Ponies, pigs & pylons
Ponies, Pigs and Pylons
Allow 1 hour 15 minutes for a slow, leisurely ramble
Mostly flat, a few banks but no hills
Approx 2.8km
Timings and distances (in metres) are approximate and for guidance only.
A short leisurely walk passing a farm, crossing fields with pylons and returning along the Llangrove road.
Start at the village hall. Pass the bus shelter and book exchange on the left and turn left at the T-junction with the road. Pass the school on the right and take the first turning on the right (32m), following the lane between the school and the church
213m: Pass a modern house with nursery buildings on the left and continue further along the lane which now becomes a footpath with an open field to the right.
260m: The footpath heads towards a gate with stile adjoining the tree but ignore this and instead cross the stile just before it in the hedge on the right.
Ignore this gate and stile and...
cross this stile instead.
260m: Bear left down the edge of the field against the hedge to the left.
350m: At the foot, the footpath bends to the right and in 35 metres, cross the stile entering the fields of Grove Farm. There are usually animals grazing in this field - ponies, including some tiny Shetlands, and quite often some New Zealand pigs too - Archie and his girlfriend, Pepper. They were raised as pets, are very affectionate and likely to come to you.
Archie the New Zealand pig
On crossing the stile, bear right and climb the slight bank then head down directly to the stile below. Cross the stile and walk down the slight bank onto the lane, then turn left keeping the farm buildings to your right and the modern house to your left.
430m: Continue to the gravel track toward a bar-gate with, at the time of writing, a stack of old tyres to the right.
524m: Cross the gate and walk across the field aiming for the stile in the far right corner. To the right are open fields with panoramic views across rural Herefordshire with views towards Llangarron village and the prominent church in the distance.
744m: Cross the stile at the top far right of the field into the next field where sheep are normally grazing. Bear left along the edge of the field keeping the hedge to your left. After it turns to the right, there is a stile on the next corner on the left offering a shortcut across two fields to back to the lane to Llangrove. Do not cross this stile but continue along the edge of the field against the hedge to your left while still enjoying the panoramic rural views towards Llangarron and beyond.
1.031km : The field now divides by means of an electric fence from grazing to crops. Cross the low gate beside the hedge to the left and electric fence to the right and continue to the stile in the far left of the field against the hedge.
In 4 metres, cross the stile into the field with the pylon keeping the hedge to your left and open field to the right. Continue to follow the path towards the pylon on the right but aiming for a stile in the middle of the hedge, bordering the road. This is a good walk to do about an hour before sunset when the pylons can be silhouetted drammatically before a blazing orange sky providing inspiration for artistic photographers and artists alike.
1.37km: Cross the stile in the hedge just before the pylon on the right.
Turn left onto the road. Immediately opposite on the right is a further stile providing a further opportunity for budding photographers to obtain arty shots of the pylons particularly in stormy weather or at sunset. To return to the walk route, continue to follow the lane, walking on the right to face oncoming traffic.
1.918km: Turn left at the signpost to Llangrove and Welsh Newton. Pass the Royal Arms on the right, church on the left and then, at 850m, turn right to return to the village hall to complete the walk.