The UK’s National Walking Month, May 2023, is almost over but it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t dust down your walking boots and head outdoors at any time of the year. Herefordshire has an abundance of routes and tracks, from basic to advanced levels of difficulty, many dog friendly or accessible to all, with no stiles or obstructions to stop you from enjoying the beautiful Wye Valley. Moreover the Herefordshire Walking Festival takes place from 17-25 June and with over 30 walks, you’ll be spoilt for choice.
The county’s range of ‘Circular Walks’ (starting and finishing at the same point) includes 16 waymarked walks from two to 10 miles long and most of them are served by public transport. The organisers, Herefordshire Council, launched their newest walk this year, called the Linton Platinum Jubilee Circular Walk around 10 minutes’ drive east out of Ross-on-Wye. The route covers a distance of 6.75 miles with an optional additional 1.25 mile loop and although not suitable for dog walkers due to a number of stiles en route, this lovely walk takes in the beautiful countryside of Linton Parish. Perfect for those attending the Linton Festival at the end of June needing to clear the cobwebs after a long weekend of music, real ale and cider!
Starting at the little village of Gorsley, which is surrounded by the wild natural heathland right on the Herefordshire/Gloucestershire border, and named after the gorse bushes that dominate the landscape, head through the small village lanes towards the Linton Quarry.
The walk continues through orchards and onto Linton Hill where you can enjoy spectacular views of the Malverns, May Hill and the Welsh mountains in the distance. After passing through Linton Ridge and Cut Throat Lane (which is now just a track but known as the ‘King’s Highway’ in 1270 and the main road from Ross to Gloucester), the route takes a detour across fields towards The Fordings, a little hamlet with pretty 17th century stone barns and farmhouse, within an area on Rudhall Brook once important for iron smelting.
After a short ascent up to the historic village of Linton and taking a look at The Edward Palin fountain – established by TV presenter Sir Michael Palin’s great-grandfather, the Rev Edward Palin, Linton’s vicar from 1865 until 1903 – the walk then returns across more orchards and back to the starting point in Gorsley.
There are three great pubs that you can enjoy en route or nearby including The Roadmaker Inn in Gorsley itself (point 1 on the map), The Penny Farthing Inn at Aston Crews (point 4 near Cut Throat Lane) and finally the award winning The Alma Inn Linton (point 7).
Linton Circular Walk Route Map
Herefordshire’s Circular Walks
The full list of Herefordshire Circular Walks can be found on their website here, or click on the links below for maps and details of each walk:
- Bodenham (2.5 miles / 4 kilometres)
- Breinton (5.5 miles / 8.9 kilometres )
- Capler (2 miles / 3.2 kilometres)
- Hoarwithy (4.5 miles / 7.2 kilometres)
- John Kyrle – Ross-on-Wye (3 miles / 4.8 kilometres)
- Leys Hill (2 miles / 3.2 kilometres)
- Lingen (5.5 miles / 8.9 kilometres)
- Linton (6.75 miles /10.8 kilometres with an optional 1.25 mile / 2 kilometre loop)
- Marcle Ridge (4.5 miles / 7.2 kilometres)
- Mordiford (4 miles / 6.4 kilometres)
- Shobdon (5.5 miles / 8.8 kilometres)
- Titley (3 miles / 4.8 kilometres)
- Weobley (3 miles / 4.8 kilometres)
- Wigmore (10 miles / 16 kilometres)
- Woolhope (6.5 miles / 10.5 kilometres)
- Yarpole (5 miles / 8 kilometres)