Sue had an appointment in Weobley and I planned to get a lift then walk back. I had picked a couple of walks out of the Weobley Walks book - combining the Ledgemoor, Hilltop, Garnstone woods and Shoals bank (#25) with Devereux Wootton farm Circular (#30), together with the return home from Eccles Green.
The weather was very foggy and this included Burton Hill.
We parked in the lower car park to avoid the congestion around the surgery, and I walked around through the village.
At the footpath next to the surgery I followed it through to a green lane.
Avoiding the lane and into a scrubby field on a well used path heading away from the village.
Across a field (with a wide cut showing the path).
then over a back road and onto a path between high hedges.
The path ended at a grass field with an opening opposite.
The next field had been ploughed and sown to the edges.
Part way along the field the hedge bent, but the path continued straight across - mud gathered on the soles as I walked here.
The next field was the same, with the gate opposite.
The next section(s) were all on back roads through the hamlet of Ledgemoor.
Left at the junction onto the Tillington road.
Along this as it climbed while traversing the side of the slopes to the right.
A sharp turn along what was really a driveway for Hilltop farm, but marked as a back road.
Along this doubling back on the previous section.
The driveway continued but to a gate where the road bent sharply left.
Around the gate and onto a farm track beside the woods.
Just after a mobile phone mast the farm track ended and the path continued along a fence beside a grass field.
At the end of the fields, I went through a gate and into Garnstoen woods.
This was very atmospheric in the mist.
I continued through the woods on the forestry track. This curved around following the top of the ridge up to the trig point.
From the trig point the forestry track curved away underneath, however I followed a footpath that dropped steeply down a rib, heading towards Shoals Bank.
There should be a good view of Hay Bluff here, but today it was just mist.
Here, beside the reservoir, the path (and the #25 route) dropped down to Shoals Bank, however I transferred to my second route. (#30).
Along a forestry track that contoured the slope, with views west to the Brecon Beacons
Above Devereux Wootton farm, I vaulted a gate with barbed wire on the top and a huge padlock. Only after checking for the permissible route signs (none). Then down the farm track to the B4230 at the end of the slope. (There were a number of road repair vehicles here).
I should have crossed a gate into the field opposite. but this was blocked by a tarmac laying vehicle. Instead I followed the B road down to a junction with the A480.
There was no gate in this corner so I continued along the road to the permissive path car park in the woods.
This is where I could look back on the route I should have taken, before getting blocked at the next fence (chained and bolted).
I copped out and returned to the road and followed it up to Eccles Green.
There I took the path into the Davies Meadow Nature reserve.
Across the reserve and onto the back road along the back of the village. This led along to the village hall and the farm track dropping down to Parks Wood.
Now on a well used (by me) track home. Dropping down to the stream, over this and up beside a harvested sweetcorn field.
I chose to avoid the path over the muddy field, and took the alternative through the fallow field and the middle of the woods.
Through the woods and into the grass fields of Park farm, Across these (heavy with dew) that cleaned most of the mud off my boots, but made me a little wet.
Finally down the A4112 and home.
Statistics| Distance | Elapsed | Height |
|---|
| 15.7km | 3h 13m | 294m
|
