Petewy two

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Nic Howes trialled this route on Sunday 17th September, 2023.

Geographically, this is a walk down a long section of the Dore Valley. Minor downsides are small PROW problems near Peterchurch, an unavoidable section of road walking near Bacton and awkward access through Llan Arw Wood. These minor downsides are more than offset by the crowning glory of St Margaret's church and churchyard and a great variety of landscapes with wonderful route sections from Turnastone to St Margaret's and across Ewyas Harold Common.

The route starts in Peterchurch, a large village with opportunities for purchasing food and drink. Photo one shows St Peter's church and its striking spire, which Visit Herefordshire's website explains thus: "The original stone spire was built in 1320. When it fell into disrepair, its replacement was fashioned out of fibreglass!" VH's website goes on to say "In today’s modern world, St Peter’s Church is a striking example of the way in which boundaries between the sacred and the secular are transcended. Its interior has been remodeled and now houses The Hub. When not being used by its congregation, St Peter’s hums with activity: a handful of staff are supported by local volunteers to run a community development project within the building which comprises a café, library, exhibition space, & information point". The Hub has a website with opening times: www.hubcommunity.org . The Nag's Head is a walker-friendly pub at the north-west edge of Peterchurch.

Since Neil's review two years ago there have been two developments in the PROW situation on leaving Peterchurch; these developments involve minor, obvious diversions from his .gpx route which are easily described here, rather than by creating a new route:

1. A housing development is currently blocking the short PROW that follows the hypotenuse of the triangle formed by the main road and the lane to Fairfield School. There may be an alternative route created eventually (photos two and three show a plethora of confusing signage) but it's a tiny diversion to stick to the tarmac as far as the point at which the route turns off to follow the Herefordshire Trail southwards, immediately after crossing the infant River Dore.
2. A helpful conversation with the farmer at Poston Court Farm revealed that the County's online PROW map - and the OS Explorer map - lead walkers unsatisfactorily through his farmyard and house garden; the matter is as yet unresolved and I advise Slow Ways walkers to follow the farmer's easy, signed (in white paint) diversion over the small hump-backed bridge and round the outside of the green barn and on to the River Dore, thus avoiding his curtilage (see photo four).

The path along the right bank of the River Dore provides opportunities for observing aquatic wildlife; in 2006 there was a project that aimed to reintroduce 300 water voles to the River Dore, after controlling the numbers of invasive mink: https://www.gwct.org.uk/research/species/mammals/water-vole/reintroducing-water-voles-to-the-river-dore/ . The path leads into an orchard beside St Mary Magdalene's church, Turnastone (photo five). Turning right along the lane by the church gate, the route passes the frontage of Wilding's filling station (photo six), which retains its pumps behind the brick wall, but sadly not its landmark large enamel sign advertising the "Raleigh All Steel Bicycle". In the 1930s, early private aviation enthusiast Randolph Trafford of Michaelchurch Court landed his de Havilland Gipsy Moth 'plane in the nearby field and ferried fuel to it from Wilding's pumps: http://www.ewyaslacy.org.uk/-/Early-Aviation-in-Ewyas-Lacy/1930-s/rs_mic_0142

Soon after Wilding's the route follows the Herefordshire Trail across the flat floodplain of the River Dore. These fields have remained unploughed for four hundred years, and include remnants of an innovative late sixteenth century drainage and irrigation system introduced by Rowland Vaughan; see photo seven and more details on: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rowland_Vaughan . The route now continues along the Herefordshire Trail and provides great variety and views as it climbs southwards out of the Dore Valley towards St Margaret's; photo eight shows the view back into the Golden Valley from near the ridge summit. Turning back to the route ahead, there is a short section along what appears to be a former drovers' road (photo nine).

On reaching the surfaced lane near Tanhouse Farm, walkers are well advised to cross the lane and take time for a break from walking to explore St Margaret's church and its surrounding biodiverse churchyard, a highlight among Herefordshire's many magical places. Simon Jenkins gives the church a two-star rating in "England's Thousand Best Churches", while the 1982 reprint of Pevsner's 1963 "The Buildings of England" says of the rood screen "This is one of the wonders of Herefordshire, deliciously carved and in extremely good preservation" ; photos ten and eleven show this carved oak rood screen.

The route continues along the Herefordshire Trail east of St Margaret's, turning off a drive to skirt the southern edge of a house as directed by way marks. After crossing open park land the route enters Llan Arw Wood, a large wood with little sign of management and overgrown, muddy rides (photo twelve) apart from a short, gravel-surfaced section oddly located near the middle of the wood.

The route exits Elan Arw Wood and descends across the park land of Bacton Manor (photo thirteen, looking back along the route) to a lodge, at which point it turns left along about 1km of road walking - crossing the River Dore at Moorhampton Bridge - to the turning into the former Dore workhouse (now Riverdale) yard (https://htt.herefordshire.gov.uk/1295.aspx). Leaving the Riverdale yard there is a deviation from the line of the PROW as shown on Herefordshire Council's online definitive map and the OS Explorer map. Residents have put up a handmade sign to alert walkers to this temporary path that leads through from the yard's hard standing through the southern end of their curtilage and over a stile into an orchard. Herefordshire PROW team and parish clerk have been informed about the existence of this temporary diversion, Balfour Beatty Ref: 13102336. The route leads down an avenue between fruit trees to the left bank of the River Dore, which it follows downstream to Abbey Dore Court. Skirting the boundary of this open garden, the route follows the westernmost corner of the long security fence that surrounds Pontrilas Army Training Area (PATA): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontrilas_Army_Training_Area . Dore Abbey is accessed across a concrete footbridge with relatively ornate cast iron fittings (photo fourteen).

The route continues to follow the Herefordshire Trail through the curtilage of Dore Abbey, exits through a lichgate, crosses the road and climbs across fields towards Ewyas Harold Common with good views behind across Dore Abbey and Gilbert's Hill Wood inside PATA. Once on Ewyas Harold Common, the Slow Ways walker can explore this wonderful access land and its views (photo fifteen) however they wish, aiming generally southwards. Experience has taught me that the easiest route to follow is marked as a track across the open land east of the course of the Herefordshire Trail. Finding the exit from the southern tip of the access land demands some close attention to the map to emerge close to the village school. Ewyas Harold is another large village with plentiful facilities for food and drink.

Lots to see on this route with plenty of valleys, woodland and the river. Mostly walking across pasture so not too heavy going. Dore Abbey is a good place for a break. You may get to see some wild ponies near Ewyas Harold common.

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