Garth Lawson discovers a host of stories on a walk around Weobley

5:10pm Friday 14th November 2008

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WHEN leaving Bell Square in Weobley at the start of this month’s easy-going walk, be sure to look up at the second tallest church spire in the county.

If there are jackdaws fluttering around it, take your waterproofs. Provided that you have slept with an old LEFT stocking around your neck, the sore throat you had yesterday will have gone already. If, like Colonel John Birch’s old civil war commanding officer, you’ve got warts, it won’t do any harm at all if you manage to catch a live mole: make its nose bleed and cross the blemishes nine times with a finger dipped in its blood.

Birch lies in Weobley Church where he arranged for a monument to himself to be constructed in full military gear to trumpet his Parliamentary service under Oliver Cromwell.

In Weobley’s Hereford Road “The Throne”, formerly The Crowne Inn, was a hostelry which provided their bête noir Charles I with board and lodging in 1645. On the other side of the street the stone-built Castle House appeared, and until her death in 1928, this was the home of Ella Mary Leather.

Mrs Leather learned folk songs from gipsies whilst entertaining them on the back lawn with cocoa and buns. She observed that no systematic record was available of the old local country customs, so in April 1912, she published a compilation called The Folklore of Herefordshire.

One of her main sources of inspiration was old Will Colcombe who had died the year before in Weobley Workhouse. He knew more than thirty traditional songs and carols, and lots of old tales and riddles. The last local man to wear a smock-frock, other than to one of the pubs on a Saturday, he in turn had picked up many of these from “Old Powell”, the nailmaker.

There is an information board at the northern entrance to the first castle site on our itinerary. Originally built by the De Lacys in the twelfth century, and re-built after 1216, it played no part in the civil strife between Charles and parliament. The antiquarian, John Leland, recorded in about 1535, “Weobley is a market towne in Herefordshire, where is a goodly castell, but somewhat in decay”.

The second castle was on the Garnstone Estate, purchased as a mansion by Birch in 1661, and improved during his time as a Weobley MP and country squire.

Re-built as a castle by John Nash in 1807, his biographer commented that it was the worst piece of architecture he ever did. Though it was at the hub of village life in the first half of last century, it became too expensive to maintain and was pulled down in 1958.

Walking with good views from the upper estate we wonder if there is still a snuff-box lying at the bottom of the old pond. It contains the spirit of the farmer who committed suicide at neighbouring Fields’ End.

Via the quiet Fenhampton Farm Lane we come to a rewarding surprise eventually in the shape of the charming eight-gabled farmhouse, The Ley. Built by James Brydges in 1589, it is an imposing, silver-grey timber-framed paragon of Elizabethan architecture.

Re-establishing contact with the church spire, a faithful friend for walking Weobley, it’s probably best to get back before midnight.

If we don’t there may be some dubious types about summoning the devil by walking seven times slowly around the Preaching Cross, reciting the Lord’s Prayer backwards.

If one of the party has sprained an ankle getting over one of the 14 stiles, just limp home and repeat Ezekiel chapter 37, verses 6, 7 and 8, nine times – but inaudibly. Obviously.

Weobley, Garnstone, Fenhampton, and The Ley.

An easy four-and-a-half mile folklorist walk. Lots of well-maintained field paths, 14 stiles.

Maps: OS Explorer 201 and 202. Public Transport: 461 - hourly.

The Route: (1) START at free car park off Bell Square, near to church. TL out of the vehicle entrance opposite the Manor House, probably the village’s oldest surviving house. TL again at Bellbeck House along the lane to the church. Visit and/or circle the spire to the other lane, passing Parkfields and Dell Cottage to the Red Lion corner.

Ascend ahead past bus shelter and garden on site of Old Market Hall, destroyed by fire in 1943. TL along unsigned High Street and right at the Unicorn for “The Pyons and Wormsley”. Find “The Throne” on left side, after 50m cross road for Ella Mary Leather’s “Castle House” then retrace direction past old grammar school, TL and TL again up public footpath just beyond No 1 (High Street).

(2) Castle Green. Pass red telephone box, through gate, beyond information board over the old castle moat and down through the tree-lined gate, or kissing-gate. Bear slightly right across large field, through kissing-gate up wide track and over stony crosspath to next kissing gate.

Rise gently towards trees of Burton Hill to a third kissing-gate. Pause at seat to look back to where you’ve come from, with Croft Ambrey and Bircher Common on skyline. Follow left edge for 50m and TR in front of gated entrance to wood. Go through gate to right of buildings just beyond end of old wall. TL through kissing-gate, past “Defra” board, over footbridge and gently half-left up to gate/stile.

(3) Upper Garnstone Park. Do not cross stile at this junction of paths above “Snuff-Box” Pool (which can be seen lower left by crossing stile and coming back), but turn sharp right to follow straight path ahead.

Take stile by horse chestnut with views opening up and Black Mixen tower on the two o’clock skyline pinpointing Radnor Forest. Head for single tree and follow right edge hedge over two stiles. Bear slightly right down field above Fields End Farm. Take stile in fenced dip and bear right over slight crest in next field. In front of gate take stile, bear right again to double stile and road.Fenhampton. TR for 350m along road to a slight right bend.

(4) TL along public footpath to splendid black and white farm. Pass on left, with glimpse of Hay Bluff, down track between hedges and bend right at bottom, following Defra Permissive Path over stony bit. TL in corner and after 150m TR over footbridge, brook, and stile.

Follow right edge of very long field, with Black Mountains directly behind you, to reach a drive. Go straight ahead to pass to the left of waymarked farm buildings, pass to left also of cider press with church spire in front.

(5) The Ley in “Wibba-Ley”. After enjoying the “wow” factor of the eight-gabled private farmhouse, complete with ponds, take the gate, through the left edge of the paddock, over two more stiles. Follow right edge of field up to foot-gripping stile, and then down and up, leaving hedge up steps to next stile. Enjoy view over Weobley, and to Clee Hills. Descend and TL across stile and TR in corner down to last stile and sunken lane. TR through gate, and cross the road that led to Weobley Workhouse (which was up to the left beyond “Primasil” now) onto the opposite pavement a few paces back to the car park. The walk is best tackled between October and April.