A Question For Anybody That Knows Herefordshire

The visitherefordshire site has info on lots of walks. I would also consult the OS maps site

https://www.visitherefordshire.co.uk/see-do/scenic-trails/black-white-villages

https://www.walkingenglishman.com/ldp/blackandwhitetrail.html#:~:text=From%20the%20start%20at%20Leominister,Upper%20Spond%2C%20Woodbrook%2C%20Kington%2C

These sites may be helpful. By the way, Leominster is pronounced “Lemster”

Thanks to you both Camborne2018 and BillS719.

I have parsed over the Visit Herefordshire site quite and few times and it has helped, but I have to confess that I find the information somewhat incomplete. There seems to be an assumption that people are going to travel by car or bike and there is little description of what walking the area would be like. I've tried searching YouTube for walking videos but they mostly show the actual villages themselves, not the countryside between them or the availability and condition of the public footpaths.

Also, thank you BillS719 for the correct pronunciation of :Leominster." I have learned in my multiple trips to the UK not to make any phonic assumptions concerning the pronunciation of place names.

Maybe some more info here.?

https://ldwa.org.uk/ldp/members/show_path.php?path_name=Black+and+White+Village+Trail

Interesting height chart at foot of the page

This may not be of interest, but I thought it worth a mention as its a nearby option.

There is an HF Holidays country house hotel in Church Stretton. They do guided walking in the general area of the house (Shropshire). I did a 7 day guided walking holiday with HF earlier this year, my first with them, and was very happy with it. I plan on doing lots more.

www.hfholidays.co.uk/country-houses/locations/church-stretton-shropshire-hills
www.hfholidays.co.uk

Thank you, BillS719 - the route profile at the bottom of the page is a definite help, as is the detail of the map.

I also may try to get my hands on The Black and White Village Trail : a walker's guide, which is mentioned in the "Publications, Badges and Certificates" section.

Thank you again for passing that info along.

Thank you for the reply, Katy.

Shropshire looks like a really interesting option and I was actually planning on visiting Ludlow while I was in the area.

I am certainly going to look into your suggestion.

Thanks again.

Firstly, kudos to you for choosing one of my very favourite areas of the UK to explore. It is all completely stunning and yet most of the time can be very quiet.

I have 3 links for you below from a quick search, all for a range of self guided walking holidays. The first is 3 days of walking the Mortimer Trail from Kington to Ludlow.
https://www.wheelywonderfulcycling.co.uk/product-page/mortimer-trail-4-days

The second is a collection of companies offering walking holidays in and around the Wye Valley.
https://www.wyevalley-nl.org.uk/exploring-wye-valley-aonb/wye-valley-on-foot/walking-holidays-wye-valley/

Finally a self-guided walk that may be outside your time and cost limits or both, but would be an epic walk along the length of Offa's Dyke. A bit to the west of Herefordshire itself. It will also be possible to do a shorter section of the walk as well.
https://www.headwater.com/holidays/walking/britain/W17OF.htm

About Ludlow: It is a very pretty place. At the time of my visit (I think it was in 2017), it was very much a foodie destination, the ramifications being:

• Lodging costs were unexpectedly high.
• You often needed dinner reservations. I don't know about lunch.

Ludlow still has a reputation as a foodie destination. Although it's days of having Michelin starred restaurants are long gone there are still 3 places Michelin recommended.

Thanks for the reply, acraven. I agree that Ludlow is quite pricey; which is why I'm only planning a day trip from Leominster and not an overnight stay. It's a shame - it is a stunning town with a lot of great walking opportunities - but the price of the accommodation is out of my range. I like Katy's suggestion of Church Stretton. Maybe that will be more affordable.

Johnew52 - I appreciate the links very much. I'd like to do at least some of Offa's Dyke and had actually planned to walk from Cleobury Mortimer to Ludlow, so that info will come in very handy. Not sure if I'm going to make it to the Wye Valley as Ive started to narrow my options but I will keep the suggestion in mind if something changes.

Herefordshire checks a lot of boxes for me. I love historic villages, hill walking and cask ale and all three of those things seem to be in abundance. I love the fact that the county doesn't attract a lot of tourists and isn't full of M or A roads. It also seems to have a pretty unique character. It's going to take a bit to save and organise but I'm really looking forward to exploring.

Again - thanks for all of your help.

We loved the church in Ludlow! I think it is called church of St Lawrence. We were show around by a couple of wonderful volunteers there. I would love to see Ludlow’s church again. It has very special misericord carvings.

I don't think anyone has mentioned this website yet. It has lots of ideas for walks in Herefordshire...
https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/walking-1/walks-trails/2

The Ordnance survey maps are excellent as they mark footpaths and you can plan your own routes.

I see this thread is a bit old so not sure if you are still looking for recommendations, but walking in the Malverns is wonderful (tho can be challenging)- we did this walk last year and really enjoyed it: https://www.visitthemalverns.org/walk/end-to-end/

A little more than halfway thru there's a great pub as well: https://www.thewycheinn.co.uk/. You can definitely find several cask ales there.

I also enjoyed staying in Great Malvern, it has a beautiful abbey and was famous in Victorian times for people to come "take to the waters." There's also an annual Elgar festival.

so, Ian Competent, have you gone yet, or is this for later this year?

Hi! I live in the Malvern Hills so am biased! It certainly ticks your box of undulating pretty countryside! Since you are not driving then you could combine with a trip to Worcester and/or Hereford. Get the train to Malvern Link and then you can walk the length of the Malvern Hills. Depending on your walking range you can stop at British Camp (Iron age fort) and get the bus back or you could carry on walking to Ledbury. This is an old market town and has a train station to get you back to Hereford or Worcester (or beyond)

If you need any specific detailed advice about the area just ask!

Hey wasleys – thanks for the reply. I checked that link out and it is definitely a huge help. Ordinance maps can add up after a while. Having then on my phone will be a huge help.

I see that you are from Lincolnshire. I have a question for you: Outside of the Wolds and South Kesteven, are there any areas that you would recommend in your home county? I would appreciate anything that you could pass along. Thanks again!!

Cat VH – the Malverns are a lock for us to visit in that area. That said, it’s always good to hear from people that have been there. I actually looked in to staying at The Wyche Inn but have noticed that it is being sold. Here’s hoping that it re-opens.

Thank you for the reply - much appreciated!!!

Nigel – no, I haven’t gone yet. I was looking at a trip in late April/May. Unfortunately, being from Canada, recent economic threats from the US may cause us to put the trip off for another year.

I do want to mention something to you, though. I had asked for destination recommendations a few years ago on this forum and you had mentioned to me that I should consider Northamptonshire. I remarked to my girlfriend something to the effect of “Northamptonshire...why don’t we just stay in Slough?” Well...I couldn’t have been more wrong. I did a bit of research and it turns on that Northants is absolutely stunning. We’ve decided to take advantage of our current fitness and do some areas that are a bit more challenging this time around, but Northamptonshire and Rutland are definitely on the list for a future trip. Thanks for putting that idea in my head.

WorthywowUK – always good to hear from somebody that lives in the area. If you don’t mind, I would absolutely like to ask you a few questions:

1) 99% of all information that I have read about the Malvern Hills is about walking the range from end-to-end. What is the area around the hills like? We would be most interested in staying in Ledbury but would love to explore the entire AONB and surrounding areas. Any information would be helpful.

2) Have you been to Abberley? I’d like to stay there for a few days and am curious as to know more about that particular area of Worcestershire.

3) Have you done the Black-and-White trail? What is the countryside like between the villages?

4) Are there any areas of Herefordshire or Worcestershire that are worth visiting that don’t really get mentioned?

I know that this is a lot – I won’t be offended if you don’t answer. Anything that you could pass along is greatly appreciated!!! Thanks!!!

Hi Ian,

Happy to reply!

1) To the east of the hills is fairly flat (River Severn flood plain) and you can see a long way if it's clear! To the west it's slightly more undulating with views to Wales. A circular walk is probably just as rewarding as an end to end walk if that helps with your plans. You could stay in Ledbury or Malvern itself. The advantage to Malvern is you're right on the hills and also has a great theatre for the evening - it's rare for shows to sell out so you should be ok for tickets. If you can let me know the sort of place you'd like to stay I can think of a few ideas. If you're into beer then I can recommend my local (The Nags Head) - also whilst walking on the hills you can have a quick detour to The Brewers Arms or The Chase Inn - both of these have spectacular views to the west

2) Yep - driven and cycled through Abberley a few times - not a lot there but is a pretty and classic English village and would be a good quiet place to stay. Might be tricky without a car so check the public transport. Again if you can let me know your ideal place to stay I'll come up with a few suggestions

3) Sorry I've not done the Black and White Trail - just taken a look at the route and it looks interesting!

4) Bromyard - has lots of black and white buildings! Much Marcle : Westons Cider! Ross on Wye: Classic old market town. Slightly far but look at the Wye Valley from Monmouth to Chepstow via Tintern Abbey. Forest of Dean - plenty of walking there plus you can hire a bike. On the border with Wales but check out Hay-On-Wye - lots of bookshops and an annual festival. Actually Ledbury has an annual poetry festival

Cheers,

Richard

Interesting, WorthywowUK, Richard,

When I were a lad and walking all over Cleeve Hill with the trusty Dalmatian most days, a really beautiful and windy place, we always had a look over to the Malverns and admired the smoothness. Yet when you speak of the views from the Malverns, nary a word back to us on Cleeve Hill.

And nary a word about the Evesham Vale, where the best asparagus in the world raises its pointy heads every spring.

not a whinge, mind.

Don't forget poor old Bredon Hill. And there's lots more to see as well :-) Check out the toposcope here Worcester Beacon

Hoarwithy in Herefordshire has an interesting church which looks like something from Tuscany, Italy. However, getting around some fo the country areas can be difficult without a car.

https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/walking-1/herefordshire-circular-walks/4 has some suggested walking trails in the countryside. Weobly is an interesting black & white village to the west of Hereford.

If you use Google Maps, you can zoom down on villages you are interested in and try and find a bus stop - click on it and it will tell you the services & company that operate from that place. Using the map on bustimes.org is also useful and it shows the locations of the buses. Now, if you click on the following link, you should see a map for the buses centered on Hereford but obviously, if done during the UK night, no buses will be running:>https://bustimes.org/map#11.48/52.048/-2.7127

Also note the train routes that traverse the area of interest to you. From Hereford, a line goes east to Ledbury, Colwall, Great Malvern & Worcester from which trains either go to Birmingham or SE to Moreton-in-Marsh (Cotswolds) > Oxford > Reading & London Paddington. Hereford is also on The Marches Line which runs north-south with south bound trains going to Abergavenny and Cardiff with some going all the way to Pembrokeshire in SW Wales. Northbound - trains go to Leominster, Ledbury, Shrewsbury with some then going to Manchester whilst others go to Chester & N Wales.

Richard – thank you so much for the info!! I was interested in Bromyard as well, as both the town and the surrounding areas look like they are worth exploring. Thank you for the confirmation.

Hay-on-Wye as well. The accommodation is a bit pricey but I’d love a chance to explore the Golden Valley. I expect that I may have to keep researching a place to stay.

I’ve otherwise done well with sussing out sleeping arrangements. I’d go with the Manor Arms in Abberley, the Feathers in Ledbury while doing the Wetherspoons in Worcester, Bewdley and Great Malvern. I know some people turn their noses up at the ‘spoons, but I quite like them. Cheap rooms and great selection of ales.

Thanks again for answering my questions. I’m sorry to pester you and it was most kind of you to spend your spare time doing that.

Cheers!!

• Ian

Hey James – thanks for the tip about Hoarwithy. I’ve not really looked into that area of Herefordshire and it looks deserving of a closer look.

I have my sights set on Weobley, for sure. From what I understand, the Salutation is currently being sold so future accommodation is up in the air.

I can’t be bothered with cars when I’m in the UK, so bustimes.org has become a trusted tool for me over the years. I also have the all stations map from National Rail Enquiries downloaded. One of the great things about England is how easy it is to travel by public transport. I can’t imagine what it was like before the late 60’s. It must have been awesome.

Thank you so much for the response.

• Ian

I’ve driven the B4348 through the Golden Valley & although it goes through nice enough countryside, I can’t say there is anything outstanding - and that includes the villages.

Hay is on the Offa’s Dyke Path & of walking this from Hay, I would head south towards the Black Mountains - but note that once up on the ridges, it is very exposed. A narrow road goes S from Hay over the Gospel Pass and down the Llanthony Valley which has the ruins of an Abbey.https://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/en_GB/trails/offas-dyke-path/