[1] Park at Lyonshall church. Take the path that goes along in front of the building.
(A) The church is now primarily a Victorian building, although the font and an effigy of a civilian date back to the 13th century, and there is mention of the church in the 13th century.
Go down to the gate to follow the Right of Way. However, immediately on the left are the remains of the Norman castle.
(B) There are substantial ruins to explore and although there is a private owner, he welcomes visitors. Walk round the moat and the back of the keep. This is a beautiful place to spend some time in and admire the trees. In 1090 the Devereux family established this important manor of the Marcher Lords. In 1406 Owain Glyndur and Welsh raiders damaged both the castle and the church. The castle was important from the 10th to the 16th century, but by the 17th it was recorded as being a ruin.
[2] Return to the footpath, through the next gate and continue descending round to the left for about 50m, then more steeply down to the right to the stile by a tall tree. Turn left to walk up the drive, passing the entrance to Castle Weir, on the right. Follow the drive round to the right alongside the wall and go straight across to the signpost.
[3] Walk along the wide track, round the top of the field to the gap, go through this to the other side of the hedge, and continue alongside this. The path now enters Lyonshall Park wood. You are now following the route of the old tramway. Continue on this level well trodden path, bearing left at a T junction, until reaching a gate leading onto a minor road.
[4] Here the route turns left up the minor road.
If you wish, divert here to go straight over the road and down to Tramway Pool.
(C) The 8 mile long tram road, founded by John Cheese Jnr. of Castle Weir in 1818, ran from Kington to Eardisley. It ran through the Lyonshall Park woods, round by the church and castle and down to cross the road, that is now the A44. Iron rails were laid with a smooth paving stone in between, to enable horses to tow the trams, that could weigh up to 2 tons. It was used to import coal and iron from South Wales and take out cast iron, lime and agricultural produce. At Tramway Pool horses were allowed to drink. Along the route numerous pubs grew up to satisfy the drivers. This was one of the last tram roads to be closed in England. Following the opening of the Leominster to Kington railway in 1857, the tram road closed in 1863.
Return to the road and walk up hill for the next quarter mile. As you approach a well-mown grassy area, you will see a sign post on the left. Turn back along this drive,and just past the cottage on the right,bear right through a gate into a field.Follow line of hedge to a stile on right.Cross and go up the field and down left to the stile. Having crossed the stile go right along the fence to cross a stile on the right.,then immediately turn left to cross another stile.Continue ahead down the slope with a line of trees to the left to a stile at bottom. Here.do not cross,but turn sharply right doubling back up the field on a diagonal to a stile. Cross and continue ahead to a metal gate in the corner.. This is a smallholding, with an abundance of ducks, hens and small goats and even a pig.
Having negotiated the gate, go along the lane to the road. Be careful! This is the A44.
On the right there is a nursery. It has interesting plants and a small refreshment bar.
Opposite and slightly left there is a stile in the hedge.
[5] Cross the road to get to the stile. Walk along by the field hedge, almost to the electricity pole, where there is a stile, on the left. Go down beside the hedge to the gate on the left and go through into the next field and along by the hedge that is now on your right.
[6] You are now walking along Offa’s Dyke. This is a very well marked section of the dyke. There are trees on each side of the dyke and a well-defined ditch on the right.
(D) Offa was King of Mercia from 757 to 796. His kingdom was extensive and this was a defence on the west, against the tribes to the west of the Dyke. Oddly, the long distance Offa’s Dyke path runs several miles to the west. The best section of the long distance path in Herefordshire is probably to the north of Kington on Bradnor Hill.
At the end of this section, cross the stile into the lane up to Lynhales Nursing home on the right.
Stephen Robinson farmed at Lynhales and invested heavily in the Leominster to Kington railway, eventually becoming the chairman in 1888. He also benefited as the line crossed his land.
Cross the lane to the stile just to the right, go down to the bottom right of the field and cross the stile into an apple orchard.
Go down left, through the metal gate, turn sharp right then left on to the track between the trees. The big metal gate opens on to Bollingham Lane.
It has been said that this was originally a Bronze Age route, which was later adopted by the Romans. An archeological dig by Cardiff University in 2003 found fragments of 1st and 2nd century pottery in this vicinity.
Cross the road to the path to the right of the house, and follow this to the stile, quickly followed by a gate. Continue ahead down the the field with a line of trees on right to a double-stiled foot-bridge over the Curl Brook.
[7] Cross the two stiles, go slight right into the field and walk up. To the left is another section of the Offa’s Dyke, but in summer rather overgrown. Landowners have a legal duty to keep footpaths clear and, where the right of way goes through crops, should leave a metre wide strip for walkers. If you find any footpath problems, please report them to Herefordshire Council on 01432 26 0572.
At the top of the field, go past the post, following the path to the left and then the right to emerge into the next field. Just before the garden, cross the stile on the right, follow the drive up to the road and walk left through Holme Marsh.
This was originally a squatters settlement and had a bad reputation because of the “will o the wisp” effect of the methane gas in the marsh and the smell.
Walk along towards the junction with the other road, but just before, go left through the kissing gate, cross the field to the gate and go down right by the hedge to the stile in the hedge ahead. Cross down the next field to the right, through the kissing gate and down behind the buildings of Burgoynes. At the bottom, go right along the embankment, go down into the orchard and down right by the fence to the gate and stile. Cross the Curl Brook by the double stiled wooden bridge, and go along by the hedge to the next stile and kissing gate, and out onto the road.
The village centre lies just to the right.
[8] Walk up the lane opposite, cross the stile and walk up the field to the stile, slightly to the right.
(E) The double stile is situated on the route of the old branch railway line to Eardisley. The Kington to Eardisley railway, of 5.75 miles, followed much of the route of the old tramway. The railway was started in 1863, but following a bankruptcy, work recommenced in 1872 and it was opened in 1874. There were two stations en route, with Lyonshall having a 200 feet platform. In 1897 the railway was taken over by GWR, and the line closed in 1962. Over to the right, you can see the embankment for the railway and the station, which is now a private house.
[9] Go up leftish through the apple trees to the stile in the hedge. Walk straight up the next field to the stile that takes you back on to the lane up to Lynhales. Go right along to the main road.
In the 19th century the Tram road came down to cross the road, just by this junction. There was a building called the Wharf, where goods were loaded, and a pub called the Weymouth Arms.
Cross the road, A44, carefully and walk up to the church.