27/8/11 - Chase Hill from Ross-on-Wye

Distance - 6.1 Miles
Walking World Insipiration
Caches - 2

Ross on Wye

I can probably fit in two outdoor adventures before I head off to Greece and mutter that "I like it hot, but not too hot".  I'll do one walk and one geocaching.  This is the walk.

Look for a route from Ross-on-Wye.  I have always liked the town and my favourite type of walk is one that ends in a town centre, so that I can feel like a returning hero and have everyone comment on my dog.  She has made herself particularly noticable by rolling in fox poo and marches back into town with her customary smug look on her face.  This will be wiped off once I get her home to the hose.

Find a suitable route from Walking World.  By the choice of those on offer, there is obviously a contributer who lives in the town.  Decide to take the one that goes up Chase Hill before dropping back to the town.

The walk starts at the free parking down by the river.  Soon pick up a high sunken path over the floodplains and take a small detour for a geocache.  Nice easy find, even if I am using a 9 year old GPS that is bouncing all over the place.  How did I ever find a cache with a Mio 168?

Then I have a walk through a housing estate.  From the map, this looks bad, but in truth the path is well hidden from suburbia, so I dont have to speak to anyone washing their car.  The world's cheeriest man is cutting his hedge at the point of the old railway line and I say hello to him.  Then due to me following the railway line, I have to say hello on the way back after meeting a dead end.  And pretend that I meant to do that.

At Tudorville, I can see Chase Hill that i need to climb.  First through a field and so that the Townies can resolve crop related conflicts, the local council have started labeling them.

And they all end up in Robinson's Squash

The path up through the woods is steep and as we are going through woodland, there are no views to be had as a reward.  Paths are fine, but picking the right one is tricky, even with an old GPS.  Pick up the Wye Valley Way and skirt around the hill fort.  

As we drop out to Hill Farm, there is a bench to sit and admire the view.  Made of stone and dedicated to someone who liked their countryside.  This is exactly what I would like as well.  My one request.

Mappiman - 1969 - 20xx - "He said he was ill"

Second cache is tricky due to tree cover, but eventually found with the clue.  Skirt the edges of a Danger Area on the OS Map, although I never found out what the danger was.  Could see it was MOD land, from the sign.  Nice simple return to town, following more paths through housing estates and eventually being delivered to the Church.

The church dominates the area and i have a mooch around.  The cross at the front interests the historian in me.  A monument to the 315 victims of the plague in 1637.

History on your doorstep

The houses over the road from the Church were first renovated in 1575.  Before they all died from the plague.

Medieval DIY

A quick walk through town.  This is not and identikit town centre and there is a farmers market in the square at the top and lots of independent shops and decent looking boozers to have a look at.  Probably should have come back with some home made scones.

Drop down to the river and see the canal launches in progress.  This is a future to-do on the bucket list.  I want to take a Deliverance Style trip along the River Wye.  I know they do organised trips, stopping off at the bigger towns along the River.  Do you think Alex would be interested?

No, you are probably right.

So, things I have learned today.

Its in Herefordshire, not Gloucestershire.
More Ross Facts
The Plague came to town in 1627.
Its the Onion Fayre at Newent on 10/09/11.  You could win the Onion eating contest.