THIS foray into The Marches, border country between England and Wales, will be a little less frenetic than some 15th century incursions. Gently climbing Green Lane from the church with separate bell tower, our first goal is ‘the pool formed for catching fish’ in the meaning of Yarpole’s medieval name.

In fact we find from (2) that there are five pools in the steep-sided, heavily-wooded Fishpool Valley. An excellent wildlife habitat, and a Site of Special Scientific Interest, the pools once stocked fresh fish for the noble Croft family. The delightful valley also boasts old lime-kilns, a quarry, a grotto, and a gothic pump-house.

The Crofts married into the Mortimer family who were usually the most powerful of the medieval Marcher Earls; their old seat of power three miles away at Wigmore Castle is overlooked by Croft Ambrey. In 1402, after falling into dispute with Lord Grey over some lands, Owain Glyndwr of Montgomery came onto the Mortimer trail in search of independence. Intercepted 12 miles west of Wigmore by an army of Herefordshire men, ‘the irregular and wild Glyndwr’ (Henry IV, part one) cut his opponents to pieces and captured their commander Edmund Mortimer.

Shortly afterwards the people of Hereford petitioned King Henry, the former Duke of Lancaster, to come and effect Edmund’s release. Henry knew, however, that many believed the Mortimer claim to the throne to be stronger than that of Lancaster. They saw him as a usurper and maintained the rightful King to be the Earl of March, the 11-year-old nephew of Owain Glyndwr’s prisoner. So Henry refused to ransom him; and Mortimer could only win his freedom by making an alliance with the Welsh prince and by marrying his daughter Catherine. Until his nephew came of age, Edmund Mortimer was the leader of the Marcher family and his defection gravely weakened English control of the Marches. It also strengthened the military and diplomatic power of Owain Glyndwr.

Our walk takes us the least steep way up on to the heights of Bircher Common, and we contour just below the hill-fort at Croft Ambrey. This strategic position was sometimes occupied by Glyndwr’s men, and his influence was further stiffened by his daughter Janet’s wedding to Sir John Croft. Indeed, his seeking refuge at Croft between battles against the English may have given rise to the tradition that a Welshman can always get a night’s lodging at the castle on a straw bed in the attic.

Cross the common from (3) to the edge of Oaker Coppice. A mostly conifer plantation interspersed with beech, oak and Scots pine, it has a welcoming seat on our route with fine views south, east and west.

Having paused, carry on down towards the settlements and pond, possibly with heron, at (4) The Hill, if visible, on the skyline is Woodbury where in 1405 Glyndwr, now also allied with the French, lost a decisive battle to Henry IV.

At Mortimer’s Cross, two generations after Glyndwr, the Mortimers at last completed their rise to supremacy. Four-thousand men lost their lives when Edmund Mortimer’s great nephew The Earl of March, for York, defeated the Lancastrians of Henry VI. It was February 2, 1461, and he entered London in triumph as King Edward IV, 24 days later.

Our taster in this excellent area for walking takes about two-and-a-half hours in fairly stately fashion. About the same time omitting the last six of nine stiles altogether by following Welshman’s Lane down past the war memorial and over the main road to turn right at the next junction back into Yarpole.

YARPOLE AND BIRCHER COMMON.

Fishpools, woodland, common, fields and towering views.

4.75 miles, mostly easy, but with long steady climb.

OS map: Explorer 203, Ludlow.

Bus: Not practical.

The Route 1. Start at St Leonards Church in Yarpole. Walk gently up Green Lane away from main village junction, passing Vicarage Farm, Post Office and Bell Inn on right. After last house, at top of gentle rise fork left along public footpath, with pond lower left, through gate and (respectfully) front garden of cottage over the stile in fence. Follow right edge of field and TR at end through two gates to road. Cross road to smaller gate and walk slightly right in field beyond the old Cock Gate School to stile in fence. Bear slightly left to second stile over drive to Croft Castle and head down to your near side of lowest pool.

2. Fishpool Valley. TL up slope to junction of paths and TR into signed Fishpool Valley. Follow the wide stony bridle path gently up above left of three pools via the Mortimer Trail logo discs, passing the gothic stone pumphouse on the right, to a path junction at the top of a small rise. Bear right still on the wide bridleway to reach the slope above the last pool. With lime-kiln behind left, ignore left turn towards Croft Ambrey, pass kiln further right and small brick building left to leave trail at next Junction to go right then left into signed Croft Wood. TR after further 80 metres and follow path through unclaustrophobic trees for half-a-mile to go sharp left up steeper section and then bend right after 100 metres. Bear right to find the National Trust Croft Wood gate.

3. Upper Bircher Common. Leave Croft Wood and after 60 metres tr to follow the line of gorse bushes and cross the neck of Bircher Common towards Oaker Coppice. Spectacular views open up to the western eminences of the Brecon Beacons, The northern escarpment of the Black Mountains and Sugar Loaf and Skirrid further south. Bear right down the skirting of the wood to reach a bench, then a swing, and another bench. Pause to sample southern horizons, including Woolhope Dome and Backbury Hill at 11o’clock. (When ready) follow the same broad line, starting to leave the coppice above to your left, down towards Woodbury Hill in Worcestershire, if it’s visible. Go through a gap in the gorse bushes by two posts, then right down to a pond on your left in front of the two-tone Pinewood House.

4. Lower Bircher Common - the pond. TR in front of the house to follow the track beyond the old chapel on your left and then bear right heading for the telephone kiosk at the top of Welshman’s Lane. TL over the cattle grid past the post box in the wall and National Trust notice down the quiet lane and past Byecroft Stables. At the left bend TR through a gate following obscured finger-post along left edge of field through gap to stile bottom left at road.

5. Cross road slightly left over next stile to far side of field and either gap in hedge then right edge to next stile. Follow Plains Brook along pretty dingle going slightly left up bank to stile in fence, along right edge of paddock to stile in right corner. Find last stile bottom right by two gates. TR back in Yarpole, passing Brick Villas and TR again to church beyond Wesleyan centenary chapel with The Old Bakehouse (and gaol) over to the left.

Or start at the Bell Inn with prior permission from the helpful landlord.