Herefordshire Walking Festival 2008 (14th - 22nd June)

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This year’s programme highlights the south west of the county with the Monnow Valley Walk as the featured long distance trail - four good days walking over both weekends from Monmouth to Hay.

With almost sixty guided walks to choose from, there is something for everyone. Learn from the experts with butterflies, bats and birdwatching, archaeology, local lore, land conservation and a very special opportunity to compose better pictures with the help of travel photographer, Nick Meers.

The excellence of local produce comes to the fore when tramping through a cider orchard or vineyard towards a tasting or around an organic farm with the promise of a delicious barbeque lunch to finish off with.

Families have some very special treats – try Walking with Llamas around the Golden Valley, stroking owls and small breeds, discovering minibeasts in a meadow, boatmen, beetles and butterflies or a family walk for toddlers upwards in the grounds of the National Trust’s Brockhampton Estate.

A park ranger will accompany mobility scooter users to point out the flora & fauna of Queenswood Arboretum and sighted guides will help the visually impaired to enjoy art in a sensory garden and the sounds and smells of the rural landscape. Prams, pushchairs and wheelchair users are all invited to celebrate the launch of the Ross Buggy Route, the county’s first circular path expressly designed to iron out the kerbs.

All in all, what better way is there to explore the hidden beauty of the best of English countryside in the care and company of friends.

For your copy of the programme from early February, email walkingfestival@herefordshiretrail.com