A paradise for medieval hunters

FIRST, see Deerfold from Lingen in the valley, a picturesque village nestling by the Lime Brook, a lively child of the Lugg.

Parts of the steep western flanks of the Deerfold plateau, rising to 900 feet, can be seen glowing with gorse flower. The ripple of the escarpment's green peaks and cols make it hugely inviting.

Long ago Deerfold was one of Herefordshire's four Royal Forests. The 2,500-acre oak woodland was a popular hunting ground for the Mortimer nobility riding out from Wigmore Castle.

The forest owed its name to the narrow cols or valleys in the escarpment - you will walk down one very good example after leaving point 8 on the route. Here medieval hunters constructed 'hayes' or pens. Deer were driven from the hilltop during the chase and - on a good day - into the fold. ("Venison for supper tonight Doris").

The Domesday Book, describing the lands of Ralph de Mortimer, records: "At Linghan there is half a league of wood and three hayes for taking young deer or kids belonged to him."

Think of Deerfold, think of the chase, but think also of rebels. The Earl of Shrewsbury 'Edric the Forester' took advantage of Deerfold and other border forests to maintain the Saxon cause after the Norman conquest. Mortimer overcame the rebel and was given Deerfold as a reward by King William.

In the 14th century the forest was a refuge for religious dissidents. The Lollards were banned as heretics by the established church. Chapel Farm (north of 6) was the site of their unlicensed forest chapel and burial ground.

Deerfold became a royal domain when Edward Mortimer became King of England following the Battle of Mortimer's Cross in 1461. Change was hastened by the crown's leasing of Deerfold to the ironmasters to fuel Bringewood forge in 1591. Charcoal production intensified to fuel pottery kilns at Grove Head (3), Dickendale (near 6) and other sites.

Clearances for agriculture and disputes over common rights followed. An 1828 enclosure award resulted in the grid of straight roads, hedges and fields. Some of those roads remain as green lanes. Along one of these straight tracks is the Mistletoe Oak (5) a tree so famous it is named on Ordnance Survey maps. It dates from about 1800, and is thus not ancient for oak. But in 1869 the Woolhope Field Club identified it as one of eight known mistletoe-bearing oaks in the country, three of which were in Herefordshire.

In 1984 the mistletoe-bearing branch was blown down. A new, small clump has grown - though it's difficult to spot in the summer months. The oak now has a rival. The ash tree across the track is flaunting a bigger and more visible mistletoe appendage!

Despite the charcoal burners, the agriculturists and the enclosure bid for landscape uniformity the wildness of the forest never seems far away. Thick swathes of woodland plants such as dog's mercury and bluebells (just fading alas) flourish by hedgerows.

The last part of the walk over lush meadows passes an historic site (10), the once moated Lingen castle mound and earthworks of a large rectangular bailey.

LOST FOREST OF DEERFOLD

5 miles: moderate with some steep slopes

OS Map: Explorer 201 (Knighton & Presteigne)

Public transport: Lingen nil, but buses serve Wigmore approx. one mile from point 6.

THE ROUTE

1. Lingen Church. From car park walk churchyard path. TR at church, exit through main gate. TL on road, bear right at junction. Pass pub, TL on path between cottages. Go through gate, follow fence, right, to Lime Brook. Follow brook, TR over footbridge. Continue by brook to cross a stile and three more bridges. TR on path by hillside wood as far as fork.

2. Oldcastle Wood. TL uphill on path through wood. At top edge cross stile to field. Continue uphill to end of wood at top. Go through gateway, downhill on track and through three fields. Cross stile by gate.

3. Grove Head. TR downhill on lane. TR on signposted bridleway crossing small bridge over brook. Follow waymarked path uphill through gates. From fourth gate continue on track, TL at junction, pass farm entrance, continue on green lane to end. Go through gate, continue.

4. Deepmoor Cross. Carry on over the crossroads on ruler straight lane towards the forested hills for just under half a mile. At bend continue ahead on green lane to a point where there are gates and stiles either side of the track.

5. Mistletoe Oak. (Is by gate on right, see notes). Pause awhile. TL over stile and downhill on old track between trees to cross ditch at The Gutters, remnants of old orchard. Go up the slope, TR at fence, bear left down past big oak tree by brook. Cross footbridge and stile to meadow. Walk uphill bearing left of T pole. Go through gate at top, continue. At field end go through gate. Continue ahead past barn. Shortly before field end TR over stile and continue through small scrubby field to lane.

6. Ongar Street. TL and walk lane for three-quarters of a mile to cross roads just past telephone box.

7. Cross of The Tree. TR uphill on the Woodbatch lane passing Deerfold House at the top of the rise. Follow lane down. Shortly before a gate and track on right you must TL through gap in bushes.

8. Deerfold Hill, stile. Cross over, continue briefly down the col in the hillside. When this was forest deer were chased and trapped here (See notes). Bear left on the shoulder of the hill past rowan tree. Continue to bottom of field, cross stile by gate. Go down slope, cross second stile. Bear diagonally left downfield to bottom corner. Cross footbridge over ditch, bear right to follow lower boundary by brook. Cross stile.

9. Birtley Brook, footbridge. Cross, then bear left diagonally across arable field to far corner in direction of houses. Go through gateway, continue by hedge and TL over stile by gate. Continue across field, cross bridge over ditch.

10. Castle Mound. Pass mound and continue towards church tower. Cross stile to churchyard.