Linking together the five market towns of Ledbury, Ross-on-Wye, Kington, Leominster and Bromyard, the 154-mile Herefordshire Trail is a grand circular walking route. Using existing public footpaths that weave their way around the county, the trail is popular amongst both leisurely strollers and dedicated hikers for its superb views and unrivalled bucolic beauty.
Starting and ending in the market town of Ledbury, the Herefordshire Trail has called to outdoors enthusiasts for years for its hearty, leg-pumping challenges and constant picture roll of beautiful scene after beautiful scene. From the majestic rise and fall of the Malvern Hills to the dramatic vistas of the Black Mountains, and from wildflower speckled meadows to creaking woodlands humming with the activity of wildlife, the diverse array of landscapes is more than enough to pull you on.
Encircling the whole of Herefordshire, the trail is broken up into sections – although if you are feeling ambitious with a couple of weeks to spare, there’s nothing to stop you doing the whole thing! Consisting of a range of routes starting with the trek from Putley to Ross, these sub-routes range from 12.5 miles to 19.5 miles long. Not insignificant walks in themselves, these routes can be broken up further into bitesize chunks, giving you plenty of chance to see the county at your own pace.
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Wherever you decide to start and end your journey along the Herefordshire Trail, you will be treated to a huge number of painting-worthy panoramas. Keep on the look out for the apple orchards and hopfields of the county and cool your toes in the River Wye. As well as picturesque villages, rural churches and castle ruins, particular highlights include daffodil-covered fields around Dymock and Ledbury in Spring and views from trig point on Merbach Hill on a clear day.
Of course, no journey along the Herefordshire Trail would be complete without visiting Ledbury – the start and end point of the trail. Amongst its historic tangle, a trip to Church Lane is definitely in order – one of the best-preserved medieval streets in the country.
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