The 2023 Ross Walking Festival (29 Sept to 1 Oct) is bigger and better than ever before, with a really diverse programme of 30 guided special interest walks for all abilities.
The aim of the Festival is to promote local walking for both local people and visitors from afield to encourage greater exploration and enjoyment of the town and surrounding area.
There are easy ambles – learning to take better photographs, identifying riverside birds, sampling a cream tea or local perry and discovering local history and nature, as well as slightly more strenuous strolls!. All walks are led by informed and enthusiastic people with a fount of local knowledge.
As a Festival organising team we are lucky to have a pool of really knowledgeable and enthusiastic walk leaders to draw on. They have real specialisms and interests in a diversity of things and this knowledge makes going on a guided walk so much more satisfying and fun.
As an accredited Walkers are Welcome town, our team of organisers try to promote public transport where possible. Although the Daffodil Line was not up and running when this year’s programme was finalised there are two walks that specifically promote bus use; and 11 walks accessible with the Daffodil line from Ledbury and the communities along the route. I always feel that going out for the day without a car, being able to just walk/ bus somewhere makes me feel as if I am on holiday and adds something special.
Walk 2, one of my real favourites takes the bus out from Ross to Hoarwithy and walks back to the town, exploring four very different churches and their foibles en route, crossing the River Wye 3 times, and following some great footpaths through our amazing countryside and farms. This route is part of the Long Distance Herefordshire Trail that encircles the county for 150 miles and is very popular with walkers who know about it
The Festival programme has many walks starting in central Ross, as well as walk 12 from Gorsley and walk 18 from Much Marcle,. which are all accessible via the Daffodil Line.
If you’ve not already walked with the Ross Walking Festival, maybe now is the time to see what is on offer and spread the word far and wide!
Choose your walks and book your tickets at: https://walkinginross.co.uk/festival/
Who do I contact to talk about the walking routes? I’m interested but as a bisually impaired person, I do’t know the Ros area.