“HE’S behind you”. Aware of my pathological fear of Reeves’s pheasants and livestock of any kind, my companion had me worried for a moment; but it was only a cat.

We were in the meadow in front of Sollers Hope Church. The whole area was owned by the Whittington family between 1300 and 1546 and the enduring pantomime character Dick Whittington is based on one of them.

The real Dick had an MP father ,unlike the poor orphan who set off to seek his fortune in London where the streets were said to be paved with gold.

Today all that remains of the Whittingtons’ fortified manor house is a grassy mound in a paddock next to the small 14th century church. The historical one really did travel to London to find work and eventually became a merchant dealing in valuable cloth from overseas, such as silks, velvet and cloth of gold.

By selling these materials in bulk to the royal court, Whittington became wealthy, and was in a position to lend money to three kings: Richard II, Henry IV and Henry V. He served four times as Lord Mayor, although two of the terms of office were back to back. Dick’s elder brother Robert, who is believed to have financed the building of the church, had a son called Guy who commanded a company of archers at Agincourt in 1415.

The area of the Woolhope Dome is a good source of Woolhope, Aymestrey and Wenlock limestone. It was the Romans who developed the process of burning limestone to make lime for use in building as the main ingredient in mortar, concrete, plaster, render and washes. During the Middle Ages the demand for lime increased with the construction of castles, city walls and religious buildings.

Agriculture also created an increase in demand for lime from the late 16th century, as it was spread on fields to reduce the acidity of the soil and so increase the fertility. It made both heavy and light soils easier to work with and helped to suppress weeds.

Lime was also found to prevent blight in hops and clubroot in turnips, once the basic root crop grown in Herefordshire. Many of the farmers with larger landholdings had their own limekilns for this purpose.

There are two kiln sites on our route. They were at the height of their use during the period from 1770 to 1845. In Woolhope we walk up to Harris’s Hill where lime kilns and quarries (near to point 2) were worked by the Winniatt family. Coal to fuel the kilns went up Butcher’s Arms Lane and lime was carted back down in the opposite direction to Court Farm. On the right edge of Lindells Lane below Lyndalls Wood there’s a lime kiln (near point 4) with an overgrown charging hole at the top. “Lindells” is opposite in the meadow once called Lime Kiln Bank.

Lindells or “Stone” Lane leads down from Marcle Ridge to Sollers Hope along a twisting course. The smallscale production of lime in rural areas continued through the 19th and into the 20th century.

Londoners are living to this day in almshouses left to them nearly 600 years ago by the philanthropic, real Whittington – and the stage version is still taking his turn in the limelight.

Oh, yes he is.

THE ROUTE 5¾ mile moderate ramble.

Mostly good terrain. 13 stiles, One stiled footbridge.

Wide bridle and footpaths.

Field margins. Good views.

Road to finish.

Map: OL Explorer 189, Hereford and Ross-on-Wye.

Buses: 453 and 454 to Crown Inn.

1. Woolhope Village Hall.

Walk south away from hall along the right edge of the playing field, through the wooden gate in the R corner, down Woolhope Church path and out through small gate to R of lych-gate. TL along road for Ledbury, Putley and Butcher’s Arms. Just before pub garden, TR along surfaced lane which narrows up bank towards trees of Beans Butts Wood. (Ignore L turn), and keep to R up behind residence.

Go out through wooden gate and a few more paces up bank.

2. Harris’s Hill Marker Post.

At the point where there is a col on the hillside, look for a marker post – which was fallen at the time of writing. TR here (with great views) above the depression, and make way across the high ground towards the L corner ahead of Busland Wood. Cross stile through wood and back out again via gate or stile. Bear slightly L down large pasture.

Cross stile into Hyde Wood, and go slightly R down wide stony path to Hyde Farm.

3. Hyde Farm. TL sharply at the barn down towards another barn. TR in front of 2nd barn through metal gate and bend R and L along farm track. Go through gate and bear R along straight treelined avenue. Cross stile on to lane and TL. Pass up to L of Sapness House, drop a little L and then T sharp R along wide footpath. TL away from Sapness House down over ford and follow L edge/hedge. At a gap and junction, look for marker post a little R and bear R down to R of some mature trees to Greyhill Barn.

4. Lindalls Lane. TR along the wide bridle path past kiln and keep ahead where it becomes surfaced. At the road junction, go straight across over the stile and slightly R in field. Cross stile, drive and stile underneath tree. Make for L corner of meadow, reach stile but don’t cross to road. Instead TR along the old Houet Brook, cross stile into paddock and footbridge into churchyard.

5. Sollers Hope Church. (Pay a visit if you like. TL, from line in, out of churchyard through gate. Go ahead a few paces, don’t cross brook, TR through metal gate into paddock and back out via stile.

Bear R through metal gate, along narrower paddock and cross stile, just R of small brick shed, into pasture. Go ahead to skirt Long Wood (on your R), pass tump and cross stile. Go up L edge/hedge, up over crest and back down over stile. Go ahead over plank bridge. TR about 120m to a marker post. Bear L past t-pole, over stile on to road.

TL past Croose Farm.

6. Road Island. TL along the road all the way back up to Woolhope. Cross road, up through churchyard and so back to village hall.