shenry
Group: Members
Posts: 131
Joined: Oct. 2018 |
|
Posted: July 17 2019, 10:00 |
|
I visited Hergest Ridge on Sunday last week and thought I would share my experience here! Even in these days of global internet communication there is still a lack of information online about it, so I wanted to share some of my experience and what I found.
Basically, the route across the Ridge is via this ancient path called Offa's Dyke, which is signposted as a heritage path.
First off, I would say you are best to take a car. Starting from the Kington town centre it's a bit of a trek to get out to the start of the Ridge. I'd say over a mile of steep uphill walking. We parked near the bottom of Ridgebourne Road (you can park on the street - free parking). But actually you are better driving up Ridgebourne Road as far as you can - right at the top just before the road turns into the Offa's Dyke footpath, there is space to park at the side of the road without blocking it. There were three or four cars there that day. This was a VERY hot and humid day, so having struggled up the road to that point (with a complaining eight year old in tow) it was slightly annoying to realise we could have driven up the hill and parked there....
If back in the day Mike was walking up there from the Beacon (at the other side of Kington) with his gliders, it must have taken him a good couple of hours to reach.
Anyway, once over the stile and on to Offa's Dyke proper, within a couple of minutes walking you are treated to the glorious sights that inspired and soothed Mike so much back in the day. I don't think any of the photos I've seen do true justice to the landscape (certainly not my own photos). It's a cliche but you really have to see it to experience it. The best way to describe the surrounding landscape is "bubbling" or "rolling" - it seems like a big green sea moving around you.
There's a little map at the start of the Offa's Dyke path, and we realised that Gladestry on the other side of the ridge was closer than we thought. So my family (not Oldfield fans....! went back to the car to drive round to Gladestry and meet me there. I estimated a walk of a couple of hours. Difficult to know for sure because I lost track of time, but that was about right I think.
The track from the Kington end isn't too strenuous to be honest, once you get into the rhythm and the steepness of it. I don't think a seasoned hill walker would have any problems at all. At the Gladestry end it's MUCH more steep - be warned - the path also gets rockier so I could imagine a nasty injury if you tripped up while walking down that way.
Overall from Kington to Gladestry it's around four miles I believe.
Soundtrack. I listened to Ommadawn and a selection of Les Penning tunes, which I felt were most evocative of the experience. Also The Path from the Reflection film. I know technically we are supposed to associate the Ridge with the album of the same name, but I had already listened to that on the car on the drive in. Plus I also think Ommadawn has that true pastoral feel that fits this landscape better - and it was actually recorded in Kington when the Hergest Ridge album wasn't.
(I know, why am I posting this in the Hergest Ridge album forum? Well, it just seemed to fit!
All I would say is, when the Ulleian pipes kick in on Ommadawn side two, when you are strolling across a magnificent windy plain with rolling green grassland in every direction... well, it's a real revelation.
I didn't take a map. And I still don't think you really need to. Although there are frequent branches away from the main footpath, you just follow the clearly marked posts and you can't go wrong. But with one caveat - I missed the peak, with the whetstone! I was assuming it would be signposted on the way, or clearly obvious.... but no. Maybe I was just staring into the distance too much, or focusing on the music too much. But sadly I missed it.
The monkey puzzle trees and the wild ponies are hard to miss though!
There's a nice little pub in Gladestry when you reach the other side, which is a welcome sight after a hardy trek like that!
On a side note, I had considered going to see the Beacon as well, but that seemed too disrespectful to the current owner. He's probably fed up with crazy fans turning up on his doorstep.
Anyway, in conclusion I would say that if you are in any doubt then just GO. If you feel a little glum, to Hergest Ridge you truly should come. I'm from Scotland so I'm used to impressive landscapes, but this had something truly magical and timeless about it. Someone more spiritually-aligned than me would be able to sense a real ancient power in the place. Even without the Mike Oldfield association, it's an unforgettable experience. Now one of my favourite places on earth.
|