The Simple Things - 04.2020

Adapted from Wild Guide

Central England (Wild

Things Publishing)

cold, crystal-clear bath. Hire kayaks, f loat

downstream on inf latable rings, or just let

the current guide you as you swim the silky

depths of the meandering Wye, the UK’s

fifth-longest river and one brimming with

wildlife. Kerne Bridge is the ideal start to a

2¼-mile journey downstream to Lower

Lydbrook. If you’d rather stay on dry land,

you can immerse yourself instead in the

glorious wild-f lower-rich meadows of

Pentwyn Farm, a Site of Special Scientific

Interest in Penallt, Forest of Dean.

THE WILD WEST (almost)

You just don’t pass through The Welsh

Marches (the border country) and parts of

Herefordshire and Shropshire on the way

to anywhere else, so they’re often

forgotten as destinations in themselves.

But these western-most margins of

central England are rewarding for the

microadventurer. Since ancient times,

humans have looked to elevated places for

sanctuary. Shropshire’s Long Mynd, a

heathland plateau almost seven miles

long, also has the power to move us and

features fascinating archaeology

including Bronze Age barrows galore.

Many of the area’s rivers offer the

opportunity to go wild swimming – there

is deep, tranquil water where the Severn

and Vyrnwy meet at Crewgreen, making it

a top spot for jumps and dives. Spend a

sunny afternoon en famille at Mortimer’s

Cross on the River Lugg in Herefordshire,

a discreet spot with its deep pools on a

lazy loop including jumps and shallows

to paddle in.

of rock on the edge of the escarpment.

Legend recounts the Devil sitting atop the

hill, throwing stones at churchgoers. His

missiles were hurled back and trapped him

under ground, where his fiery temper

vented through the chimney. In truth, it’s

thought to be a quarrymen’s joke. It’s

possible to lose yourself in the mysterious

Wortley Hill Holloway, part of the

Cotswold Way, a sunken tunnel-like path

with overarching trees that feels like the

setting for legends.

HILLS AND VALLEYS

(just like children draw)

The Malverns and the rolling hills of the

Wye Valley have drawn visitors since

Victorian times. Awe-inspiring tiered

earthworks of Iron Age hillforts, such as

British Camp near Little Malvern – where

you can also see man-made Clutter’s Cave,

cut into pillow lavas – are testament to the

power of high ground. Over in the Wye

Valley is another ancient site, St Anthony’s

Well (near the village of Littledean), a

rectangular stone-lined plunge pool where

you can refresh yourself in the famously

“Hire kayaks,

f loat downstream

on inf latable rings

or swim the silky

depths of the

meandering Wye”

You can walk right up

to the magnificent

quarry rockface

at Llanymynech

Limeworks in

Shropshire. Don’t

mind the old gents

still chipping away;

Kynaston’s Cave,

the hideout of

highwayman

Humphrey

Kynaston, right

PHOTOGRAPHY, LLANYMYNECH: DES BLENKINSOPP/GEOGRAPH

OUTING

AdaptedfromWildGuide

CentralEngland(Wild

ThingsPublishing)

cold,crystal-clearbath.Hirekayaks,f loat

downstreamoninf latablerings,orjustlet

thecurrentguideyouasyouswimthesilky

depthsofthemeanderingWye,theUK’s

fifth-longestriverandonebrimmingwith

wildlife.KerneBridgeistheidealstarttoa

2¼-milejourneydownstreamtoLower

Lydbrook.Ifyou’dratherstayondryland,

youcanimmerseyourselfinsteadinthe

gloriouswild-f lower-richmeadowsof

PentwynFarm,a SiteofSpecialScientific

InterestinPenallt,ForestofDean.

THEWILDWEST(almost)

Youjustdon’tpassthroughTheWelsh

Marches(thebordercountry)andpartsof

HerefordshireandShropshireontheway

toanywhereelse,sothey’reoften

forgottenasdestinationsinthemselves.

Butthesewestern-mostmarginsof

centralEnglandarerewardingforthe

microadventurer.Sinceancienttimes,

humanshavelookedtoelevatedplacesfor

sanctuary.Shropshire’sLongMynd,a

heathlandplateaualmostsevenmiles

long,alsohasthepowertomoveusand

featuresfascinatingarchaeology

includingBronzeAgebarrowsgalore.

Manyofthearea’sriversofferthe

opportunitytogowildswimming–there

isdeep,tranquilwaterwheretheSevern

andVyrnwymeetatCrewgreen,makingit

a topspotforjumpsanddives.Spenda

sunnyafternoonenfamilleatMortimer’s

CrossontheRiverLugginHerefordshire,

a discreetspotwithitsdeeppoolsona

lazyloopincludingjumpsandshallows

topaddlein.

of rock on theedgeoftheescarpment.

Legend recountstheDevilsittingatopthe

hill, throwingstonesatchurchgoers.His

missiles werehurledbackandtrappedhim

under ground,wherehisfierytemper

vented throughthechimney.Intruth,it’s

thought to bea quarrymen’sjoke.It’s

possible to loseyourselfinthemysterious

Wortley HillHolloway,partofthe

Cotswold Way,a sunkentunnel-likepath

with overarchingtreesthatfeelslikethe

setting for legends.

HILLS ANDVALLEYS

(just likechildrendraw)

The Malvernsandtherollinghillsofthe

Wye Valleyhavedrawnvisitorssince

Victorian times.Awe-inspiringtiered

earthworksofIronAgehillforts,suchas

British CampnearLittleMalvern– where

you can alsoseeman-madeClutter’sCave,

cut into pillowlavas– aretestamenttothe

power of highground.OverintheWye

Valley is anotherancientsite,StAnthony’s

Well (nearthevillageofLittledean),a

rectangularstone-linedplungepoolwhere

you can refreshyourselfinthefamously

“Hire kayaks,

f loat downstream

oninf latable rings

or swim the silky

depths of the

meandering Wye”

You can walk right up

to the magnificent

quarry rockface

at Llanymynech

Limeworks in

Shropshire. Don’t

mind the old gents

still chipping away;

Kynaston’s Cave,

the hideout of

highwayman

Humphrey

Kynaston, right

PHOTOGRAPHY, LLANYMYNECH: DES BLENKINSOPP/GEOGRAPH

OUTING