Amble around Orleton to a famous churchyard

ORLETON, a mix of modern homes, fine timber-framed buildings and a lovely Norman church, looks like a quiet and apparently uneventful village.

But long ago there was a widespread view that dramatic, splendid things would occur in Orleton. People from all over England who had never seen the village in life paid to have their corpses taken there to be buried.

There was a belief that the resurrection would begin at Orleton on the Day of Judgement. Those buried there would be the first to rise from their graves.

The crowded churchyard brimming with the tombs of the wealthy boasts a fine medieval preaching cross and is on the route of this walk of contrasts.

'Orleton Alps'

Orleton is flat - and wet. The local flooding blackspots are well known. The village name derives from the old Herefordshire word for alder, a tree which thrives in wet spots and whose wood was used for clog making.

But there is another side to Orleton. Little more than a mile to the west, but a world apart from the low-lying village centre, is an area I always think of as 'The Orleton Alps.' This breathtakingly beautiful backwater of hills, gullies, forests and remote homesteads borders the area we explored on the Hereford Times walk in March, 'Going Up the Goggin.'

This month's trek follows part of the Mortimer Trail (from 2) to the northern edge of Bircher Common but then veers north on an old green lane to an extensive area of forest (4). A substantial part is owned by the Forestry Commission where members of the public may walk freely. Boundaries are shown on the Ordnance Survey map.

There is also a reasonably well-marked public footpath through part of the forest. You will follow this from forest to meadow at Woodcock Hall before continuing on a delightful downhill track through broad-leaved woodland to the hamlet of Orleton Common. From here its an easy walk over flat land, though from Portway (7) you must cross an arable field, the last field before the village, and the going can be 'sticky.'

There is much of interest at the Norman church of St.George (8) including a fine 12th century font of the Herefordshire School of Sculpture and two 13th century dugout timber chests.

The ancient Boot Inn (8) is a landmark which hides a lesser-known curiosity. In the yard to the rear is Herefordshire's - and perhaps England's - smallest house. The timber-framed dwelling with traditional wattle infill, has one room downstairs with a stone fireplace (the house once had a brick chimney). A diminutive ladder-stair in the corner provided access to one tiny bedroom above.

The Boot was once a butcher's and shoemaker's shop. It is thought this tiny house to the rear may have once provided accommodation for an apprentice. The odd home was inhabited for some part of the last century but fell into disuse.

AN ORLETON AMBLE

6 miles: hilly/moderate

OS Map: Explorer 203

Bus: 492 Hereford-Leominster-Ludlow service, Mon-Sat. Sundays - see walk notes. Alight: Orleton Village Hall.

THE ROUTE

1. Orleton Village Hall. As from hall, TR and walk to junction with main road. Cross road with care to Green Lane, side of Maidenhead Inn. Walk lane for half a mile, TL by caravan park, follow lane uphill as far as 'no-through road' sign.

2. Mortimer Trail (MT) TL on lane to follow MT. Pass two houses.TR over stile by gate. Continue on top edge of meadow. Do pause to look back! See Orleton church steeple. Keep same direction through two more fields (follow power lines).

3. Lodge Farm. Follow waymarkers through farmyard past house. Continue on top edge of field. Cross stile to next field, continue on track between banks. Keep straight to field end. MT bears left to signpost on edge of Bircher Common, but you must leave MT here. TR up green lane between fences. At wooden gate go through to continue on hollow way.

4. Forest Entrance (Dionscourt Hill/Yeld's Hill). There are several paths. TR along top edge passing small concrete pillar in the field, a trig point (once used by the OS for surveying). Pass end of field on right. Continue on forest path. At wide track TL along track for short distance. A Footpath crosses diagonally. See waymarkers? TR on the path. At tiny clearing a waymarker is hidden between gorse and hazel bushes at time of writing. Find it, continue. See section of wooden fence on your right at edge of forest. Cross over this 'stile' (see marker) to field with solitary house on far side. Continue by hedge to field end.

5. Woodcock Hall. Go through gate 'above' house, bear left downhill by fence past entrance to house. Keep by fence briefly, bear right to lowest corner of field. Cross stile to wood. Follow enchanting woodland path down Woodcock Hill. TR on lane.

6. Waterloo Junction. TR to Orleton passing caravan park. At Broad Green Farm on left, TL at Footpath sign by gate. Pass barn on right then Cider Mill Cottage. Cross stile. Follow path on edge of fields to B4361 road.

7. Portway. Cross road, go through gate, bear diagonally right over arable field as indicated. Cross stile and bridge to sports field. Here you may bear right past pavilion to return to village hall. Otherwise, to see church etc, TL, follow wide track through wood. At clearing pass seat, TR to walk between trees towards houses. Cross wide bridge over brook. Pass electricity sub-station. At road TL, TR. (Head for church spire). Continue on Mortimer Drive to main street. TL. Walk as far as handsome stone barn. Cross road and make your way to churchyard gate.

8. Church of St. George, Orleton. Have a good look around. When you are ready, leave through modern wooden gates near the lamppost. Follow path between hedges, which continues as Church Lane. Take first footpath on right, between hedges. TL along street to:

9. Boot Inn. Can you spot the tiny house at the rear? Continue via path which starts from far end of pub car park - see gap in corner by brick wall. At Millbrook Close TL, TR at junction. Return to village hall.