Modern sculptures of local well known individuals presented by Sustrans.

Do you know who they are? Answers as the bottom of the page.

 Marika Kovacs leading her walk through Breinton Orchard

Saturday 25^th May. It was an incredible feat the day visually impaired Hereford Ramblers member led her first circular walk from Wyevale Garden Centre. Marika had been wishing to lead a walk since before Christmas 2012. Her friend Arthur (our chairman) had described some of the walks to Marika, who then picked one that she found most interesting. One with "a lot of woodland, a lot of fences, kissing-gates and stiles". They recced it together and Marika made detailed notes that she transcribed into Braille instructions.

This was an extra walk; details of which were circulated by email. Eleven people came on the walk; some of them walked as Marika's enablers, to keep her from harm. It was just like any other walk, only the leader was visually impaired!

 Footpath Improvements

Herefordshire Ramblers teamed up with Bosbury footpath officer James Boyce and local resident Joe Box, who is rumoured to be 88 years young, to transform a 150m muddy section of the Herefordshire Trail on Fox Hill, Bosbury. Mr Boyce organised a tractor and trailer, bags of chippings, drainage pipes and a liner whilst the Ramblers dug out a trench, laid the pipes and barrowed the chipping to create a high quality surface.

Arthur Lee, chairman of Herefordshire Ramblers, said: "The Herefordshire Trail is one of the county's best loved walking routes- 150 miles of footpath all round the county. We see this kind of local partnership as essential, as budget pressures increase. We're very grateful to James and Joe for organising everything so efficiently. I hope local residents and walkers from far afield will enjoy this great path."

Team photo (left to right) Mike Goodwin, James Boyce, Joe Box, John Wride, Arthur Lee and John Winterfield.

Starting to dig the trench for the drainage pipe.

Mike trying out the new path.

 The Joy of Walking

Members of our local walking group Leadon Vale Ramblers have many different reasons for walking. Some enjoy the challenge of getting from A to B, though in truth most of our walks are not all that challenging and we walk at quite a gentle pace. Indeed if the leader hasn't stopped for a coffee break after an hour or so there is muttering in the ranks, "This would be a nice spot for a coffee" etc.

Others enjoy the company, maybe the chance to chat to new people - or with friends you know well. Walking is a very natural way to enjoy conversation and dip in and out as you chose. And if someone is pestering you a bit, well just stop to tie your bootlace and the problem is solved. We have roughly equal numbers of men and women, some single some couples.

Others again enjoy the places of interest we visit. Our walk leaders are often very knowledgeable about their local area and we are lucky in the Ledbury area that there are so many interesting places to visit. We have the landscapes that inspired Masefield and the Dymock poets; the facinating geology and stunning views of the Malverns, where you can look for ages picking out all the landmarks near and far; the Malvern hinterland such as Coddington, Wellington Heath and the panoramic views from Oyster Hill; the lovely orchards round Putley and Aylton; the varied agriculture and woodland round Bosbury and Cradleyl the wilder terrain of Bringsty Common and Bromyard Downs. And of course an amazing variety of country churches - nearly all our walks take in at least one church and if it is raining the church porch is a very welcome haven. And if you have your own favourite places we will be happy to organise a walk there or you could do one yourself.

As for me, I walk for all these reasons but especially enjoy the sense of being in the countryside and feeling the sun, rain or wind on my face.

So I hope you will try to walk with us. But if you prefer to walk on your own or with friend and family, do enjoy our beutiful countryside.

Two Herefordshire Towns gain Walkers are Welcome Status

 Two towns in Herefordshire have gained "walkers are welcome" status, Ross-on-Wye and, most recently, Bromyard. You can find out more about walkers are welcome in these two towns at http://ross-on-wyewalkersarewelcome.co.uk and http://visitbromyard.org.uk.

Ross-on-Wye Walkers are Welcome Group 

New Gates for Wye Valley Walk

Great news for walkers - those dreaded stiles could soon become a thing of the past on the Wye Valley Walk. After a long day out rambling, climbing the last few stiles to reach home can be really exhausting. The Walkers are Welcome Group is delighted to announce the first phase of their new project to improve the local footpath network, "Smiles without Stiles". This is good news for everybody but especially for older walkers and those with mobility problems.

The Group has secured a grant from the Severn Waste Environmental Fund that will enable it to commence work on the first phase of "Smiles without Stiles". During the next 6-9 months it is planned to replace up to 18 stiles with gates on the section of the Wye Valley Walk between Ross and Welsh Bicknor. The Severn Waste Environmental Fund is a community and environmental grants scheme covering the counties of Herefordshire and Worcestershire. Grants are provided to projects which fall within the criteria of the Landfill Communities Fund including the provision and manitenance of public amenities and parks.

Feedback from visitors to the three Walking Festivals has consistently included comments that the relatively large number of stiles on local footpaths is a deterrent to older walkers and to those with mobility problems, a view shared by mebers of local walking groups. Some stiles on local footpaths have been replaced by gates by Parish Councils and by Amey Herefordshire on an ad hoc basis in recent years. This grant will enable the Group to focus resources on an important section of a popular long-distance trail, the Wye Valley Walk, that contains 18 stiles in a little over 8 miles. Installation of the gates will be carried out partly by colunteers such as Bridstow Footpath Volunteers but mostly by EnviroAbility, the Ross-based environmental charity which already carries out footpath maintenance work for Amey Herefordshire and various Parish Councils. It is hped that EnviroAbility will also be able to manufacture some of the gates thus providing further oppurtunities for its enthusiastic workforce. Agreement has already been reached with two local farmers and six of the gates will be installed in the New Year.

With further support from the Wye Valley AONB and Amey Herefordshire the Group will be working with al its partners to also improve the footpaths from Wilton to Kerne Bridge. The Bridstow Footpaht Volunteers have already replaces all the stiles from Wilton Bridge to the parish boundary. During 2012 work will continue to both replace stiles and to improve the surface of the footpath in a couple of difficult locations. Success with both projects will enable a stile-free circular walk to be created that will prove attractive to visitors and local walkers alike.

For more information on the Ross Walkers are Welcome Group and its plans please contact the Chairman, Sam Phillips on 01989 563874 or visit the Group's web site at http://ross-on-wyewalkersa.

Answers to the Greenway Bridge Puzzle:

Sire Edward Elgar, Composer.

Josie Pearson, Paralympic and world discus champion.

Violette Szabo, Worl War II French-British secret agent.