Mortimer Trail
Encyclopedia
Mortimer Trail is a waymarked long distance footpath and recreational walk in the counties of Shropshire
and Herefordshire
in England
.
family of ruling Marcher Lords, often titled Earl of March
, whose rise through successive generations from Norman
times through the medieval period helped to shape the history and geography of this area of the Welsh Marches
.
The route runs between Ludlow
the old seat of the Council of the Marches
and the site of Ludlow Castle
, a seat of Mortimer power, and Kington, Herefordshire
, in the quiet west of the county near the Welsh
border.
The 30 mile (48 km) long route crosses the River Teme
, enters the Mortimer Forest
upland forest ridge area, passes Croft Castle
, the Iron Age hill fort Croft Ambrey
close to Wigmore, Herefordshire and the initial seat of Mortimer power, passes through quiet Aymestrey
. Near Aymestrey it passes through Puckhouse Wood which was reputed to be haunted by Pucks - or wood sprites Puck (mythology). According to lore, a traveller lost in the wood at night paid a stipend for a bell to be tolled to rescue travellers from the Puck's clutches.
The path crosses the River Lugg
and the River Arrow
and ends in Kington, Herefordshire
.
Five loop walks depart from and return to the main waymarked trail at various points along the route, enabling investigation of surrounding attractions, villages and features. The Mortimer Trail Official Route Guide details these.
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
and Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
The route
The route is named after the MortimerMortimer
Mortimer is a popular English name, used both as a surname and a given name.- Norman origins :The origin of the name is almost certainly Norman, but the details are disputed....
family of ruling Marcher Lords, often titled Earl of March
Earl of March
The title The Earl of March has been created several times in the Peerage of Scotland and the Peerage of England. The title derived from the "marches" or boundaries between England and either Wales or Scotland , and was held by several great feudal families which owned lands in those border...
, whose rise through successive generations from Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
times through the medieval period helped to shape the history and geography of this area of the Welsh Marches
Welsh Marches
The Welsh Marches is a term which, in modern usage, denotes an imprecisely defined area along and around the border between England and Wales in the United Kingdom. The precise meaning of the term has varied at different periods...
.
The route runs between Ludlow
Ludlow
Ludlow is a market town in Shropshire, England close to the Welsh border and in the Welsh Marches. It lies within a bend of the River Teme, on its eastern bank, forming an area of and centred on a small hill. Atop this hill is the site of Ludlow Castle and the market place...
the old seat of the Council of the Marches
Council of the Marches
The Council of Wales and the Marches was a regional administrative body within the Kingdom of England between the 15th and 17th centuries, similar to the Council of the North...
and the site of Ludlow Castle
Ludlow Castle
Ludlow Castle is a large, partly ruined, non-inhabited castle which dominates the town of Ludlow in Shropshire, England. It stands on a high point overlooking the River Teme...
, a seat of Mortimer power, and Kington, Herefordshire
Kington, Herefordshire
Kington is a market town and civil parish in Herefordshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,597.-Location:Kington is near the Wales-England border and, despite being on the western side of Offa's Dyke, has been English for over a thousand years. The town is in the...
, in the quiet west of the county near the Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
border.
The 30 mile (48 km) long route crosses the River Teme
River Teme
The River Teme rises in Mid Wales, south of Newtown in Powys, and flows through Knighton where it crosses the border into England down to Ludlow in Shropshire, then to the north of Tenbury Wells on the Shropshire/Worcestershire border there, on its way to join the River Severn south of Worcester...
, enters the Mortimer Forest
Wyre Forest
Wyre Forest is a large, semi-natural woodland and forest which straddles the borders of Worcestershire and Shropshire, England.The Wyre Forest district of Worcestershire takes its name from the forest, despite the fact that much of the woodland does not lie within the district's boundaries, but...
upland forest ridge area, passes Croft Castle
Croft Castle
Croft Castle is a manor house and associated buildings near the village of Yarpole in Herefordshire, England some to the north-west of Leominster .-11th century origin:...
, the Iron Age hill fort Croft Ambrey
Croft Ambrey
Croft Ambrey is a British Iron Age hill fort in northern Herefordshire close to the present day county border with South Shropshire.- Location :...
close to Wigmore, Herefordshire and the initial seat of Mortimer power, passes through quiet Aymestrey
Aymestrey
Aymestrey is a village in north-western Herefordshire, England.- Location :It is located on the A4110 road, about 7 miles north-west of Leominster and 8 miles south-west of the historic market town of Ludlow, in south Shropshire...
. Near Aymestrey it passes through Puckhouse Wood which was reputed to be haunted by Pucks - or wood sprites Puck (mythology). According to lore, a traveller lost in the wood at night paid a stipend for a bell to be tolled to rescue travellers from the Puck's clutches.
The path crosses the River Lugg
River Lugg
The River Lugg , rises near Llangynllo, Powys. It flows through the border town of Presteigne, Wales then through Herefordshire, England, including the town of Leominster, south of which it is met by a tributary, the River Arrow, then to a confluence with the River Wye, which it joins at Mordiford,...
and the River Arrow
River Arrow (Wales)
The River Arrow is a river in the Welsh Marches, rising in Powys in Wales, then flowing into the English county of Herefordshire.It rises near Gwaunceste Hill, then flows south-east through Newchuch and Michaelchurch-on-Arrow. It forms a short section of the England/Wales boundary, before flowing...
and ends in Kington, Herefordshire
Kington, Herefordshire
Kington is a market town and civil parish in Herefordshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,597.-Location:Kington is near the Wales-England border and, despite being on the western side of Offa's Dyke, has been English for over a thousand years. The town is in the...
.
Five loop walks depart from and return to the main waymarked trail at various points along the route, enabling investigation of surrounding attractions, villages and features. The Mortimer Trail Official Route Guide details these.