Walk Details
Stage 10 of the walk takes us on some quiet country lanes, a section of an old roman road through fields and on a riverside path right into the centre of the city of Hereford.
If you’re only doing this one stage, you might be able to make the 446 bus service work for you which runs between Hereford and Byford, leaving your car in Hereford and catching the bus to Byford to start the walk (not Sunday) or the X15 bus service towards Builth which stops at Byford one bus a week on Wednesdays only.
Before setting off on our walk, it’s worth popping into Byford church to see the wall paintings that were uncovered in 1951.
From Byford Church, we’re following the lane up to the A438. Turn right to walk with care on the verge beside the main road for a very short distance. Look out for the gatehouse on the other side of the road, and cross the A438 to walk up the road to the right of it. Stay on this road as it curves uphill and bears right at Home Farm. We are now following an old Roman road for 5km. Keep straight on at the crossroads, through Bishopstone, ignoring roads off to either side. Keep straight on at the junction for Kentchester Church. The Romano-British town of Magna Castra lies beneath the grass in the field on the left just after the junction. A stile on the left provides access to the field.
When the road bears right to rejoin the A438, we keep left to go through a gate and follow the hedge on the left through two fields. Go through the gate on the left just before a house, which leads to a gravel track winding between houses, then a tarmac road up to the A438. Turn left and walk along the pavement in Sugwas Pool for 0.2km.
Nearing the end of the village, look out for the post box and, just before it, we turn right across the A438 to go down a field footpath, keeping to the hedge on the left until reaching a farm track. Keep straight on along the track until it bears right. The route continues beside the hedge to the left, through the orchard. At the far corner of the orchard we need to keep left through a gap in the hedge and continue beside the hedge on our left through another field. At the end of this field, we go through a gate and straight on past a small copse of trees on the right. We’re heading straight across the field to a small gap in the hedge and go over a stile. Look for a way marker on the end of the row of fruit trees and walk straight ahead between the trees. Turn left at the end of the row and keep going with the hedge on your right until you see a stile, just before a line of mistletoe-clad poplar trees. Go over the stile into a field and bear diagonally left across the field, looking for a tiny gap in the hedge and another stile. Turn right along the road soon arriving in Breinton.
When the road levels out, turn left in front of Eaton View to go along a bridleway between the houses, and then climb along a gravel track which becomes a narrow path after Park View. Go through a gate and keep right following the hedge. Near the top of the field we pause to look back to enjoy the expansive view behind us. Turn right through a gate and go straight across the field. The city of Hereford (where we’re headed) and the Malvern Hills are visible from here on a clear day.
Go through a gate onto a track which leads downhill, coming out in Upper Breinton. Turn right. At the next junction we turn right, signposted Breinton Common. Look out for the footbridge (SO 465 400) on the left, cross it and then go up steps to a gate. Bear right across the field to the top right hand corner through a gateway and follow the hedge through the second field. At the corner of the field turn right through a kissing gate and along a path to the road. Cross the road to go through a metal gate and along a grassy path through a small orchard, keeping left at the fork. At the road turn right down the road passing the church at Lower Breinton on your left.
We walk through the car park to a gate on the right and a path down to the riverside, which we now follow all the way into Hereford. Belmont Abbey is visible on the opposite bank, a community of about 30 monks who follow the 6th century Rule of St Benedict. After a while the Broomy Hill Water Tower will come into view in the distance.
When you reach the playing fields, keep right along the river bank. At the old railway bridge we turn left to immediately go up steps to reach the top of the bridge. Turn right to cross the river (or if you want to visit the Cider Museum/city centre go left along the railway track cycleway) and at the end of the bridge turn left down the steps. At the bottom of the steps follow the riverside path passing under the road bridge. The riverbanks here were the focus of trade in Hereford for many hundreds of years.
Continue until reaching the Wye Bridge, built around 1490, making it the oldest bridge on the Wye and where this stage ends. To visit the cathedral and city centre attractions and facilities cross the bridge.
If you need to get back to your car at the start of today’s stage – from Hereford you can catch the 446 bus service to Byford (not Sunday) or the X15 bus service -13.45 only on a Wednesday towards Builth which stops at Byford.
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