The ranges of hills west of Montgomery can be fully appreciated from this fairly strenuous walk over the rolling Marches landscape.

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Distance: 8km (5miles)  Time: 2.5 hours

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Route: 

One steep climb and rolling hills. Mostly field paths.

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Map: OS Explorer 216

Start/finish: Recycling Car Park Bishop’s Castle Road (B4385) SO 22470 96301

Dog friendliness: Farming country – dogs on leads.

Parking: at start/finish Toilets To rear of Town Hall

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Beautiful extensive upland views will be enjoyed at Ffridd Faldwyn Iron Age fort – a site that appears to have been inhabited since Neolithic times – and the Montgomeryshire War Memorial hill. The route also enjoys intimate vales and rolling green countryside, famous for its sheep.

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Directions:

1. From the car park go to the road and turn right towards centre of town.

2. Do not enter the town square, but carry on along Princes Street.

3. Go down the hill, ignoring the turn-off to Chirbury. As you approach the end of town, cross over to the pavement in middle of the junction and carry along the road sign-posted, Newtown. Take care at this junction.

4. Carry on along the pavement until just past the de-restriction signs. As the road bears round to the right, cross over very carefully to the gate into a field.

5. Go through this gate and then right, up through field on a grass path to the entrance to a wood.

6. Soon after entering the wood ignore a path going off to the right and carry on up the obvious path, with a fence on the right.

7. The track swings to the left and steepens as it goes through beautiful, mature beech trees.

8. As an expansive view opens up to the right, keep straight on up and emerge onto a grass ‘platform’ at the top of the hill. This is Ffridd Faldwyn Iron Age fort.

9. Go straight across the top grassland and descend slightly to go between embankments with trees on top.

10. Follow the path to a stile (soon to be converted to a gate) and emerge into a field.

11. Go slightly left to a metal gate and go through that to carry straight on to a stile and gate, onto a narrow lane.

12. Cross the lane to a footpath gate and bear right to a gate in the far diagonal right-hand corner of the field.

13. Go through right-hand gate and follow hedge on the left.

14. After about 200 metres, go through a gate, cross a farm track and keep the fence/hedge on your left.

15. Descend and follow fence/hedge as it bends to the left. Find a gate tucked away in the left-hand corner of the field. (Adjacent stile looks unsafe).

16. Go through the gate and keep fence/hedge on your right.

17. At the end of the field, turn right over a stile or through the right-hand gate. Do not take the gate straight-ahead of you.

18. The path curves round to left. Keep the hedge/fence on your left as you descend into a small valley.

19. At the bottom, veer away from the hedge and go through a gap in a slight earth mound to find a stile on the other side of the small stream.

20. Cross this stile and go straight on ‘clipping’ a fence on the right and coming to a farm track at end of the field near a farmyard.

21. Turn left along the track, away from the farm and through a gateway. At the end of the right-hand fence you will find a metal footpath gate into a field.

22. Go through this gate and keep the fence on your left as you climb up the field.

23. At the top, go through a gate/stile and keep the fence (then hedge) on your left, to find a footpath gate tucked away in a left-hand corner of the field.

24. Go through the gate. In about 20 metres turn left onto a track, to go through an old gate and into a large field.

25. Aim straight on, with the tree to your left, to find a stile up a slope.

26. Cross this stile and bear slightly right (heading in the direction of the monument) to ‘meet’ a hedge. You will then see a stile ahead.

27. Cross this stile and make for far left-hand corner of the field where there is a ‘hidden’ stile.

28. Cross this stile and follow the enclosed path, which rises after a while and continues to follow the fence of a very large garden on the right. Do not cross the stile into the garden, but carry on to metalled drive.

29. Turn left along the drive and after it turns to gravel, it drops down. About half way down look out for a stile/gate on the left, opposite a telegraph pole.

30. Cross the stile and go straight up the hill, to where there is a gap with tall hedges on left and right.

31. Go through the left-hand tall hedge at its ‘corner’ and then keep straight on, with a hedge now on your right.

32. You will see a small row of conifers on the hill ahead and the war memorial quickly comes into view.

33. Keep the hedge on your right and aim for the ‘pass’ at right-hand bottom of the war memorial hill.

34. Carry on the farm track with timber cattle pens on your left.

35. To visit the memorial, with outstanding 360 degree views, go left up the hill.

36. If not, carry along the farm track, with the hedge on your right.

37. The track becomes more distinct and carries on downhill, through a tree avenue and then through a gate.

38. Follow the track down through woodland for about 400 metres to gate onto a small lane.

39. Turn right along the lane to descend into Montgomery town square. At the end of square, by Ivy House cafe, turn right back to the car park.

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PLEASE KEEP TO THE COUNTRYSIDE CODE

• Leave gates as you find them • Keep to the waymarked paths
• Keep dogs under close control • Wear suitable footwear and clothing• Take your litter home • Take extra care in fields of cows and calves