A beautiful and quiet circular walk tucked into the top edge of rural Herefordshire just before it meets up with Shropshire. It begins and ends at the little ‘Green’ car park under a big ancient tree near the historic 12th century St Bartholemew Church at Richard’s Castle.
The Goggin Circular Walk | 5.3 Miles | 2.5 hrs +
Starting point
Begin at the little church car park at ‘The Green’ @ SY8 4ET
The first part of the walk is a lovely meandering ascension along lanes to Hanway Common, where you get some incredible panoramas east towards Tittlerstone Clee Hill and south east down the valley towards Leominster and nearby hills.
Hanway Common
Continue uphill bearing right to the top corner of the common and the edge of the Mortimer Forest, originally made up of royal chases and deer parks and home to roe and fallow deer.
After a short walk along the edge of the forest, turn left keeping the field edge on your left and continue downhill to the main track as it veers left continue downhill to ultimately join another more established track.
Follow the track off left at the junction continues as it undulates along the lower side of Brush Wood, until it comes to a gate at the corner of Killhorse Lane also called The Wigmore Road.
Turn left at the lane and follow the metalled narrow lane up and over a small ridge and then down through a dry valley heading towards the Goggin valley (as marked on O/S maps).
The walk takes a right turn before the Goggin and goes up and over another small ridge and turns left at a ‘T’ junction around the foot of High Cullis.
Carry on along the lane as it skirts a contour and takes you up the middle track to a fork in the road — you’re now on the Mortimer Trail proper. Now continue up and over a small ridge and then down towards Culliscroft.
Once here turn left at the ‘T’ junction of lanes where just past the bench on the left you go through a gate opposite (on the right of you) and ahead down through an open field towards the next gate by Woodhouse Farm below you.
Turn right after the farm and follow the lane up and around in front of the farmhouse. The last section of this walk carries on along the quiet Woodhouse Lane, which runs relatively flat along a contour to the little crossroads at the farm hamlet ‘Rock’ as on the O/S map.
Once you’re back to the car park, I fully recommend a visit to the ruins of the original (Norman period) Richard’s Castle which lies just beyond St Bartholemew Church.
Both are fascinating places to explore if you have time. Those with energy left can climb one of the remaining castle ramparts and look inside the 12th Century adjacent church with it’s feint whitewashed-over wall paintings still visible in places.
PLACES NEARBY TO EAT/DRINK (check opening times):
The Castle Inn, Richard’s Castle
The Maidenhead (formerly Baker’s Arms), Orleton
Step-by-step directions are available free on Point2 Guides or download the A4 pdf route map
Find Point2 Guides on social media:
