lyonshall walks

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WALK No. 1.
[Lyonshall Church route via Offa’s Dyke to The Royal George Inn – 1.75 km or 1 mile >].
Start Point:
Description.
[HR5 3LN. Postcode]
Lyonshall Church.
Originally built by the Normans [In about 1090 AD].Given to the
Benedictine Monks of Leominster Priory in 1220 by the holder of
the Castle [Sir Stephen Devereaux]. Dissolved by King Henry VIII
in 1539. In semi-ruin by the 1800s.Rebuilt between 1870 and 1873
by The Rev Charles Maddison Green (Archdeacon of Hereford) who
built “The Old Vicarage” in 1880 and is buried in the churchyard.
The ‘Original Vicarage’.
Next to the car park beside the bell tower. Now a modern
residence but was the site of the building that housed 4 monastic
‘Canons’ between 1345 & 1354. This was reduced to 3 in 1406 with a
thirty year gap during ‘the great plague’ (“The Black Death”)
[1354>1384] when no resident priest is recorded. The first
‘Anglican’ vicar is recorded in 1562. Currently a private house.
Walk down the drive and
cross the A44 road to:
1
The “Wharf Inn”.
Also known as “The Weymouth Arms” this Grade 2 building is the
oldest intact building in Lyonshall. Parts of it date back to the
1300s and it was a ‘stopping-off’ point on the old tramroad in
late Georgian & early Victorian times. Now a private house.
Walk down the ‘drive’towards ‘Lynhales’ Nursing Home for
375 metres (400 yards).
This was the route of the tramroad from 1820-1862. The horse-drawn
tramway was designed to take stone from the quarries at Kington to
the Welsh valleys and return with coal. It was superseded by the
‘Kington to Eardisley Railway’ in 1874 having closed in 1862.
At the cross junction of the footpaths with the drive go right to visit Offas Dyke
[scheduled monument].Go left to follow the route to Lyonshall. [All stiles are dog-friendly]
2
“Offas Dyke”.
This section of the dyke is a ‘spur’ built between 778 and 796 AD
when King Offa, The Anglo-Saxon King of Mercia, fought three
battles against the Celtic peoples who lived in this area. The
area was known as “Herefordia in Gwallia” [“Hereford in Wales”].
Due to its location, away from the main ‘ditch’ and ‘tourist
trail’, it is a good, uneroded example of a Saxon defensive
emplacement and it faces towards the threat of invasion (West and
West-South-West in this case). It may have had a wooden palisade
originally and the lower parapet is nearest to the enemy threat.
You may now return to Lynhales drive to continue
your walk - or you could follow the dyke to the
North West where it joins the A44 road by the
Nursery (Garden Centre) [Turn right to return to
the church]. From Lynhales Drive turn left to follow
the ‘right of way’ South East for 625 metres (720 yards)
until you meet the asphalt road.
Turn Left towards
{There is a theory that this road
Lyonshall Village until you reach the ‘old Baptist
was an ancient British route used
Chapel’ (375 metres or 410 yards).
by the Romans.
This is unproven.}
The old Baptist Chapel. [1865]
3
Turn Left (North) and follow the farm track until
after 125 metres (140 yards) you find the path to
your right leading into “Burgage Close”.
Follow
{“Burgage Close” is named after
this until you reach the main road (A480) and turn
the ‘medieval’ farming plots that
right to arrive at “The Royal George Inn”.
used to stand on this site.}
[HR5 3JN. Postcode]
“The Royal George Inn”.
www.royalgeorge.lyonshall.net
An ‘Elizabethan Inn’, built in the late 1500s, the “George Inn”
was originally a ‘cider house’ surrounded by its own orchards. It
was renamed “The ‘Royal’ George” after the tragic loss of a
warship of the same name (a sister-ship of “HMS Victory”) in 1782.
Many Herefordshire lads were lost when she went down. In her day
she was the ‘flagship of The British Navy’. The last of the many
‘Public Houses’ and ‘Hostels’ in Lyonshall [8 are recorded], “The
George” is an excellent place to relax, slake your thirst and eat
a ‘healthy, hearty and home-made meal’ after your walk. It is no
longer classified as an “Inn” officially as it does not
accommodate guests overnight. It is just a really good “Pub”.
End Point.
4
WALK No.2. [Lyonshall Church circuit via the Castle, Castle Weir and the Tramroad – 2.5 km or 1.6 miles].
Start Point.
[HR5
The Church Porch.
3LN. Postcode]
Turn left on leaving the Church porch and cross the churchyard
towards a gate. On your right you pass the graves of The Very Rev
Charles Maddison Green and his family, who rebuilt the church in
‘Victorian’ times. Exit the churchyard through the gate in the
hedge and the Castle is on your left-hand side, in the trees,
behind a fence. It is on private land and not open to the public.
“The Castle ‘KEEP’ ruins”.
[Scheduled Monument]
5
The Castle.
“Lyonshall Castle” was originally a wooden ‘motte and bailey’
Norman fort. King William II [“Rufus”], the son of “William the
Conqueror”, gave permission for it to be rebuilt in stone in 1090
AD. It was held by the Devereaux family and their relations from
shortly thereafter – once the Normans had defeated the local
‘Princes of Powys’. It was knocked down by the soldiers of King
Edward II in 1307 when the King decided to subdue the “Marcher
Lords” who had questioned his rights. The original ‘Ville’ of
‘Leonhales’ was burnt down (allegedly) at the same time. The
Castle was never refortified and the village was relocated
downhill and nearer to the ‘Curl Brook’ water source.
Pass the Castle on your left and follow the path to
Castle Weir drive. [best to take big dogs through the gate
As the stile is not ‘dog friendly’] Turn left up the drive
towards Castle Weir Farm, leaving ‘Castle Weir House’ on your right.
‘Castle Weir House’
Built by Edmund Cheese in 1818 who had bought the land from the
Greenly family of ‘The Wittern’ - who had bought the land in 1749.
Enhanced by his son John Cheese who had sold off most of the land
by 1840 - in the depression following the ‘Napoleonic Wars’. James
Cheese of ‘Castle Weir’ sponsors the new railway in the 1850s.
6
Once past the farmhouse you are now
following the route of the tramroad
into Lyonshall Park Wood.
‘The Horse-drawn Tramroad’
Designed to transport stone from Kingston quarries to the South
Wales iron and coal industries and return with house-coal. Stone
sleepers (rot proof) were used in wet areas as they had to be sunk
to surface level for use by horses. The first attempt to
mechanise it failed and it was quickly replaced by the railway –
which was sponsored by the same investors. The route can be
clearly seen in some areas in the wood. The tramroad goes to
‘Bullocks Mill’ where it meets the “Herefordshire Trail”, the
“Mortimer Trail” and the disused railway line to Kington.
Follow the path to the track through the wood and
turn left.
After 300 meters (350 yards) you reach
the edge of the woods.
The footpath leads
off to the left along the edge of the woods.
7
Unless work has been done recently this path and the one
leading up from the “Nursery” (Garden Centre) are neglected
and hard to follow (no signs). The stile behind The Church is
NOT dog friendly so it is best to go on and turn left down the A44
(a busy trunk road) past “The Nursery” and “The Old Vicarage”
to the Church in order to complete this walk.
“The Old Vicarage” B&B.
“Carved face of the owner.”
Stiles behind the Church.
The ‘old Vicarage’ was built by The Rev Charles Madison Green,
vicar of Lyonshall. He rebuilt the church, built the village
school and had this Victorian ‘Gothic’ house built in 1880. His
head is carved above a window to the rear. He was related to the
Green family of ‘The Whittern’ whose memorials are inside the
church. He became Archdeacon of Hereford and his modest grave is
by the gate connecting the church and castle. His house is now an
imposing B&B. www.theoldvicaragebandb.lyonshall.net
End Point.
8
WALK No.3.
[The Royal George Inn circit via the Village, the Upper
Fishpool and The Old Station.
2 Km or 1.25 miles].
Start Point.
[HR5
“The Royal George Inn”
3JN. Postcode].
www.royalgeorge.lyonshall.net
The Royal George was a 16th Century ‘Cider House’ originally
[1550>] and its two car parks are entered off the A480. It is
open for lunch 6 days a week (not on Mondays) at 12pm – 3pm(ish)
and for evening meals at 7pm onwards. The food is home made, well
prepared, wholesome and varied. It is a good base to explore the
village from. Its “dish of the day” is very competitively priced
for those on a budget. It is a ‘listed building’ [Grade 2].
Leave your transport at the ‘Royal George’ and explore the many and varied properties in the
village.
These date from the “Late Medieval” to “High Victorian” [1300 to 1900> AD].
have been modernised but some are still being restored.
Some
‘Ivy Cottage’, ‘The Howe’ and
‘Ivy House’ are definitely medieval in origin with “cruck beams” etc.
‘The Church’ is
listed grade 2* whilst 18 other buildings, including ‘The Castle’, are listed grade 2.
9
THE VILLAGE CENTRE:
“Upper House Farm” <1875
“The Farm” <1595 AD.
“The Stone House” <1845.
[Grade 2]
“Ivy House” 1300>.
[Grade 2]
“Ivy Cottage” <1400.
[Grade 2]
“The Greyhound Inn, Store
& Post Office <1600. [Grade 2]
10
The “Blacksmiths” 1600s.
The “Wheelwrights” 1600s.
The “Bakery”
[Grade 2]
The “Maidenhead Inn” <1600.
[Grade 2]
“Littlebrook House”
[Grade 2]
The “White House”
1550.
[Grade 2]
11
The Walk.
Leave The Royal George and walk downhill. Turn
left (NE) along the so called “Roman Road”. (There is no
evidence that the Romans built it but it is most
probably a Celtic-British route).
Do not use the public
footpath above the Royal George as it is overgrown and
passes through people’s gardens.
“The Howes” 1600.
[Grade 2]
On your left you pass:
and
“Wildwood” 1600s> <1990s.
[Grade 2]
12
On your right you pass “Bryncurl”.
“Bryncurl” (‘Curl Hill’) 1600<
This house was rebuilt in late ‘Georgian’ times in the‘venacular style’ and the
facade is probably made of local Herefordshire (Lyonshall) brick. There are
several stone and rendered examples of this architectural style within the
parish. {see “Littlebrook House” in the village (painted brick), “Woodlands”
[1590<] (half-timbered) and “Penrhos Farm” [1776] (stone) on the A44 road to
Kington}. The original “Bryncurl” house is much older than it looks (see the
stone gable-end walls and the brick chimneys on their chunky stone stacks) and
may be pre Elizabethan. It was originally called “Lower House” in early 19th
Century maps.
300 meters (350 yards) from the ‘Pub’ you
reach some green corrugated-iron barns.
Opposite
the barns is a stile, a ditch and a farm gate.
Turn left, uphill, towards the cider-apple orchards.
After the next stile you are in the orchard
13
and on a drivable track [in summer].
Follow the track.
“The Green Barns and the stile leading to the orchards”.
When you reach the orchards please keep your dogs under
control as cider apples are harvested from the ground and
any dog faeces found amongst the apples results in the whole
crop being rejected.
The farmer loses his annual income!
Follow the track for 350 metres (380 yards) to the small brick
agriculural building.
The track goes on to the main A44 road
but if you turn immediately left, keeping the hedge on your left,
you come to the “medieval “Upper Fishpool”.
The owner allows
access to the pool. The ‘official’ right of way turns left before
14
the A44 and follows the line of the old railway to the A 480.
“ Medieval Fishpool”.
Dated anytime after 1220 AD and documented in 1388.
The ‘Upper Fishpool’ features a duck island and you can make out
the inlet used for harvesting waterfowl. It is sustained by
drainoff and local springs over a clay base and it has a man made
earth dam to the East. A silted up ditch runs down from the site
of the original ‘Leonhales’ village site. The pool boasts 25
types of tree and shrub (some unusual) and is probably of
“monastic” provenance. A bronze age dagger [1100 > 800BC - 1,000
years before Offa’s Dyke - and now in Hereford Museum] was found
by the pool in 1931.
Follow the edge of the pool until you reach
the ditch and hedge at the South West corner.
follow the hedge up to the bridge over the
ditch and the stile and gate onto ‘The Old
Station’ land.
The public right of way follows
the line of the raised trackbed to the Station
and the A480 Hereford to Kington Road.
15
“The gate and stile”
from the orchard.
“The Old Station”.
The Railway station was opened in 1874 as part of the Kington to
Eardisley Railway. A ‘vanity’ project by the local gentry, it was
designed to carry freight, stone, coal and passengers between South
Wales and the Midlands but it was a ‘loss maker’ from its inception.
It was closed finally by the GWR in 1940. The ‘waiting room’ and
platform are on the top floor by the original bridge buttresses. The
1872 stone ‘livestock underpass’ (“cattle creep”) can be seen by the
gate from the cider-apple orchard. Water drain-off from the fields was
diverted under the railway at this point by means of stoneware pipes
(now broken). The station, platform and ‘cattle creep’ are privately
owned but “railway buffs” are welcomed if they ask permission. It is
alleged that the Station os haunted by the ghost of a ‘Railway Porter’.
When you reach the A480 you turn left to re-enter
the village.
However if you turn right and walk
150 meters (165 yards) uphill you come to the ‘Village
“Memorial” Hall’ on your left.
A small gate in the
carpark gives acces to the site of the centre of
16
the original Medieval Village of “Leonhales”.
“Medieval Foundations” – 2011.
The site of the Anglo-Saxon village of “Lenehalle”, the
Elizabethan “Leonhales” and modern “Lyonshall” was
rediscovered using aerial photograpy in the late 1990s. Not
much can be seen at ground level and sadly some of it was
ploughed up for animal feed crops in May 2011. An
exploratory dig in late May 2011 by a team from Hereford
County Council has found the foundations of Medieval
buildings. The “ville” is recorded in 1046 in the reign of
“King Edward The Confessor” and it was given to “Harald
Godwynson”, later “King Harold II”, in 1055. It belonged to
“Mynarch, Prince of Powys” in 1086 and it is recorded in the
‘Domesday Book’. It becomes the property of the Norman
‘Marcher Lords’ of Brecknoke after the ‘Battle of Brecon’ in
1093 and was attached to the Castle (1090>1307). It is said
to have been “burned” by the army of “King Edward II” in
1307. The new village was built downhill beside a better
water source at a later date – possibly after the ravages of
“The Black Death” (the ‘great plague’ of 1349 to 1359
approximately). The foundations of “The Wharf Inn” [aka “The
Weymouth Arms”], which can be seen across the field, would
appear to date from the time of the original village.
‘English Heritage’ has been petitioned to save the remainder
of the site for further archaeological exploration. The
campaign is ongoing, with local support, as at June 2011.
17
Returning to “The Old Station”, stroll down
the hill towards the Royal George.
On your
right you pass “The Croft”.
“The Croft [B & B]”.
A fine example of a ‘Georgian gentleman’s residence’ built in
about 1790 [King George III]. It has a fine interior and it
is now a highly recommended B&B that prides itself on its
home grown produce and excellent meals. It has lovely well
maintained gardens.
www.thecroftathome.co.uk
250 meters (275 yards) beyond The Croft you
come to “Woodlands” on your right.
On the way
you pass the ‘bus stops’ with very regular
services to Hereford, Kington and Leominster.
18
“The Woodlands”. <1590.
Built in the ‘vernacular’ style, this substantial
‘Elizabethan’ half-timbered house has been lovingly restored
by its owners. They have chipped away the render that hid
many of the original external features and that hides them
still in quite a few of the old houses in the village. It
was possibly the home of a wealthy farmer or merchant. The
chimney arrangements, indicating multiple occupancy when the
house was first built, are typically late ‘Tudor’/ early
‘Jacobean’ in style (brick upon a heavy stone fireproof
base).
You are now within sight of your destination,
The Royal George Inn.
The frontage of the Inn
hides its original half-timbered construction
but this can be seen from the rear car park.
End Point.
19
Walk No.4.
[The Royal George Inn circuit via the Medieval Village, Offa’s Dyke,
The Church, The Castle and The Medieval Fishpool 3.7Km (2.5 Miles)]
Start Point.
“The Royal George garden”
The true Elizabethan/Jacobean origin of “The George Cider House”
can best be appreciated from the large garden to the rear of the
pub car park, which used to be part of the orchard.
Leave the pub and turn right – uphill.
After 125 meters (140 yards)turn left into ‘Burgage
Close’ [named after the medieval fields that were on this site originally in the 15th / 16th
Century].
Keep left until the road joins the public footpath.
over three stiles.
friendly.
Follow the footpath to the right
The second and third stiles, by the small apple orchard, are not dog
You now enter a field of maize that has been planted over the footpath (a path has
since been cut by the farmer - wide enough for a walker and a dog).
On your right is the
‘site’ of the medieval village of “Leonhales”.
20
“The Medieval Village Site”.
The footpath, shown by the black line on the photograph,
passes south of the Village Hall (arrowed) and aerial
photography [Google Earth] shows the ridges of the platforms
for buildings and the outline of the “burgage plots”. The
site was never fully developed before its destruction 1307
(or abandonment during the ‘plague’ in the mid 1300s). The
still unploughed ‘centre of the village’ is enclosed by the
black brackets “[ ]”. Best seen from the air (or on “Google
Earth”), especially after snow when the shadows show more
clearly.
On reaching ‘Lynhales’ drive (the old tramroad) turn left
and proceed for 250 metres (275 yards) before turning right,
crossing the stile and following the line of ‘Offa’s Dyke’
for a further 375 metres (400 yards).
Turn right back across
the fields towards Lynhales drive with “The Laurels” on the
rising ground to your left [North].
21
“Offa’s Dyke”.
“The Laurels from the A44”. 1600<.
“The Laurels” sits on high ground opposite the “Wharf Inn”
and “The Church”. From the A44 it appears to be a ‘Victorian
Villa’ but it is in fact much older. Parts of the house are
Elizabethan (1590<) and it is possibly much older than that.
Its elevated position, overlooking the valley, is of
interest.
On reaching Lynhales drive turn left to the main
road and cross over to The Church of “St Michael
and All Angels”.
On your left is the site of the
original medieval ‘Vicarage’ which has long since
gone.
The “New Vicarage” [built in 1880-81] is up
the road towards Kington and the current house is
a modern, privately owned replacement.
22
“List of Priests & Vicars”.
“Remains of The Norman ‘KEEP’ “.
The Church is kept open by a rota of villagers during the day
and it has a ‘medieval font’, part of the original Norman
architecture, a fine ‘peal of bells’ and numerous memorials.
The list of “incumbents” is of interest but this cannot be
validated before the “Reformation”. The Castle, which is
fenced off, is on private land and it is not open to the
public for ‘health and safety’/ insurance reasons.
Leave the Church porch, turn left and go through the gate in
front of The Castle.
Leaving Castle Weir Farm on your left
you cross the drive in front Of Castle Weir House.
Follow the
right of way to the stile on the A44 and turn left along the
main Road.
After 250 metres (275 yards) you reach “The
Bungalow” on your left.
Cross the road to rejoin the footpath.
23
Turn right as soon as you have entered the ‘cider apple orchard’
and follow the line of “The Old Railway Line” down to the bridge
and the gate/stile onto “The Old Station” land by the ‘Cattle
Creep”.
“The livestock underpass”. 1872
This stone double arched bridge carried the railway over the
droving tracks for the farmers’ stock so that they could
reach the lower fields. It was also used for conduits for
the water drain-off from “Castle Weir’s” upper fields.
At this point you can follow the footpath to the A480 or
follow the hedge down to the Medieval Fishpool.
This is
not a “right of way” but the landowner allows access as
long as walkers respect his ‘rights’.
The “Upper Fishpool”
is 100 metres (110 yards) from the gate/stile.
24
“The Monastic Fishpool”.
The ‘earth dam’ is arrowed to the right
and the new ‘replacement’ sluice gate has been built to the left.
The ‘Upper Fishpool’ shows every sign that it was managed for
a very long time. The deep water channel is nearest to the
‘sluice gate’ where fish would be trapped. It is a wildlife
haven and swans were seen here “in living memory”. A survey
of ‘flora & fauna’ is ongoing. Duck and Moorhens breed here.
Return to the gate/stile and follow the ‘right of way’
down to “The Old Station” where it joins the A480.
“The Station in 1959”
&
“in 2009”
&
“in 2010”.
25
Turn left at the A480 and walk downhill towards
The “Royal George Inn”.
End Point.
450 metres (500 yards).
ARCHITECTURAL / HISTORIC TERMS USED.
Stone Age:
Bronze Age:
Celtic:
{Iron Age}
Roman:
Romano-Celtic:
AD.
<
1100 BC.
-
PRE-HISTORY.
1100 BC >
800 BC.
}
800 BC >
84 AD.
}
to approximately
43 AD >
410 AD.
}
ROMAN BRITAIN.
410 AD >
550 AD.
}
1066 AD.
} }
43 BC.
43-410 AD.
THE DARK AGES.
410-900.
Anglo-Saxon / Viking:
550 AD >
Norman / Plantagenet:
1066 AD > 1485 AD.
}
Tudor:
1485 AD > 1603 AD.
} }
Elizabethan:
1558 AD > 1603 AD.
}
Jacobean-Caroline:
1603 AD > 1714 AD.
}
Georgian:
1714 AD > 1837 AD.
} }
Victorian:
1837 AD > 1901 AD.
} THE MAKING OF ‘EMPIRE’. 1757-1914.
Modern era:
1901 AD > Now!
MEDIEVAL PERIOD.
}
900-1492 AD.
(some may say 1536)
MAKING OF THE UK. 1603-1745.
DEMOCRATIC BRITAIN.
1918 ->.
26
WALK No. 5.
[The Walkers Circuit route from The Church car park via the ‘outer
bailey’ of The Castle, part of the Tramroad, part of the disused
Railway, the Medieval Fishpool, The Royal George Inn, Offa’s Dyke,
back to The Church - 4 km or 2.5 miles].
(The same walk can be
done using The Royal George as your start and finishing point).
Start Point.
Lyonshall Church car park.
“The Madison Green Grave”.
“The Outer Bailey”.
Walk along the front of this Norman church, pass the
porch and the graves of its benefactor and ‘rebuilder’,
to the gate into the ‘castle grounds’.
Leaving the
‘castle keep’ on your left you head towards the drive
27
to Castle Weir House and Farm.
The “tramway” is on your
right and comes up from “The Weymouth Arms/Wharf Inn”,
below the graveyard, and then parallels the drive heading
through the farmyard.
Go through the gate (on the ‘old
tramway’) and turn left up the drive.
The “Castle Weir Farm” gates.
Go through the gate passing the Farm and then turn right
onto the footpath across the fields to ‘The Concrete
Cottages’.
Pass under the old ‘Railway Bridge’ to the
‘Titley Road’.
Turn right to follow the walk or turn left
to “Titley Junction” disused railway station (>2.5 miles).
28
“The Concrete Cottages” 1930s.
“The Railway Bridge” 1874.
“The Methodist Chapel” 1861.
Turn right onto the road opposite to the Chapel and
follow it down to the A44 main road.
into the cider apple orchard.
Cross the road
Follow the track to
the brick building and consider your options.
You have two:
1. Turn right to visit the “Medieval Fishpool” (see
Walk No.4 for quick way back to ‘The Royal George’.
2. Keep straight on until you arrive at the “Roman
Road” by the green barns. Turn right towards your
goal! “A pie and a pint”!
29
The Green Barns.
“From the Orchard”
“Bryncurl” 1600.
“Wildwood” 1600-1990s.
Follow the road towards the village with ‘Bryncurl’ on your left and ‘Wildwood’ on your right.
After 500 yards you reach the halfway point! The Royal George Inn. A good place to pause and
recharge your batteries.
The Royal George car park.
30
Time for another decision.
Your choices are:
1. Continue the walk for another 2 kilometers.
2. Take the footpath via ‘Burgage Close’. [1 kilometer across country].
3. Walk up the road (A480) to The Church. [nearly 1 kilometer by road].
Option 3.
The easy option.
Walk uphill with “The Woodlands” and “The Croft” on
Your left and “The Old Station” and “Church House” on your right.
Turn left by “The Old School” and then walk up to “The Church”.
“The Woodlands” 1590.
“The Croft” 1790.
“Church House” 1790. “The Old School” 1868.
The Old Station” 1874.
“The Church” 1090.
31
Option 2.
The Country Option.
Walk up the A480 and turn into ‘Burgage Close’.
Then follow the route as explained at Walk No.4.
“The gate to the footpath at the end of Burgage Close”.
Option 3.
The Walkers’ Option.
A gentle stroll to walk off a good lunch!
Leave ‘The Royal George’ and walk into the village. On your
right will be “The Maidenhead Inn” and “Ivy House”.
Keep right
and walk past “The Stone House Inn”, “The White House” and “The
Farm”.
“The Baptist Chapel” is on your left.
[Decision Time again!]
32
“The Maidenhead” 1600.
“The White House” 1550.
Ivy House”
1300.
“The Farm” 1595.
“The Stone House” 1845.
“The Baptist Chapel” 1865.
When you reach the old Baptist Chapel, opposite
“The Farm”, you can take a short-cut by turning
right up the path until you join Walk No.4 at
the rear of “Burgage Close”.
33
If you turn left the footpath leads to ‘Holme Marsh’.
Those of you who are ‘steadfast’ will walk straight on
until you reach “Lower Lodge” by the gate on the old back
drive of “Lynhales Hall”.
Turn right through the gate.
Once again you can turn left to ‘Holme Marsh’[1 km],
if you choose, but press on to complete the circuit!
“Lower Lodge” <1840.
“The old ‘paved’ Lynhales drive”.
“The gate to The Orchard”.
Follow the drive until you come to the gate that
leads to the right and up the side of the ‘cider
apple orchard’.
Follow the path through the gate
until you reach the main drive to ‘Lynhales Hall’.
34
Decision time again.
You can turn right and take
the easy route back to ‘The Church’ car park but,
having got this far, you shouldcross the drive and follow
the path up the side of one of the finest stretches of
“Offa’s Dyke” that you will find in Herefordshire.
Offa’s Dyke North West of the ‘drive’.
Follow the Dyke until you meet the path leading back
towards ‘Lynhales Drive’.
On rejoining the drive follow
it to the A44 road and cross the road to ‘The Church’.
End Point
(Feel virtuous!)
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