A varied Herefordshire walk from AllTrails, taking in the River Wye, an Iron Age hillfort, woodland and plenty of wildlife.
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| The River Wye near Fownhope, Herefordshire |
I had another free Saturday. My wife Stace had taken our daughter Molly to a farm show in Kington where she would be parading some of my in-laws' sheep. Welcome to the backwater.
I'd been given a list of chores, which I somewhat botched and completed in a few hours. That left me with a long afternoon to do whatever I wanted. The weather wasn't too bad so I thought I'd do another nice local walk. I had a look on AllTrails and found the Fownhope Circular.
The village of Fownhope is about a 20 minute drive from home in Ledbury, and sits close to a lovely section of the Wye. The walk follows the Wye for a few miles before heading inland over Capler Camp hillfort, through Lea and Pagets Wood, and back down into Fownhope. I was looking at a near 7 mile walk that would give me some potentially beautiful riverside trails, a trig point and a woodland nature reserve. It seemed to be worth a go.
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| The route on AllTrails |
I set off and parked at Fownhope Pavilion next to the playing fields (the red dot on map above). There's plenty of room to park there. The sun was shining, with a few dark clouds here and there. I decided to take the route anti-clockwise and get the riverside section done first. That would be nicer in the sun and I'd have more chance of sheltering from any rain in the woodland in the second half of the walk.
I walked through some fields before descending to the banks of the Wye. It would then be a simple plod along the river until I reached the base of Capler Camp hillfort.
After about a mile or so, I started seeing Canada geese. A lot of them. At first, I could just see a gaggle in the river through the trees, but as things opened up, they were everywhere. All the way down the river and in the surrounding fields. Hundreds of them. A proper Canada goose outpost.
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| Canada geese on the Wye, Herefordshire |
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| Low river levels making the geese look like they are walking on water |
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| Geese in the fields near Fownhope |
I continued along the Wye and spotted a rocky section on the banks that led out into the middle of the river. I found a way to it, scrambling down a muddy bank. It was a beautiful, peaceful spot. It would be a nice place to kill an hour with a picnic, but I didn't really have time for that. After taking in the scenery I moved on towards the path up to Capler Camp and away from the river.
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| The Wye near Fownhope |
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| A rocky bank of the Wye |
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| Swans on the Wye below Capler Camp |
The route up the hill was hard work, but relatively short. It was initially a footpath up from the riverbank with steps, then a country lane. I was sweating making my way up there, but it only took around 10-15 minutes. If you take this route in a clockwise direction you get a few more climbs that are short, but some of them are really steep. This way I basically had one notable climb, which definitely got the heart thumping.
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| Approaching Capler Camp |
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| Capler Camp hillfort, Herefordshire |
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| May Hill (I think) in the distance |
The trig point is located to the east and slightly south of the top of the hillfort, hidden behind a few oak trees. It's a little off the route I was taking, but it would have been rude not to take the opportunity to pat another trig point and add it to a growing collection.
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| The trig point is located behind those trees |
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| Trig bagging on Capler Camp, Herefordshire |
I then made my way back to my walking route and down a steep set of steps and through the grounds of a farm and campsite. My route then wound through farmland and up to Lea and Pagets wood, a nature reserve owned by Herefordshire Wildlife Trust.
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| Steps down from Capler Camp |
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| Approaching Lea and Pagets Wood |
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| A view of Marcle Ridge |
There was a bench near the entrance to the wood, so I took 5 minutes to rest, glug some water and eat a Snickers bar. It was a relatively short stroll, past some old, partially covered lime kilns and I was briefly passed by a small herd of deer. It's a lovely, ancient, broad-leaved wood.
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| A bench in Lea and Pagets Wood |
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| Lea and Pagets Wood, Herefordshire |
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| Partially covered lime kilns in Herefordshire |
On exiting the wood, I was now a couple of miles from where my car was parked. I passed a quirky sign and converted phone box and took the country lanes back down to Fownhope. I strolled past St Mary's, which is one of the largest churches in Herefordshire. It has a Norman tower and the spire looks a little warped. A beautiful church.
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| A sign on a country lane near Fownhope |
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| A converted phone box in Fownhope |
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| St Mary's Church, Fownhope |
I got back to my car and it was time to head home. I stopped at the shop on the way to pick up supplies for a family dinner, and arrived home before my wife and daughter had returned.
That was a fantastic little walk. It has a bit of everything you could hope for in this neck of the woods, and I can't recommend it enough. It's worth bearing in mind that some of the climbs were quite steep, albeit relatively short. It might be difficult with young children or for elderly people. A stroll along the banks of the Wye in Fownhope is suitable for all ages, though and it's a lovely stretch. The Fownhope Circular is definitely one of the better walks that I have done in Herefordshire.
Walk Details
Route: Fownhope Circular Walk
Distance: 6.7 miles
Difficulty: Easy with some short, steep sections
Time: 2-3 hours
Terrain: Riverside trails, country lanes and woodland paths
Dog Friendly?: Yes, but there are a few stiles and fields with livestock
Pushchair Friendly?: Only if you like carrying your pushchair up steep steps and over stiles. Basically no.
Pub Stop: Green Man, Fownhope
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