Leintwardine - Shelderton Hill - Leintwardine

David James

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The walk starts in the picturesque village of Leintwardine – the Roman settlement of Bravonium, on Watling Street – by the bridge where the River Teme sparkles over the weir. Recent excavations have revealed a Roman bath-house, so Bravonium was probably a kind of 'travel lodge' as part of the military presence along the Marches. A thin layer of charcoal and broken pottery suggest a violent episode during the Roman occupation of this region. The calcareous sandstone of the Leintwardine beds made excellent material for querns, the Celtic name for which probably gave the village its name.

A steady, but not arduous, climb on the Herefordshire Trail takes you into the high pastures above the village, where the panoramic sweep of the hills of the Welsh Marches comes into view. These wonderful vistas accompany you for much of the walk, changing as the trail curves to the east and then south, around Shelderton Hill. The route from this point requires few waymarks, as the trail is an easy one along farm tracks.

The final descent offers a really memorable view of Leintwardine, nestling in the protective folds of the sheltering hills, with the River Teme winding its shining way below on your left: a snapshot of the beautiful border country. A short, steep descent of Church Hill takes you on to the lane back into the village.

Refreshment can be found at The Lion Inn, renowned for the quality of its cuisine and friendly service.

England - Central England - Herefordshire - Welsh Marches

Features

Birds, Butterflies, Church, Flowers, Food Shop, Great Views, Hills or Fells, Pub, River, Wildlife, Woodland

6/1/2022 - Alan Brennan

On 27th May 2022 we found a wooden step stile on path (part of the Herefordshire Way) close to waypoint 5 blocked by a fence that had been installed immediately in front of the stile (Grid ref: 409754). Although we would have been able to clamber over the fence unfortunately it was not possible to lift our dog ( a medium sized setter) over the fence. There were no alternative options as the nearest field gate was padlocked and covered in barbed wire. We retraced our steps and walked to waypoint 11 (thus having to miss out on the sections between 5 and 11) before completing the remainder of the walk. It is clear that the landowner had some effort to make the walk difficult to complete.

4/19/2015 - Ian Mapp

Another smashing walk from this site, thanks. Picked a beautiful day to be rewarded with superb views for the entire walk. Great paths and easy navigation. A few monster stiles to negotiate. The Sun Inn is worth a mention - a camera heritage pub - that you pass in the return to town. Some photos at my walking blog -http://mappiman.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/180415-parlour-games.html - thanks for the walk.