Fownhope, Brockhampton and Capler Camp - Herfordhsire/Wye Valley

This is a walk I'd been meaning to do for a long time. Sat there staring at me from my 2005 edition of Wye Valley and Forest of Dean Walks Pathfinder Guide. This was walk 20 in 2005 and is walk 21 in the 2011 edition. Route information here

The walk starts at the beautiful village of Fownhope in Herefordshire. Parking is free at Fownhope Recreational Ground. There is also two pubs, where you can suitable reward yourself afterwards - The Green Man and The New Inn.

The walk itself has a long version (8.5 miles) and a short version (6 miles). With the weather so lovely I decided to 'go long'. The walk consists of mainly single track lanes in the first half of the walk and returns to the Fownhope via a section of the Wye Valley Walk.

Looking across to Fownhope from the Recreational Ground

From the Recreation Ground, the route is picked up on Capler Lane near the church. Turning right (South) away from Fownhope, the route follows the undulating Capler lane for over a mile, affording some lovely views across the River Wye and the surrounding countryside, before you actually take the track down to the riverside itself (For the short walk, you continue to follow the road uphill and turn left onto the Wye Valley Walk and follow it back to Fownhope). This stretch of the River Wye is so peaceful, my quiet reflection as I walked only broken by the sound of a group of passing canoeists and a swan hissing at me!

After about another mile of riverside tranquillity came the climb. Not particular high by any means, but relatively steep and thankfully shaded by the surrounding woods.

The top of the climb arrives onto a lane leading into the sweet hamlet of Brierly Hill, where the Wye Valley Walk is picked up. The views from Brierly Hill are vast if not obstructed by crop, and you can see as far as May Hill, distinguishable by its cluster of trees on the summit.

Heading first south and then east along the Wye Valley Walk, for little under a mile brings you to the village of Brockhampton. Here the route suggests a field path alongside the village, but the presence of the bovine demons put paid to that, so I diverted further along the road around the east side of the village. Most of Brockhampton is now a retirement complex, but has retained its charm through the preservation of the old buildings. Walking past the manor house, I saw a game of cricket being played on what could have been the lawn! There was a sizable crowd.

At the northern end of the village is Brockhampton Church. I like to visit the churches on walks, especially way out in the country, as the design and architecture can be very unique. Brockhampton Church is no exception. A thatched roof and wooden belfry are two of the charming features of this church.

Brockhampton Church

Signpost at Brockhampton crossroads

Heading north out of Brockhampton for a few hundred metres, I was at Capler Lodge (This is where the earlier diversion to the shorter distance route arrives). There should be a great viewpoint across the west of the Wye Valley, however, its heavily overgrown with trees, so a few brief gaps are all that remain. The view point does have a unique carved bench, each carving detailing features of wildlife, industry and culture of the surrounding area.

The carved bench at Capler Lodge

The view from Capler Lodge

Just past Capler Lodge is the Wye Valley Walk, again. The next leg of the walk takes in this delightful and well marked footpath for approximately 3 miles, back to the outskirts of Fownhope. The walk passes through the remains of the Iron Age Fort - Capler Camp - where there are again magnificent panoramic views to take in across to May Hill and the Marcle Ridge. A mile or so further along is Lea and Pagets Wood Nature Reserve. It's quiet, peaceful and full of wildlife. Colours, smells, birds and the odd surprised Weasel/Stoat. it could be either, all I could see was the body shape and colour so its a best guess.

Shortly after leaving Lea and Pagets Wood, is the small community of Common Hill. Common Hill has a unique tourist information office, which has been established in a disused red telephone box. This is located to a recently restored water pump.

Common Hill Tourist Office

Fownhope Church

I really enjoyed this walk, with such a range of things to see and views to take in. Its challenging in places, but fairly straightforward to navigate, meaning time can be taken to enjoy where you are, rather than work out where to go next. I'll be heading back here at some point methinks.