Day 4 – Hereford to Bredwardine

It is quite a bustle in the centre of Hereford in the morning, not least because my start was at the foot of the old bridge and some 100 yards away is the main A49 to Ross-on-Wye and South Wales.

Descending some steps down to the riverbank, you pass underneath the A49 and almost immediately start to leave the city behind, the rumble of traffic quickly giving way to birdsong as you walk along a well-made path.

There is a hint of the suburban park to this short section with its joggers, parents with pushchairs and a host of dog walkers but these start to fall away too as you cross the pedestrian bridge to the opposite bank just beyond the rowing club.

The river is beautiful here and I was blessed with the ideal spring day to set it off. As well as bright sunshine, there was not a breath of wind and the surface of the river was like glass, reflections perfect in the stillness. There was a timeless feel to my progress summed up by the sight of two swans fast asleep on the water, their necks curled impossibly onto their backs as they napped.

There were suddenly leaves appearing on the trees and in the fields, the rapeseed was in flower, turning whole expanses to brilliant yellow.

Gradually, the riverside housing on the opposite bank petered out and I walked on to Breinton, where I left the riverbank to begin a gentle loop across country towards Stretton Sugwas.

Field near Breinton

If there was a theme to the day it would be agriculture as Herefordshire is very much an agricultural county. Cattle and sheep punctuated the landscape in between crops bursting into life and I was thrilled to encounter the first cider apple orchards of the day near Cliff Covert.

Such was the peace and tranquility that the appearance of the busy road at Stretton Sugwas was a bit of a shock. You are not on it for long however, peeling off down a private road pausing only to change map from 189 to 202.

I was now on country lane tarmac for a long stretch but the road is very quiet, which might not have been the case around 100-200AD because to the right you pass the site of the Romano-British town of Magna.

The straight line of the lane follows the old Roman road which linked the major towns of Wroxeter in Shropshire and Caerwent in South Wales but today it is a quiet backwater, a mixture of high hedges, open fields and very pleasant housing at Bishopstone.

View of Garnons Hill from Downshill Coppice

The tarmac was hard to the feet to be honest though the view of Garnons Hill, which has the remains of part of Offa’s Dyke near its summit, was very nice. Home Farm brought a map change again, this time to 201, as I sat on a verge watched curiously by some sheep and lambs on the Garnons Estate.

The estate and Grade II listed house, a view of which can be enjoyed a little further on, were the result of a fashionable redevelopment on behalf of its wealthy owners around the turn of the 19^th Century and all the elegance of the period remains in what can be seen today.

I enjoyed the view of the parkland as I headed towards the main road and then crossed down into Byford, with its pretty little church, striking right then into fields parallel with the line of the river. I very rapidly hit extensive cider apple orchards, which are easy to get lost in though for once, I avoided that trap.

These are some of the 2,000 acres of orchards in Herefordshire which supply one of the big hitters of the cider industry, Bulmers. The best cider in the world is made in Herefordshire and Gloucestershire and here was the beating heart of the craft.

Bulmers were kind enough to provide a sign welcoming walkers and detailing some of the varieties grown, including Sweet Coppin, Michelin, Vilberie and Brown Snout, the juice of which find their way into bestsellers like Strongbow and Woodpecker, as well as my personal favourite of the company’s products, Bulmer’s Original.

Monnington Church

By now my thoughts were turning to lunch and after my surprising success in navigating the orchards, I closed in on Monnington on Wye. This tiny hamlet is totally charming and I enjoyed a rest stop on a seat in the porch of the tiny church.

Afterwards I popped my head inside and was glad that I did, it embodied a very endearing characteristic of Herefordshire country churches, very small, simply whitewashed and completely peaceful, heavy with age and heritage.

A note on the wall recorded the grave of William Williams, who fought at the Peninsular War battles of Salamanca and Vitoria as well as at the Battle of Waterloo. He was also part of the Forlorn Hope – the term given to volunteers who formed the first wave of attack – at the Siege of Bergen op Zoom in 1814. It was a quiet spot for a man who had lived such times.

Also of interest was the prominent Royal coat of arms, included during a major restoration of the 13^th century church in 1679 by the grandson of a former Leominster MP hanged in 1643 for raising forces for the King against Parliament.

Court end of Monnington Walk 

In short, I reflected on a pleasant and interesting interlude as I passed through the picture-perfect lych-gate and pushed on to nearby Monnington Court. Here I picked up the ‘Monnington Walk’, a mile-long avenue of scots pines and yews planted in 1641 by Sir Thomas Tomkins to mark his becoming a Member of Parliament.

This broad ride was very beautiful on a bright day and led to the equally beautiful Monnington Coppy, which I skirted, enjoying some lovely glimpses of the River Wye down below.

Finally it was tarmac once again at Brobury and then lanes down to the 18^th Century bridge at Bredwardine. On the far side was a shingle flat, which would make a nice spot for a rest before you head a short way uphill to the church.

In medieval times, Bredwardine boasted a castle, but its great interest for walkers now is the 17^th Century coaching inn called The Red Lion, a useful accommodation spot for people wanting to break the long stretch from Hereford to Hay-on-Wye.

River Wye from Bredwardine Bridge 

Sadly for me, it was closed and my dreams of cider evaporated. However, it had been a wonderful day’s walking on an exceptionally nice stretch of the Wye Valley Walk. For my next stage, a big climb awaits up over Merbach Hill to Hay but that is for another day.