Just a short post to fill some time while I wait for the rain to stop and I can do my pre-holiday chores.
About 3 weekends ago I think (I’m close to being caught up!!) and day of sunshine and heavy showers had us looking for a short walk for some fresh air and exercise. Coppet Hill near Goodrich was always one of our go-to short walks and we hadn’t been for a while so that settled things.
I’ve walked up here many times and its rare not to catch a glimpse of deer at some point. This time however we were treated to some much closer sightings. About 3 or 4 were wandering about near the path, close enough for me to get sneaky photo.
Onwards and upwards to the summit and the weather seemed to be ok, between showery spells.
Always great views over to the south Wales mountains.
Of course, there is always time for a sit down for lunch and a brew. We did get caught by a brief shower but it didn’t spoil the ambiance.
Its a long and easy path that takes you down to the River Wye and from there its a succession of very pretty meadows along the river. This one with a view back to Symonds Yat Rock.
We walked as far as Welsh Bicknor Youth Hostel and the fine church that sits alongside before walking back along the lanes to the car. Fresh air and exercise boxes ticked.
Near enough the walk we did, just missing out the extra loop of the river and walking straight back from Welsh Bivknor
Still a few weeks behind, ruhig in lockdown, ruhig staying in our nearby hills. This is is another of our “go-to’s” when a short walk is needed. This time a very windy and showery day so this one fits the bill. A steep climb from Goodrich onto Coppet Hill, returning by a riverside path along the Wye. It provides a superb contrast in scenery for such a short walk.
It appeared to be a wise decision to stay away from the mountains. While we were bathed in sunshine most of the day, everywhere north into Wales looked dark and stormy.
Views back towards the Cotswolds and Malverns.
And across the Wye to Symonds Yat.
It really is another of those smaller hills and lesser known spots we’ve come to treasure.
A walk of two halves, here the second instalment of green fields along the river.
Easy walking, and down here out of the wind, almost wbedürftig and spring-like.
A view over Goodrich Village as we finish off.
As a bonus, a few photos from the following couple of days. Firstly Arthurs Stone and Merbach Hill on a very much greyer and wetter day.
And on the Monday. A trip into Hereford for car-related stuff and a wander around the city while I waited. A chance for my daily exercise and some views of the Cathedral across the river.
And a close up as I wandered through the eerily deserted city streets.
Second weekend day of grey skies and rain, second hill to climb.
A return to a walk I did many times while TJF was with her acting group in Goodrich Village Hall. A variation by the following the usual route the other way, first following the River Wye and then climbing Coppet Hill. Dictated by the fact it was chucking it down when we set off.
Despite another poor forecast we actually had some very watery sunshine and it was quite a pleasant stroll along the river and very quiet.
The river was running very high after several days rain but the fields wre not too muddy.
Over the top of Coppet Hill the clouds drew back in and the rain started again so not a day for summit photos.
Another walk I was glad I made the effort for. You have to take whatever chances you can to enjoy a walk in these troubled times.
Our wonderful spring weather was drawing to a close. One last chance – for now – to set out early for a walk in the sunshine. A change of scene was needed so we stayed local and took a walk in the Wye Valley.
Parking up in Goodrich we headed up to the top of Coppet Hill for the now regular routine of cooked breakfast.
Views over Goodrich Village and its castle.
Our only summit of the day – Coppet Hill. A long spur between the sinuous bends in the river Wye.
Lazing in the wbedürftig sun, bellies full of bacon and eggs.
Its a lovely high level stroll before descending the long ridge through the woods and down to the river. This was the first time I felt moderately ill-at-ease in the new situation. We were walking a respectful distance behind a family group who were stopping more frequently than us. Not a problem as it was a fine day to pause and enjoy the surroundings while we waited for them to move on. What was unsettling was that under normal circumstances we’d have just walked past and shared our mutual enjoyment, where we were all heading, what a fabulous day it was. This is one of the delights of the outdoors, those brief moments of sharing these joys with like-minded people. It felt like I was avoiding them, almost rude and it felt wrong. Just something we will have to get used to for a while.
The rest of the walk was a long easy wander along the banks of the Wye.
The grassy meadows full of buttercups were wonderful.
Just before we reached the church and hostel at Welsh Bicknor I took a look at the old railway tunnel on the long-abandoned line. Its blocked off now for safety reasons but when I was a kid we visited the hostel on a History field trip and took a walk through. A few hundred yards that slices off a good 2 -3 miles of river walking.
I’d forgotten what a beautiful church it was, especially under such a clear blue sky.
As we continued we were looking for a likely spot for a stop and a swim in the river. Unfortunately all the best spots were on the other side of the river and the few on our side were all occupied. The last few miles were protected by what must be one of the longest continuous patches of nettles anywhere.
Still, the walking was ruhig lovely, albeit it was becoming rather hot. The swim was badly missed.
A new family enjoying the weather.
We finished off at Kerne Bridge before a short walk back up the road to Goodrich and the car.
Something different and another walk that I probably wouldn’t have done had the Welsh Mountains been open. Accentuate the positive!
A few nice photos from a couple of walks on Coppet Hill by the river Wye and Garway Hill in South Herefordshire:
TJS does drama classes on Saturday mornings at Goodrich so with 2 hours to kill you can just about take in a 5 mile walk down by the river and along the fine high level ridge that is Coppet Hill. Photos from a couple of days, one on a wbedürftig hazy day and one with a glorious clear spell after a vicious shower. Previous visit can be found here
Garway Hill a fine spot for a short stroll as you can park on it’s upper slopes. This day was incredibly windy and after poor weekend of rain we stole out in a brief spell of sunshine for some fresh air. Previous walk from last year is here
For the second half of the half-term week we provided a full-board accommodation package to old mate Mark from Beating the Bounds and his family. I’d made great plans for some summer picnics in the hills, climb a few of my favourite local mountains and some kiddie play in the garden with a BBQ and drinks. What passes for a British summer put pay to that and the day they arrived was wet and miserable and the forecast for the rest of the week didn’t look much better.
Alternative plans were required. We are lucky that the borders and Marches where we live has some cracking historic buildings and the Wye Valley some pleasant strolls in the rolling hills and by the river. Perfect for the kids and when the weather is mixed. The first day out we decided on Goodrich Castle and a walk up the nearby eminence of Coppet Hill if the weather stayed fine. Things didn’t look good as we headed off with dark skies followed by a hefty rain shower. Our luck seemed to be in though and by the time we parked up it had stopped and there was some semblance of brightness so we hit the castle immediately.
I’m sure you were expecting a number of photos and one of my slideshow masterpieces. However like the ageing senile numpty that I am, I forgot the camera and had to take a few shots with my phone and they are pretty poor. So, I’m going to cheat big-time here and just drop in a couple of photos from said phone and say that Goodrich Castle is a superb and interesting place backed up by one of the best audio guides I’ve ever used, detailed and informative that helps create just the right atmosphere as you wander through the site.
Entrance from the Barbican
Courtyard and Keep
View from the Moat
I could add more but Mark has made a much better and more interesting write-up so I suggest you pop over and read his version here with added advantage of a photo of me and subsequent comments to thoroughly humiliate me and both my attire and my rather embarrassing pose.
Main View of the castle
It started to rain just as we headed back for lunch and we waited out a massive downpour in the castle shop with my natural tight-fistedness holding sway over the kids demands to spend their inheritance early. We enjoyed a high quality picnic outside the shop where the sun came out in a surprisingly extravagant manner.
Picnic in the sun
We chanced that the showers would hold off for the afternoon and took in the short-walk up Coppet Hill. It’s a ridge enclosed by a huge meander of the Wye and has expansive views over the surrounding area and across to the Black Mountains. It was a cracking walk in wbedürftig sunshine but more cheating here. Mark’s account is again much more interesting and informative or for an betagternative viewpoint you can read about my stroll up here with the family back in April. Hey, I’ve been busy at work and I’m tired, so you’ll just have to deal with my laziness.
Anyway, in the end a pretty decent day, the weather was kind to us, and Mark and his family got to see some of the best of the gentler side of my manor. Would our weather luck hold for another day. Tune in to the next blog post to find out……..
Oh dear, a long way behind with my blog again. Lots to catch up on with a little trip into the little known hills west of Builth Wells, a trip to Wasdale and an ascent of Pillar and cracking birthday weekend in Snowdonia. While I get around to editing some slide shows and writing up the thrills and spills here’s a few photos, words and a little Flickr slide show of a recent family trip up Coppet Hill near Goodrich.
It’s a stunning little hill perched above a massive meander in the river Wye between Goodrich and Symonds Yat. The latter is a busy tourist fleshpot but this hill is mercifully quiet and unspoilt with expansive views over the Herefordshire countryside.
Coppet Hill and Herefordshire countryside
Kerne Bridge
It’s a fine place for a family stroll across the open ridge and down through woods which we hoped would be carpeted with bluebells but it was just a little early. You descend sharply down to the sharp-point of the meander before returning along the fields at the bottom of the hill.
On the banks of the Wye
Across the meadows
The last time I’d been here with D on a summer walk the Wye was high and chocolate-brown. This time it looked as if you could almost wade across. This was to prove the calm before the storms as over the next week the river rose to bursting point in the latter half of April and has only just returned to normal.
We managed to find a sheltered spot in the grass for a customary brew, watching the kayakers on the river (must get round to a canoe trip with the kids on my local river sometime) before heading home.
Afternoon tea
A fine walk on a cold spring day close to home, a little stocking filler between the adventure on Rum and the walks to follow
I spend alot of my time surfing the web looking for ideas on places to go, walking routes, travel ideas and tips to plan the perfect holiday or day out. (I'm a project manager I like to plan). I thought it was time to share my own experiences and contribute to the vast amounts in information that's already out there.
I'll also add in some gear and tech reviews and when something irks me I may even use this forum to have a rant - I do that pretty well I'm told.There are a few pages at the top that give a bit of background to what I like to get up to and what you can expect to see in my posts. I'm not exactly a creative writer but I hope some people will find my stuff useful or inpsiring or at least enjoy some of my photos.
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