If this is the year you plan to get out of the house and spend more time getting some fresh air and exercise there is plenty of opportunity in our local countryside – and many enthusiastic local groups here to help you and keep you company along the way.
Having lived up north, I always favoured a walk with ramblers who regularly use public transport to devise great walks, for example Dales Bus Ramblers, and nowadays on the Welsh borderland, with Rail Rambles (Shrewsbury) and the Sunday Hay Ho! service in Herefordshire.
So it was quite a moment when I learned that the Ross Walking Group decided to get behind the new232 Ledbury-Ross-n-Wye bus service known affectionately as the Daffodil Line or Daff for short.
The group trialled a few bus walks from the Daff in 2023 and feedback was promising; people liked the benefit of sitting back and enjoying the countryside as well as being able to explore more interesting linear routes. That is the beauty of the bus walk, there’s no need to circle back to a car park. The positive response has encouraged walk leaders Roy and Pauline to devise a programme of walks for 2024 featuring the Daffodil Line.
The first walk in January was a five miler from Hill Top to Ross via Hartleton Lake, Kingstone and Bollitree. The turnout was good and feedback again very positive, so “Daff Walks” will continue throughout the year.
The leaders almost always use the 1010 bus out of Ross and walk 5-10 miles, before returning on an afternoon service.
They want people to enjoy the countryside so the pace is steady with plenty of time to admire the surroundings and heritage sites. The Ross Walking Group has been in business for four decades now and has over 120 members so you’re in good company with an experienced walk leader.
Pauline and Roy also stress that the walks are not just for Ross residents; they are often joined by walkers from the villages on the route and also from Newent. So, if your New Year’s resolution was to get out of the house and walk more, then take a look at the Ross Walking Group website https://rosswalkinggroup.co.uk for more details and join up. It is easy to check the dates of Daffodil Bus Walks on the updated programme or look on the forward plan section. You’ll be made welcome when you walk down the Line.
