A moderate route in Other England. Check the GPS track on Outdooractive for full details of the route, waypoints, and terrain.
Starting Point: Roadside parking by the church, Bredwardine (SO 334 444).
Terrain: Road, Wye Valley Walk, field path, road crossing, open fell, summit trig, Herefordshire Trail, lane, prehistoric monument, field path, woodland edge, farm path, return field path Notable features: Bredwardine church, Motte and Bailey, Wye Valley Walk, Woolla Farm, Merbach Hill trig (318m), Herefordshire Trail, Arthur's Stone Burial Chamber, Finestreet Farm
A thoroughly enjoyable circular walk in the quiet Herefordshire countryside north of the Wye Valley, combining a fine open hill summit with one of the most remarkable prehistoric monuments in the Welsh Marches. The outward leg on the Wye Valley Walk through the pleasant fields north and west of Bredwardine is straightforward and attractive, and the climb to the trig point on Merbach Hill gives views across the Wye Valley, the Golden Valley and the Black Mountains that justify every step of the ascent. The descent to Arthur's Stone via the Herefordshire Trail is the walk's great historical moment — the massive Neolithic burial chamber, its 25-tonne capstone balanced on its ancient uprights, is an extraordinary sight in an extraordinary position above the valley, and the views from the site towards the Black Mountains are outstanding. The return northeast via Finestreet Farm and the field paths back to Bredwardine brings the walk to a satisfying conclusion at the Norman church where Kilvert is buried. A brilliant walk with more history packed into 9 kilometres than many much longer routes.