Walk Description

The Cambrian Mountains of Mid-Wales are criss-crossed by countless old tracks and routeways. Many have, long ago, been abandoned and reabsorbed into the landscape whilst others have been adapted and tarred over as a part of today's highway network.

There remain, however, a rump of historic trails which remain tantalisingly intact, threading between farms and villages, between old mines and river valleys, between hilltop forts and places of ancient mysticism and power.

The most ancient of all such tracks is the Kerry Ridgeway. Its origins are lost in the mists of time but it certainly is older than the Iron Age and Dark Ages earthworks which cut its line. Nearby are Bronze Age burials and a stone circle, all constructed on the high sandstone ridge between the Severn Valley and the upper reaches of the river Teme, a commanding site for countless unrecorded and little understood ceremonies.

The Kerry Ridgeway strikes along the crest of Kerry Hill. It never dips below 1,000 feet above sea level, resulting in remarkable views in all directions, up to 70 miles on clear days. Last used regularly by cattle and sheep drovers some 150 years ago, the ancient highway forges a track through airy heather moors, cool woodlands and breezy bilberry-rich heaths.

The route undulates gently throughout, ideal for walkers, horseriders and mountain bikers, all of whom can legally trace this prehistoric way throughout.

Above you may glimpse the glorious red kite quartering the skies (not to be confused with the common buzzard - look for the kite's forked tail). Woodland visitors may include goldcrest and hawfinch, whilst the shy roe deer may fleetingly appear. Later stretches of the route are a kaleidoscope of wildflower blooms in spring and early summer.

Kerry Hill is a watershed between the river basins of the Wye and Severn systems. At its western end rise the springs of the rivers Ithon, Teme and Mule, while from Kerry Forest, below the ancient Upper Short Ditch, rise the Caebitra (north) and Clun (south).

From the Lower Short Ditch, the archaic and quaint sounding river Unk flows to join the Clun. All except the Ithon eventually empty into the Severn catchment. These natural and man-made features combine to offer nature lovers and those in search of tranquillity or antiquity the perfect day out.