Hergest Ridge

Hergest Ridge is a long hill straddling the England–Wales border near Kington in Herefordshire and Gladestry in Powys. Its highest point reaches 426 metres and the ridge is listed as a Marilyn because of its 157.6-metre prominence. The Offa’s Dyke Path runs along the top, giving walkers easy access from the road above Hergest Croft Gardens. During the Second World War the hill was ploughed for crops, but today it is rough grazing land dotted with bracken and gorse. The ridge holds two unusual features. Eight monkey-puzzle trees were planted in 1988 by gardener Phil Wright for landowner Richard Banks after Banks saw the species in the Andes. A circular Victorian racecourse, used between 1825 and 1846, still lies visible on the hillside. Horse races continued here until about 1880, attracting local gentry and farmers who enjoyed the wide views. At the summit a group of boulders marks the spot while a trig point stands 230 metres to the west. Archaeologists found prehistoric cairns and wartime training remains on the common in 2007. The ridge also inspired Mike Oldfield’s album Hergest Ridge, recorded nearby at his home The Beacon.