| Great Escapes: Hereford & Worcester 1 |
| Black & white trail |
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The northwest corner of Herefordshire is home to a number of towns and villages which are littered with timber-framed buildings. In the main, the buildings date back hundreds of years, but where appropriate, modern developments have been designed to maintain the overall ‘olde worlde’ effect. New or old, they are the inspiration for the ‘Black and White Trail’.
The trail starts and finishes at Leominster. It is a circular tour, around 40 miles long, but many of the places involve minor detours. It’s worth obtaining leaflets (from tourist information centres) about the two main towns, Leominster and Kington, through which the trail passes so you can identify the car parks. Also, The Black & White Village Trail booklet is a handy companion which costs 75p from tourist information centres. We’ve picked our favourite
villages along the route, but just because a town is not mentioned here doesn’t mean it’s not worth a visit.
1 LEOMINSTER
Leominster dates back to the seventh century. One of its most impressive buildings is the Priory Church, in Church Street. Although not part of the Black and White Trail, the church is worth visiting. Among the items on display here is a ducking stool, last used in the early 19th century.
The best black-and-white buildings can be found in the centre of the town. The ones in Corn Square are some of the best since you can view them from
a distance, as opposed to the others which are in the narrow streets nearby.
2 DILWYN
Dilwyn lies down a road off the A4112, about six miles outside Leominster. Just after passing the rather impressive village church on your right, you reach a green that is surrounded by black-and-white houses and cottages. When the sun shines, it’s easy to imagine that it was the inspiration for a thousand
postcards, calendar and jigsaw puzzle illustrations.
3 WEOBLEY
Weobley is justifiably proud of the fact that it was chosen as ‘Village of the Year’ by The Daily Telegraph in 1999. As you approach it, you pass the old
workhouse and then a pink-and-black house, before turning right into the main street. This is divided into two carriageways at the top end by a small, walled green in which there is an unusual metal sculpture of a bird.
Until 1943, the village could boast even more black-and-white houses than it has now. Sadly in that year, a disastrous fire destroyed a number of them. However, sufficient remain to make a visit well worth the effort.
4 EARDISLEY
The village of Eardisley lies near the south-west
corner of the trail. To reach it, turn right off the A4112 onto the A4111 and then left into the village.
In addition to the black-and-white houses which line the main street, the church is also worth a visit to view the font dating back nearly 1000 years: on it is a depiction of a dramatic incident in the history of the Baskerville family. The name Baskerville will forever be associated with Sherlock Holmes and The Hound of the Baskervilles, and it is believed that author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle drew his inspiration from a local ghost story of a black hound said to haunt the area around Eardisley and Kington.
At the end of the main street is Tram Square which takes its name from the horse-drawn trams which ran from Brecon to Kington in the early 19th century. It’s worth taking the minor road from Tram Square, signposted Woodseaves, and driving about a mile until you see a small chapel on the right. Turn here, and in about 30 yards you come to the Great Oak, a tree reputed to be 900 years old.
5 KINGTON
Kington is the mid-point of the Black and White Trail. The visitor centre is on the corner of the High Street and Crabtree Road. The town is situated on the
western side of Offa’s Dyke, built over 1200 years ago to mark the limit of Anglo-Saxon King Offa’s
territory, and the boundary between England and Wales. The town, as well as being part of the Black and White Trail, makes a good base for walking as the surrounding area offers gentle strolls or strenuous hikes.
6 PEMBRIDGE
About half way between Kington and Leominster, Pembridge is possibly the best of the Black and White Trail villages. Its main street has clusters of black-and-white buildings throughout its length. There’s a free car park behind the visitor centre where you can also get light refreshments and gifts. Just off the main street is the church that is worth
visiting for the stone and timber bell tower, which
is completely separate from the church itself.
A pagoda-like building, it houses a clock and five bells and in the Middle Ages was a refuge for the
villagers during Welsh border raids.
7 Eardisland
Eardisland is the last village on the Black and White Trail and is claimed to be the prettiest in Herefordshire. Certainly, the houses that surround the bridge at the end of the main street are of the
picture-postcard variety. Nearby, the 17th-century dovecote has recently been restored and that is where you will find the visitor centre, and opposite is the car park where you’ll see what’s claimed to be the only remaining pre-war AA box.
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Distance 100 miles
Time nine hours
Start/finish Blackmore Caravan Club site, Blackmore End, Hanley Swan
Suitable for Anyone interested in ancient buildings
Tourist information
Leominster
1 Corn Square, Leominster HR6 8LR
Tel 01568 616460
Email Click here
Website Click here
Kington
2 Mill Street, Kington HR5 3BQ
Tel 01544 230778
(Open Easter to September)
Email Click here
Website Click here
Refreshments
The Mill Restaurant Peterchurch HR2 0SF
Tel 01981 550151
Eardisland Tea Room & Gift Shop
Eardisland HR6 9BP
Tel 01544 388226
Attractions
Leominster Folk Museum
Etnam St, Leominster HR6 8AQ
Tel 01568 615186
Sydonia Swimming Pool
Caswell Terrace, Leominster HR6 8BA
Tel 01568 612444
Monkland Cheese Dairy
The Pleck, Monkland HR6 9DB
Tel 01568 720307
Eardisland Dovecote Heritage Centre
Holmlea, Eardisland HR6 9BP
Tel 01544 388226
Small Breeds Farm Park & Owl Centre
Kington HR5 3HF
Tel 01544 231109
Email Click here
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