Walks
This walk mainly takes you over private farmland, but using public rights of way, so it is essential that you follow the arrows and also stick to the edge of any fields you wish to cross, and respect the farmer's crops and land please. This is a lovely walk where you will generally see a lot of wildlife as well as farm animals - mainly horses and sheep. Sheep generally won't bother you, if you don't bother them - they generally run off - but don't worry them in the lambing season, and if you have a dog you must keep it on a lead at all times.
Start from the Post Office and head along Church Road in a northerly direction, as far as All Saints Church. Opposite the main gate to the church is School Lane on your left (photo 1). Go up this lane, passing The Old Rectory Residential Home and the old Longhope C. of E. School on your left. Go over the ridge of this road and down into the dip the other side, where you may hear the sound of Barley Brook. Just as the lane starts to rise again, you will see a driveway to a white house on your left, and if you are observant you will see a sign marking the house as The Nest and a footpath arrow (photo 2). Go up this track a few yards and before the house, in the hedgerow on your left, you will spot a few flagstone steps and a path leading upwards (photo 3).
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| Photo One | Photo Two | Photo Three |
Ascend this path a short distance until you have a choice of paths � either straight on or right, up a wooden flight of steps to a stile (photo 4). Take the path to the right, over the stile, and keeping the wooden railed fence on your left, climb to the top left of this small steep field, where you will find another (broken) stile (photo 5). Stop to admire the view to your right over Preecemoor Farm (which is an equestrian centre), and perhaps spot a few horses. Over the stile into another field, keeping the hedgerow on your left, over the brow of the hill until you see another stile, but no gate! Continue in a straight line (but follow the hedgerow again on your left), until you come to the muddy top corner of the field and another stile (photo 6).
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| Photo Four | Photo Five | Photo Six |
Before you cross this stile, stop awhile, turn and look at the view of May Hill behind you (photo 7). This is a particularly good place to observe wild rabbits hopping around in the fields, or buzzards soaring just above your head (photo 8). To continue the walk, cross the stile and walk forward until you come to a fenced off pond, where you walk round to the left of it. Keeping the pond on your right, follow the hedgerow along. You will come to a muddy gateway into another field, but you stay in the field you are already in, but follow the hedgerow along to your left (photo 9). (This is important because this field is generally used by the farmer for crops, and even if you can�t see anything growing, doesn�t mean that you are not damaging the land � depending on the time of year you take your walk of course.)
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| Photo Seven | Photo Eight | Photo Nine |
In the far left corner is another stile with a sign warning you to Beware of the Trains (photo 10), and Beware of the Bull on the reverse!! Cross the stile onto the farm track, turning right, and spot the footpath arrow on the fence post by a pile of old tyres. Don�t take the downward farm track, but take a left turn in the field and follow the barbed wire fence along, parallel to the track (photo 11), again keeping to the edge of the field, and to the pond, where you will usually see ducks and a few geese. Don�t forget to admire the views of the surrounding hills from here too (photo 12).
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| Photo Ten | Photo Eleven | Photo Twelve |
When you reach the corner of this field, take a sharp right, again following the hedgerow on your left, and avoiding the crops. Half way up this field you will find a farm gate on your left, with another stile (photo 13). Cross the stile and follow the grassy path downward noting the numerous rabbit holes in the muddy bank on your right (photo 14). Before you get to the farm gate and the railway carriages beyond, you should see a footpath arrow on a post pointing to the right (photo 15).
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| Photo Thirteen | Photo Fourteen | Photo Fifteen |
Take this path over a brow of a hill, keeping the hedgerow on your left, and once more you will see the rusting railway carriages. Go down the hill the other side and you will now see the old buildings of Harts Barn and a wooden kissing gate in the corner (photo 16). Go through the gate and venture down the narrow path, which may be slightly overgrown with brambles, and past the vet�s surgery on your right. Continue straight across the gravel car park and up the stone steps and through the wooden gate in the brick wall, but be careful, as you come out on to the very busy and dangerous A4136 Monmouth Road. Before this you may wish to stop and wander around the Harts Barn complex of craft shops and perhaps stop for a snack in The Old Dairy Tearooms, in which case stroll through the car park in front of the impressive ancient Harts Barn Farmhouse, and take a left turn up the steep drive to some outbuildings (photo 17). Once more back out onto the busy road, take a left turn and walk on the grass verge on the left of the road, which is slightly wider and safer than walking on the right hand side, until you get to The Parish Mill, when it is advisable to cross over and walk on the opposite side. Go past the lay-by and when you reach The Yew Tree Inn, cross the road once more and take a left turn off the busy main road, along the road signed to Longhope, which is The Latchen (photo18).
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| Photo Sixteen | Photo Seventeen | Photo Eighteen |