End: Black Hill ← Start: Broadway
Stage 4 of the 52°N walk leaves the Cotswolds south of Broadway, crosses the Severn into cider-making Herefordshire, then across the Wye Valley up to the Welsh Border at Black Hill.
After the Cotswolds, this stage goes through two AONBs – the Malvern Hills and the Wye Valley:
Picture source: Geograph website (Chase End Hill in the Malvern Hills AONB)
Picture source: Geograph website (viewpoint at Capler in the Wye Valley AONB)
The amazing places on 52°N in Stage 4 (shown as red boxes on the map above) are:
Day 1 – a heritage railway centre (Toddington Station on the GWSR)
Picture source: Loving the Cotswolds website
Day 2 – an ancient abbey (Tewkesbury)
Picture source: Tewkesbury Abbey website
Day 3 – a steam rally and cider mill (Much Marcle & Westons)
Picture sources: Much Marcle Steam Rally and Guide2 Herefordshire websites
Day 4 – an Iron Age and Roman hill fort (Aconbury Camp)
Picture source: Geograph website
Day 5 – a literature-inspiring landscape (Golden Valley)
Picture source: Daily Mail website
Day 6 – a novel-inspiring hill (Black Hill)
Picture source: The Bridge Inn Michaelchurch Escley website
These different places illustrate different important aspects of British history: rail transport, religion, steam, defence and literature.
Use the Stages menu above, or the links below, for details of each day’s walk:
Stage 4 Day 0 – Wed 17 Jul: Travel by train from Wokingham to Moreton-in-Marsh (for Broadway)
Stage 4 Day 1 – Thu 18 Jul: Broadway to Beckford
Stage 4 Day 2 – Fri 19 Jul: Beckford to Rye Street
Stage 4 Day 3 – Sat 20 Jul: Rye Street to Much Marcle
Stage 4 Day 4 – Sun 21 Jul: Much Marcle to Aconbury
Stage 4 Day 5 – Mon 22 Jul: Aconbury to Michaelchurch Escley
Stage 4 Day 6 – Tue 23 Jul: Michaelchurch Escley to Black Hill, then walk down to Hay-on-Wye and return by bus and train from Hereford to Wokingham