Walking in the Wye Valley
The 150 mile-long Herefordshire Trail links the five market towns of Ledbury, Ross-on-Wye, Kington, Leominster and Bromyard, passing pretty villages and hamlets along the way.
One of the big draws of the Trail is the spectacular countryside that accompanies walkers, from the Malvern Hills in the east to the Black Mountains in the west (in Wales) and across several county borders.
Walkers can expect to encounter rich arable land, apple orchards, hop fields, woodlands speckled with wild flowers and scenic river valleys.
Along the way are pretty rural churches, castle ruins and other historic features together with country inns.
There are various places for walkers to rest their heads including The Pilgrim Country House Hotel in the village of Much Birch, between Ross-on-Wye and Hereford, which commands spectacular views over the border of Wales towards the Black Mountains.
The 20-room hotel is owned by ex-England and British Lions rugby international Steve Boyle, a keen walker himself (the trail literally passes the hotel’s front door!) who is happy to join his guests on the trail.
In addition to the Herefordshire Trail, there are also plenty of other options with the Malverns, Brecon Beacons, Forest of Dean and the Cotswolds, all within a short drive.
There are a number of circular walks which start from the hotel (free maps and guide notes for walks from three to six hours long available from reception) and for the more adventurous, the world famous Wye Valley Walk is a short distance away.
The hotel has a cosy bar (which is haunted by a dog!) and dinner can be enjoyed in the Valley Restaurant which serves dishes prepared using local ingredients by classically-trained chef Deepak Kumar (a member of the British Culinary Federation).
A two night spring walking break costs from £129 pp (two sharing) which includes B&B, welcome drink and bar meal on the first evening, a picnic lunch and a three-course dinner on the second day and a snack and a drink for the walk on day three (some rooms are dog friendly so the family pet can also enjoy a weekend away).
For more information, visit pilgrimhotel.co.uk.
