20/03/11 - Queenswood Park

Distance - 6.7 Miles
From - Country Walking Magazine - March 2002
Geocaches - 2
Animals observed - Hares, Rabbits, Sheep, Ducks, Cows, Geese, Pheasants and Molly the Dog.

Queenswood Park at EveryTrail


This walk has been on the list for a while.  It's a 45 minute drive to a country park between Leominster and Hereford.  The weather is good, I am up early, Alex has no football, so I might as well get on with it.

First bonus of the day is the free parking.  This is a nice touch and the Wyre Forest ought to take note, instead of whacking a 100% increase on their prices.

Queenswood Park is 67 Acres of rare trees.... I couldn't see them for the woods but you can read about them here - Queenswood Park.  First cache of the day is behind one of them - a Wellingtonia according to the cache name and sign.

The woods are good walking - soon reach an observation post for a photo opp and keep heading west towards Westhope.  After a mile or so, come out of the forest onto flat farm land all the way into Westhope.

Observation Post Photo

Westhope is a tiny hamlet, and I skim the edges of it before getting out onto Westhope Common, where Molly gets the chance to play with a terrier puppy.  This results in the owner trying to control his dog in a broad herefordshire accent.  As the pup was having none of it, this was much funnier than it sounded.

Unusually for a country walking route - the three miles back was along a country lane.  Only saw one car, so Molly stayed off the lead.  Fortunately, the extensive views back over Queenswood, the clee and malvern hills made up for the monotony.

All road walking on the way back

Eventually come back for a short haul back through the woods.  The great thing about country parks is that they invariably have cafes and this one is no exception.  I knew there was one more cache to find, so I got my (half molly's) sausage sandwich and a cup of tea and sat in a hut to enjoy them.  Then a lad came along with a blue GPS device and mother in tow, so I knew I was close to GZ.  They went off hunting, but I could see the clue and a first, I managed to find one w/o the use of my own GPS.  Pointed them in the right direction.

Another fine spring day and another CW walk knocked off.  Even if it was from a magazine from 9 years ago!