HEREFORDSHIRE hikers will be able be ramble on thanks to a facelift for the popular 136-mile riverside route the Wye Valley Walk.

This month improvements were made to the Glasbury on Wye stretch of the walk – a major tourist attraction for Herefordshire – including a new flight of steps and the replacement of a number of gates.

Local contractors also improved sections of degraded path surface, repaired existing path furniture and cleared windblown tress.

Councillor Rosemarie Harris, Powys County Council’s cabinet member for Countryside Services, said: "We have a rich and diverse landscape and we are blessed with a variety and choice of walking trails which everyone can enjoy.

“The Wye Valley Walk is a flagship route and also an excellent tourist attraction for the county.

“The route helps to bring in visitors from across the county and further afield to boost local trade for both accommodation providers and local communities.

“It is important that we maintain our trails so that residents and visitors are able to access our beautiful countryside.”

Funding for the works has come from Natural Resources Wales and Powys County Council’s Countryside Services team.