Hergest Ridge 426m and Bradnor Hill 391m
Starting out from the beautiful little Marcher town of Kington this was a promising day to get two Marilyns in one big figure of eight loop.
To start we parked in the middle of the town in a car park near the very small market hall and set off West through some back lanes and up the unclassified road towards Hergest House and gardens. We carried on past the gardens until we came out on the common and kept heading directly West and uphill until we came to the area marked on the 1:25 OS as the Whet Stone. Here we headed downhill to the right and back up until we took our first break at the top of Hanter Hill at 414m.
Soon after it was back downhill and up again onto Hergest Ridge heading South until we hit the pile of stones at spot height 426. Then we headed East for a couple of hundred meters to get to Hergest Ridge TP. This is part of the Offas Dyke national footpath and it really is quite beautiful all round. Heading West again we headed steadily downhill until we got to a fence line where we doubled back E for a short ways and then headed NE across the slope of the hill. We kept on this heading until we hit the pretty little ‘cwm’ just West of Bage farm.
Much to my annoyance I paused my gps here and didn’t reactivate it for another two K’s where the road comes out on the common. This means that my gpx track takes a direct line from Bage farm to where I rejoin the Offas Dyke footpath. It also didn’t record 2kms of distance and 20+ mins of hiking time but I’ve added this onto my time at the end. The true route is the obvious footpath heading NE that abuts the farmland to the South.
Anyway back down the road we go into Kington and through some more back lanes. Heading North we cross a small river foot bridge and then the A44. We then go up some steps, a lane and keep on going on an obvious signposted footpath (between two hedges) that brings you onto Brandon Hill aka Kington golf course.
Now where you see my track heading up NW from ‘Bank House’ is pretty much spot on. This track will skirt the main fairway to the left of it and come round in a loop to the pile of stones at spot height 391 which is the top of Bradnor Hill. You will head off the top of Bradnor heading SE and go downhill until you hit a wall and come onto a tarmac road. Follow this until you see an Offas Dyke footpath sign on your left some 4-500m North of the clubhouse. This points and takes you directly South past the clubhouse on your left. All this while the views all around have been lovely and the golf course meanwhile looks a daunting challenge. You now leave the course behind you as you go through some homesteads and over some fields all the while following the ‘acorn’ signs of the OD footpath. It’s not long until your on the outskirts of Kington again crossing the A44 once more and going over yet another footbridge to finish off in the town centre.
Route Summary: A few ks of tarmac otherwise lovely broad footpaths over lovely hilly English border hills and of course through a golf course.
Route Statistics: All in all 19kms in 4hrs 50min (including my error) along with 710m of height gain.
GPX files: For gpx files go to the Peakbagger website by following this link and go to the bottom right hand of the page and click ‘Download this GPS track as a GPX file.’
Ascent Entry: Hargest Ridge and Bradnor Hill
Route overview using ViewRanger.
Car park near the market or opposite the museum in Kington.
Near the Whet Stone.
Going over to Hanter Hill.
Stunning countryside.
TP at Hergest Ridge.
The insignificant pile of stones on Bradnor Hill.
Kington golf course...or Bradnor Hill!
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