Walks in Ross on Wye: Sellack and Hoarwithy

Sellack and Hoarwithy walk

Sellack and Hoarwithy is a leisurely 7-mile walk in the Wye valley including a Victorian suspension bridge, an Italianate church and a lovely picnic spot by the river. This easy riverside walk is great if you want to take in the beauty of the Wye valley.

Thanks to 'Walkers are Welcome' and 'Walking in Ross' we present to you a collection of the best local walks in and around Ross-on-Wye and Herefordshire county. There is a downloadable PDF version of the walk as well as a GPX file - links are provided at the end of the article.

Parking: Pengethley Garden Centre on the A49 about 3 miles north of Ross.
Grid Ref: 542 254
Distance: 7 miles
Grade: Leisurely

 

1. As you come out of the Garden Centre turn left along the verge of the A49. This isn’t very nice but it only lasts about a 100m before you turn left onto a footpath that emerges onto an access road down to a farm.

Walk through the farmyard then follow the left-hand trail which runs alongside a field (hedge on your right). This is a bridle path which crosses a minor road and carries on by some stables (sometimes honey for sale), passes Caradoc (a country house) and finally emerges by Sellack church.

St Tysilio is one of only two churches in England which are dedicated to a Welsh saint.

local honey stand

2. Turn left before the church and take the footpath across the fields (don’t take the left-hand path but head straight. Cross a couple more fields and a small footbridge before arriving at a small suspension bridge where you cross the Wye.

bridge over the river wye

3. On the other side of the river take the road to the left and follow it round to the cross road in King’s Caple. Turn left at the crossroads and follow the road until to turns sharp right, take the track straight ahead which emerges by Hoarwithy bridge.

4. Cross the river again and just after the toll house there are some steps down to a stile into a field. Walk along the bank, this is a nice spot for a picnic lunch.

If you want to take a side trip the Italianate church in Hoarwithy is well worth a visit.

italianate church in hoarwithy

5. Continue following the path by the river which gradually moves away from the water and emerges on the Hoarwithy road. Turn right towards the village but then almost immediately cross the road and take the sharp left path that climbs up the hill. The path crosses a couple of other tracks and access roads but follow the signs through a series of fields and gates.

st dubricious church
6. The track finally emerges on a bend on a minor road. Follow the road straight on (ie don’t turn left) until it forks right with a no through road ahead towards the church of St Dubricious. Once you get to the church leave it to your left and enter via a gate into Pengethley Park which is owned by the National Trust. Cross a couple of fields before emerging onto the A49 again. Follow the road for 100m to the left to the entrance of Pengethley Garden Centre.

 

Map:

sellack and hoarwithy map 

OS © Crown copyright 2020 CS-144256-V6D9W9

Download the PDF leaflet here. (walkinginross.co.uk)

Download the GPX file here. (walkinginross.co.uk)

Huge thanks to the volunteers from Walking in Ross for providing the guide and photos for this article. Check out their website - walkinginross.co.uk

Visit Escape to the Great Outdoors in Croft Court if you need anything for your walks in and around Ross-on-Wye.