I took a £6 train from Birmingham and found a bit of heaven

Whistling past inner-city Birmingham and the terraced houses of the Cross City Line, it doesn’t take long to reach a rural commuter belt that’s a heavenly day trip. Full of country pubs, a stunning park, restaurants and canalside walks, this village just over the border in Worcestershire is just £5.90 return from Birmingham city centre.

It’s a train station on the way to busy Redditch, but it’s a world apart from the hustle and bustle of ring roads and traffic. At Alvechurch I stepped off the train into a leafy world of twittering birds and country lanes, only about a 30 minute journey from Grand Central.

This is a charming place where a cow on the line stopped trains in 2020 and a neighboring village to celebrity haunt Barnt Green. It has a similar feel, but buying a house in Alvechurch costs a lot less. The average property price is £200,000 cheaper than Jack Grealish’s former neighborhood.

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Alvechurch is a sought-after village and commuter belt, with house prices up 10% last year compared to the previous year. These have continued to rise since 2018, with property prices rising by 14% since then, according to Rightmove.

I can see why as I wander under old trees that bloom in the sun and lovely road names like Bear Hill. Black and white wooden facades surround the center of the village amidst newer brick buildings. It was here that the ITV show Crossroads deemed the village picturesque enough to film the wedding of Jill Harvey and Adam Chance at St Lawrence Church in July 1983.

There’s even a top pub, The Weighbridge, just opposite the station when you arrive. It is located next to the Worcester and Birmingham Canal at Scarfield Wharf on Scarfield Hill, where narrow boats are part of the furniture in this neck of the woods.

It’s a welcome start, but we’ll talk about that later. Following Station Road, I made my way to the center of the village, the well-kept Market Square with its flower displays and immaculately clean streets, about a five-minute walk from the station.

Cafes and restaurants outnumber the shops here, although there is a large co-op and plenty of beauty, barber and hairdressers. I had no choice where to eat.

As well as the many pubs, there’s also the quaint Gin and Pickles Deli, The Lounge restaurant, Cafe Morso and the New Dilshad Indian restaurant for something more substantial. For a canal-side takeaway on a warm day, there’s also The Tudor Rose Fish Bar in Bear Hill.

Locals rave about fish and chips online. Colin McKellar was among them, calling it “delicious, big portions and fair prices”. The waterfront scenery and outdoor spaces are a big draw, attracting everyone from walkers and couples on a romantic day out to families with children.

Beautiful park and playground in Alvechurch

Free family attractions include the stunning The Meadows playground. This peaceful haven in Meadow Lane, Alvechurch, has the River Arrow running through it, but it also has a special history.

A field was given to the village by Walter and Edith Wiggin in memory of their tragic son who was killed in the First World War. Villager Jack Holmes, who adjoined the land, then transformed it into something more beautiful, including stepping stones and a sand pit.

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Decades later and the essence of what began remains with the addition of a wildflower meadow, playground and riverside walks. It also attracts many birds from green and great woodpeckers to woodpeckers. Locals talk about how they love to pick blackberries and go for walks there.

Country Puppies in Alvechurch

The scale at Scarfield Wharf is ideal for catching the train as it is opposite the station. Visitors who gave it five-star reviews on Google loved the waterfront location and beer selection. Katherine Yakovleva said: “Lovely local pub by the canal with a great selection of beers and delicious curry.”

In the center of the village, in and around Red Lion Street, there is an abundance of pubs. I found the Swan Inn, the Alvechurch Inn and the Red Lion in close succession, which made me think I must return to a pub with friends one day.

These range from the more traditional Swan Inn with a full cellar of beer to the lively Alvechurch Inn with its range of karaoke, open mic and talent nights. The Red Lion also rated highly for its dining and more contemporary atmosphere.

The Crown Inn, in Withybed Lane, is on the edge of the village but has a prime location on the canal. Known for the Morris dancers who perform a traditional New Year’s show here every year, one fan described it as “perfect for any walker as it is set on a circular loop”.

They were also impressed by its “cozy location” and “good pub”.

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Property prices in Alvechurch

The average price of a property in Alvechurch over the past year was £520,935, according to Rightmove. This compares with the average price of £711,615 in neighboring Barnt Green for the same period.

Buying a home in Alvechurch will set house hunters back an average of £277,350 for a terraced house and £435,025 for a semi-detached. Prices get higher for a detached property which tend to be around £727,500.

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