The best walks and hikes around Peterstow

Fabulous and iconic Sandstone building, centrepiece of Ross on Wye.

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.

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.

This section of the route follows the Wells Brook for some distance, including through a nature reserve called the Marsh. It flows through a fairly narrow shallow valley.

In the words of the National Tranport Trust - Wilton Bridge is an exceptionally fine red sandstone bridge. In 1597 an Act was passed authorising its construction. It was completed within the next 2 years. There are five semi- circular arches each with 3 ribs and massive cutwaters on each side, carried up and splayed back from the outer angle at parapet level forming semi-hexagonal refuges. At the point where the splay dies out is a moulded string which is mitred and carried up to the angle against the spandrils of the arches and then mitred and carried across to form a label above the arches. The voussoirs of the arches are chamfered and joggled and have various masons' marks. On the upstream side the bridge has been widened but now the parapet has been replaced by a wooden handrail. The South East approach to the bridge has been rebuilt in ashlar with 2 flights of stone steps to the river bank. The sundial, formerly in one of the refuges has disappeared, and only the base of the pedestal remains. All in all it is a fine bridge, and has done well to weather the floods that happen most winters - as evidenced by the erosion of even the top stones on the arches.

You can see the remains of the railway bridge pillars which look as if they should be part of the old town walls or a castle. There are good information boards that give a lot of detail of the railway and life back then.