Golden Valley - Peterchurch (From Worcester News)

Golden Valley - Peterchurch

10:47am Monday 20th June 2011 in Local walks By Julie Royle

ENJOY great views and look out for wildlife as you walk through flower-filled meadows in the wonderfully peaceful countryside between the Golden Valley and the Black Mountains.

The area is the tranquil area in south-west Herefordshire which derives its name from the river Dore that flows through it.

Dore comes from the Welsh word ‘dwr’, meaning water but the Normans confused it with the French ‘d’or’ meaning golden.

The area is golden throughout the year – with daffodils, crops and then harvest.

FACTFILE

Start: Peterchurch, on B4348 west of Hereford; grid ref SO344385.

Length: 11 miles/17.5km.

Maps: OS Explorer OL13, OS Landranger 161.

Terrain: Pasture, arable, woodland, commons; moderately hilly.

Footpaths: No obstructions, but poorly waymarked.

Stiles: 31.

Parking: Peterchurch Picnic Place, near St Peter’s Church.

Public transport: Bus or train to Hereford then Stagecoach 39/Yeoman’s 39A, daily; herefordbus.info or 01432 260211.

Refreshments: Peterchurch and Michaelchurch Escley.

DIRECTIONS

1 Walk beside the road towards Hereford. Take the second footpath on the right, almost opposite Hawthorn Rise. This is part of the Herefordshire Trail and is easily followed across a field to a lane. Turn right then pick up the path again on the left. Go diagonally across fields to meet a track, cross a brook at a ford or footbridge and enter another field.

Turn left on the Herefordshire Trail and keep straight on at all junctions, including a road junction by Yew Tree House.

2 Leave the Herefordshire Trail at the next house and turn left along a field edge path to visit Turnastone church. Leave the churchyard by the main gate and turn right to rejoin the Herefordshire Trail at a bend in the lane. Cross a field to the far side, where there are three bridges – cross the middle one and walk up the next field to the top right corner, then continue uphill through Chanstone Wood. Go left at the top, along the edges of two meadows, then through a wood to a field.

3 Go obliquely across the field to cross a brook, then diagonally across the corner of the next field.

Pass through woodland to a meadow and go diagonally uphill to cross a stile to the left of a tree.

Turn left, then swing right towards a farm as you approach a lane.

Meet the lane opposite St Margaret’s Church and go into the churchyard. Take a path which passes through the garden of the neighbouring farm, then go straight across a meadow. Go along the right-hand edge of the next field to a junction. Descend left to cross a brook about 75m from the bottom left field corner. Climb up the bank then keep straight on uphill. Cross a wooden fence to the left of a farm and proceed along a track to meet a lane opposite a chapel.

4 Turn right and keep straight on at all junctions until you reach a T-junction. Take a footpath opposite, going diagonally to the far corner of a meadow. Turn left on a farm drive then shortly cross a stile on the right. Go diagonally across a field, passing to the right of a group of trees and then continuing to the furthest corner.

Go straight on along the edge of another field, then bear left in the next, passing an oak tree and continuing to a point near the far corner. Cross into the next field and head downhill to pass to the right of a farm. Turn right where waymarked, along the left edge of a field and through a gate at the far end. Go diagonally left downhill then through a gate on the right.

Head towards a farm, Rhyd-ddubâch.

Turn left on the farm drive then cross a stile on the right to enter a meadow.

5 Ignore a waymark pointing left, walk past the house and then towards the bottom corner of the meadow. Go through a gate (no waymark) just above the corner and go diagonally, guided by a series of new gates, to find a footbridge over Escley Brook. You can cross the brook if you wish, climb to a lane and turn right to reach the Bridge Inn. Alternatively (and recommended), you can take advantage of enhanced public access available until January 31, 2019, under an environmental stewardship agreement – consult the map posted by the brook and follow the permissive path, beside the brook at first, then up through meadows to meet a track. Turn left to reach the Bridge Inn.

6 Take a path at a stile on the right before you reach Escley Brook. The path is easily followed, running roughly straight on through six meadows then along a track to a lane. Turn right, then soon left on a bridleway across Canon Tump Common (Herefordshire Nature Trust). On leaving the common, proceed along the bridleway to a lane and go straight on opposite, still on the bridleway, to meet another lane.

Turn left, then right at a T-junction.

7 Take a footpath on the left just after the driveway to Llaneth House. Cross Merryhurst Green to a gate, then continue across a meadow to a very overgrown stile hidden in the right corner. Go diagonally right in the next field to an overgrown stile by a tall section of an otherwise low hedge. Cross the next meadow to meet the righthand hedge and follow it for nearly 200m, before descending diagonally left to cross a brook. Go uphill, passing to the left of a farm. Turn right to reach a junction at Dolward Farm and keep straight on along a track. After about 200m it ends at three gates – go through the left-hand one. Walk along a field edge until you see a stile, continue ahead and then to the left. Go diagonally towards it then follow a clear path to Shegear Farm.

8 Take the path on the left and go diagonally towards Peterchurch. Ignore another path branching left and just keep descending through meadows. Go to the bottom left corner of the third meadow, then bear right to pass an alder wood and then along the left-hand field edge to return to the ford and footbridge encountered earlier. Cross the brook and turn left on a bridleway.

Go straight on when you meet a lane. Turn right on a track to Peterchurch after passing Hinton Farm.

Worcester News recommends the use of OS Explorer Maps, your ideal passport to navigating the countryside. This walk is based on OS Explorer 0L13.