Kington’s Spring walking festival returns this month – here’s everything you need to know

Lace up your boots, grab a rucksack and come walking in the superb countryside surrounding Kington and the Mid Wales border.

With 14 walks to choose from there is something for all ages and abilities, with short and long rambles, those featuring dramatic landscapes, local history from the ancient to the industrial, arts, natural history, and of course there will be many excellent town and village pubs along the way.

Kington Walks is made up of a group of local volunteers who are passionate about walking. They organise two annual Walking Festivals, in the spring and autumn, based at Kington which is a great centre for walking, located on the Herefordshire-Radnorshire border at the intersection of the Offa’s Dyke Path with five popular regional trails.

They also lead a community group that looks after local footpaths and run Kington’s Walking for Health scheme.

Kington is a Walkers are Welcome town and Kington Walks was awarded the King’s Award for voluntary service last year.

Some of the walks featured this spring include Hide and Seek, a four mile walk in the Herefordshire countryside through woodland, a nature reserve, quiet lanes, tracks and field paths to finish with an evening meal at Herefordshire Camra’s Pub of the year 2025 – the Olde Tavern.

Led by Geoff Cooper on Friday, April 24, the cost is £22 which includes a main course evening meal.

On Saturday, April 25 there is choice of six walks. One of those is called Mortimer Trail, a 17 mile walk led by Roy Thwaites. It costs £10

The Mortimer Trail is a 30 mile linear waymarked route between Kington and Ludlow. This first section follows a succession of hills and ridges and crosses the valleys of the rivers Arrow and the Lugg. It is a walk through the history of the Marches and the Mortimers encompassing landscape, history and wildlife of this ancient frontier land.

Victoria Cross Memorial Trail is a four and a half mile walk led by Kevin Robinson costing £5.

It was created to commemorate the life of Allan Leonard Lewis VC. This humble yet brave man performed extraordinary acts of courage in the closing weeks of the Great War and was killed on the 21st September 1918. The Victoria cross was presented to his parents at Buckingham Palace in 1919 by HM King George V.

This circular trail follows a route which links the significant locations within the parishes of Whitney on Wye and Brilley, where Allan Lewis, lived, worked, and played.

The farmer/military historian Gareth Pugh, who was responsible for the creation of the Victoria Cross trail will provide some valuable insight into the life and times of Allan Lewis and introduce the group to local Herefordshire farming techniques.

Over Bradnor Hill with magnificent 360 degree views is a four mile walk led by Paul Finch. It costs £11 including lunch.

It is a circular walk with stunning views followed by lunch at Kington Golf Club.

Sunday also presents walkers with a choice of six outings.

Radnor Forest Ramble is a nine mile walk led by Nigel Sheath and it costs £7

Radnor Forest was an ancient hunting ground of moorland and scrub until a large part of it was planted by the then Forestry Commission in the 1920s.

This walk takes in both the forested area and the remaining open moorland in roughly equal amounts.

A Touch of Knill Magic starts at 10am and is an eight mile walk led by Dean Benbow. It also costs £7.

It is a fine walk with lovely views, historical interest and varied walking through field paths and woodland, taking in short section of the Offa's Dyke path.

It takes in the village of Knill, which was one of just 53 villages in England and Wales where none of the men were killed in the 1st World War and so is known as a "thankful" settlement.

Along the tracks to Lyonshall, Elsdon and Rhodds Wood is a four mile walk led by Paul Finch costing £12.50 including lunch.

The walk starts by following the disused Kington to Leominster railway, which in part follows the older Tramway and initially parallel to the river Arrow. The route goes through Park Wood and onto Lyonshall Church and ruins of a castle.

With legs well exercised there will be a chance to exercise the brain at a quiz on Saturday night at 7.30pm at Kington Bowling Club at 7.30pm. The cost is £5 per person including a light buffet and a maximum of six people are needed for a team. There will be cash prizes.

Kington Walks will again be running a Photography Competition across the Spring and Autumn Festivals. More details will follow soon.

For more information and to book a place on any of the walks visit https://www.kingtonwalks.org