10 + booking fee
Please be sure to wear sturdy shoes and please dress for the weather on the day.
Please contact us if you have any dietary requirements; tea/coffee/soft drinks and biscuits/cakes are provided as part of this excursion. Email: admin@bwas-online.co.uk