Rosled two is more direct than Rosled one but it has two points at which it is impassable, so I have created Rosled three, which I think is the best route, and the one for which I have created a more precise and accurate .gpx track. Rosled one has many great sections but Ross to Crow Hill is spoiled by proximity to the M50 followed by a long section beside a busy minor road, way marking is patchy, route finding is difficult due to poor maintenance and the section from Much Marcle to Ledbury has many large arable fields that lack interest....

nichowes

As plotted in April 2021, Rosled two is impassable. This is because two short sections cross private land with no PROW. These sections are a) Yatton Wood to Lodge Farm and b) the short, straight drive to Bodenham House. Rosled one is a viable alternative route to Rosled two but I have plotted and reviewed what I think is the best alternative - Rosled three. It feels a little odd to have to give a star rating to a route that is impassable; I'd prefer to give it 0 for that reason but I'm open to persuasion on the reasoning....

nichowes

Beyond Rudhall the rural atmosphere is broken by the passage under the M50 (Photo three); the route then follows a drive parallel to the motorway, a few metres away. A quiet lane departs from the Herefordshire Trail and descends northwards from the summit before descending a path to Lodge Farm; on the way the view opens up into the heart of the Woolhope Dome (Photo seven, and see Herled for more information). The route skirts the curtilage of Lodge Farm and rejoins the Herefordshire Trail just west of All Saints church, Yatton (Photo eight). The route continues on the lane towards Much Marcle, ignoring the Herefordshire Trail branching off north at Lower House. After crossing three fields the route joins the Three Choirs Way, crosses the A449 again and passes Much Marcle church, well worth a look inside and out, including the magnificent yew tree (Photo nine) and the carved hedgehog on the Kyrle tomb. The route passes the left-hand side of the old building to access a yard with St John the Baptist's church on the right....

nichowes

It seems that I have to give a star rating, even though the route is impassable as plotted by a Slow Ways volunteer in April 2021; I therefore go for the same rating as Colros two, which is the recommended route that avoids the no-go sections....

nichowes

The route descends from Chase Hill to cross Coughton valley, aka "The Valley the Wye Forgot"; this name refers to the widely accepted explanation that the River Wye used to flow through this valley and thereby cut off Chase Hill and Penyard Park from the rest of the plateau. After crossing the misfit stream in the valley bottom at Coughton Mill, the route does not ascend the full climb to the plateau but climbs about halfway up the "wall" and then turns right to contour round, through beautiful ancient semi natural woodland. After crossing the surfaced road up Howle Hill, the route continues to follow the Wye Valley Walk across a small valley in which a vineyard has been planted (Photo three). The next crossing is the road up Bull's Hill, beyond which the route passes a characteristic Wye Valley feature: a quartz conglomerate boulder beside a path through dense, steep ancient woodland (Photo four). The original plotting of Colros takes a short cut across access land between the Wye Valley Walk and Kerne Bridge. Colros two takes a small deviation to the south, rejoining the Wye Valley Walk along the drive to "Ravenhurst" (Photo six) to connect to the B4234 near Kerne Bridge. Once over Kerne Bridge the route immediately descends to the riverbank and sets off downstream along it; looking back provides great views of Flanesford Priory, Goodrich Castle and Kerne Bridge (Photo seven)....

nichowes

(1) Through the woods from Monmouth along the River Wye - this is definitely the most beautiful section with fantastic woods and cliffs alongside the river. As a side quest, before you get to Biblins suspension bridge, there is a steep walk up through the woods to Little Doward which is a very pretty nature area and a good place to spot deer....

Neil Summersgill

The sun was blazing, the route was carpeted with bluebells and wild garlic and the cider pit stop at the old ferrie in symonds yat was both welcome and deserved....

grifftinfoilhat

I have trialled this route and diverted it to Rosmit2, which stays on PROWS and access land and skips the odd detour south to Drybrook and heads directly to Mitcheldean across Wigpool Common, an attractive promontory of the Forest of Dean, rich in interest to walkers....

nichowes

An interesting route between an ancient Herefordshire market town and an ancient Gloucestershire town in the Forest of Dean, with a long industrial heritage. I devised and trialled this route as an alternative to Rosmit One, which needed revising, having been planned from the map only. I know this area well, having lived and worked in these communities for 40 years and counting....

nichowes

The sun was shining as I left Hereford but black clouds were gathering and the heavens opened as I left the city and entered the countryside. The paths were well marked for the whole route and I only wandered off course once, which was probably my own fault. It's a long route and the terrain was quite difficult due to the bad weather so its not for everyone....

grifftinfoilhat

The only downside to the route was the section passing Cot Barn to Hentland House. I wouldn't walk this route again without an amendment to the section above....

Tghs@btinternet.com

The route unnecessarily spends too long on the relatively busy, fast B road between Dinedor and Holme Lacy. As it approaches Ross-on-Wye, the route ignores the safest (controlled) crossing of the A40 dual carriageway at Wilton roundabout. I will submit my preferred alternative, which I have walked in full....

nichowes

The "Wildside" HERROS route appears as a downloadable pdf with full 1:25000 OS maps and a full route description on HWT's website at: https://www.herefordshirewt.org/sites/default/files/2021-03/Slow%20Way%20from%20hereford%20to%20Ross-on-Wye_Nic%20Howes.pdf....

nichowes