The best walks and hikes around Ballingham

It’s the Mordiford Dragon Trail not Woodford!

The needle spire of the church of St John the Baptist can be seen for miles around due to its position high on the hill on which King's Caple is situated.

This unusual and eyecatching church up on it's hill dominates the village of Hoarwithy, and it's most spectacular feature is the Italianate tower.

This is a particularly fine stretch of the river Wye, as recognized by the Wye Valley National Landscape. The stretched out village of Hoarwithy occupies the west bank, with its unusual Italianate St Catherine's church. The river is crossed by the old toll bridge with it's little Tollhouse - they stopped collecting tolls in the 1930's when the bridge was bought for public ownership.

A fine church high on it's hill that can be seen for miles across the valley. Just up the road is the Manor, again a fine building made of the local sandstone.

According to Harper Bridges - This bridge was commissioned by the congregations of the churches of Sellack Boat and King’s Caple and built in 1895. The towers are of tubular cast iron, with nameplate transoms embossed “Louis Harper AIMCE, Maker, Aberdeen”. The original cables to common anchorages are still in place, as are their hangers. However, at some stage (nobody seems to know when or why) further short cables were clamped to the original, presumably to support areas of wear and avoid cable replacement. This has led to crowding at the saddles. However, the bridge is still used and the local churches continue to hold their ‘Bridge Thanksgiving’ ceremony each year. This area is noted for its flooding but so far the bridge has held since the arched deck remains above the flow, although the approaches are inundated. It lacks the original longitudinal deck boarding but the original camber is well maintained. This bridge is the best illustration of the method of attachment of hangars to main cable employed by John and Louis Harper

This area has a few churches dedicated to welsh or Irish saints, as is the case here. Tyslio was the second son of the reigning King of Powys, Brochwel Ysgithrog, and the maternal nephew of the great Abbot Dunod of Bangor Iscoed. He took part in the affairs of Wales during the distressful period at the opening of the 7th century. Tysilio probably started his career in Trallwng Llywelyn (Welshpool) and afterwards took up residence in Meifod where he studied under Gwyddfarch. Around 630, Tysilio moved to an island in the Menai Strait, (now called Ynys Tysilio, where he established a hermitage, and preached throughout Ynys Môn for the next seven years. He then returned to Meifod, where he talked the aging abbot out of making a pilgrimage to Rome. Eventually, Tysilio succeeded Gwyddfarch as abbott. Also of note is the tall narrow spire, which is a feature of several churches in this area - such as Ross, Peterstow and Kings Caple. Many others in Herefordshire have square dumpy towers instead.

Lovely church yard with views and across the road is The Tump, a small hump with views around the hills.