Walks in Ross on Wye: Weston under Penyard to Dancing Green
Weston under Penyard to Dancing Green is a circular walk through Pontshill and Dancing Green, with return along the edge of Penyard woods. The walk is just over 4 miles long with a leisurely grade and 14 stiles.
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.
Start: from the Village Hall at School Lane in Weston under Penyard. |
Grid Ref: SO 633 231. |
Distance: 4.2 miles. |
Grade: Leisurely with 14 stiles. |
Note: It may help route finding to note that the stiles and gates in the parish of Weston under Penyard are uniquely labelled by their footpath number and stile number e.g. WP25/5 – Stile 5 on footpath 25.
1. With the Village Hall on your left, follow the farm track for about 100m and cross the stile (WP11/4) on the left. Keep left, to the corner of the hedgerow and then half right down the field to a stile (WP11/5) in the corner. Go straight ahead following the left boundary of the field to reach a stile (WP11/6) on the left, just out of sight in the trees. Follow the path to an ancient stone bridge over the stream. |
2. Continue to the road at an old kissing gate WP11/8). Cross the road and through an open entrance into a field and immediately right and then left up the fruit field with the fruit bushes on your right. A gap in the hedgerow leads to a road. Go left along the road for about 140m and then turn right up a tarmac road, opposite a barn. Keep on this road for about 700m (0.4 mile). |
3. Cross the stone stile (WP5/4) on the left at the entrance to Handley. Keeping to the left hedgerow, cross a stile (WP5/3) and, keeping left again (views behind to Linton and the Malverns), squeeze through a gap at stile (WP5/2). Keep left then pass through a steel field gate onto a road. Go right then go straight ahead at a small crossroad. On reaching left-hand bend at Holly House, go slightly right onto a rough track. Follow a path into a wood and go right at a T junction in the paths and continue to cross a stile (WP13/10) into a field. |
4. Go diagonally across the small field and keep right in the next field (views to Weston and Marcle Ridge) to a stile (WP13/9)1 next to a field gate, and then out of the field at a 2 in 1 gate (WP13/8). Go left down a steep farm road to reach a tarmac road. Go left on the road for about 100m and then right at an old iron gate. |
5. Go half right up the field to a stile in the trees (or use the gap to the right). Follow the track and go steeply up a path, ignoring the stile to the right. At the top of the path turn right and follow the wide path along the edge of Penyard woods for 1Km (0.7mile) (views to Malvern Hills). At the crossroad in the footpaths turn right down a short path to gate (WP14B/2) onto a forest track and go right, steeply down to St Lawrence Church. |
6. Turn right up the concrete path, into the churchyard and out at a steel kissing gate. Immediately turn right through a wooden kissing gate (WP11/1) and go half left across the field to cross a stile (WP11/2) in the hedgerow. Follow the left edge of the field and through a small wooden gate (WP11/3). Go left down the farm track to complete the walk at the Village Hall. |
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.