MERRILY the myth is perpetuated.

Herefordshire’s Alfred Watkins conceived the idea of leylines “while riding across the hills near Bredwardine”.

It is regularly trotted out that the sudden inspiration came to him somewhere in the airy reaches of Dorstone or Merbach Hill.

Indeed the cromlech known as Arthur’s Stone lends a satisfying mystique and intrigue to the location, and Watkins did decide that two ancient trackways ran straight through it. But the stark reality is rather different: Watkins was sitting in his car at Blackwardine crossroads.

The former Roman settlement is on high ground between Stoke Prior and Humber, about three miles south-east of Leominster. Sadly, there’s no bewitching cromlech, but there is a cattery.

And apart from the aptly named dwelling called Fairview, that’s about all, really. Yet the not-totally-inspiring crossroads which we reach at point 4 on our walk is where it all happened.

The sixty-five-year-old man was perusing his ordnance survey map and gazing north-west towards the ridge of Croft Ambrey hill fort.

At this point, on June 30, 1921, the revelation occurred. Suddenly, as his son Allen confirmed, the scales fell from Watkins’s eyes and his mind was flooded with a rush of images forming one coherent plan.

The realisation came to him that over many long years of prehistory, all trackways had been marked out in straight lines by experts on a sighting system.

So the first leyline ever discovered was actually The Blackwardine Ley. Its line ran, according to Watkins, from an initial point on top of Croft Ambrey, down Croft lane, through the Broad, a hamlet south of Luston, and on to Blackwardine crossroads.

From here it went over Risbury Camp all the way to the Roman station on the high ground of Homend Bank at Stretton Grandison.

As for the Iron Age fort of Risbury Camp, even though the walk takes us straight below the bank and ditch on its steeper western approach, it is remarkable for its anonymity. Because of its tree-clad nature and unusually lowlying position below more imposing heights, if it wasn’t marked on the map, you wouldn’t know it was there. As you walk from Risbury Camp (2) to Blackwardine cross (4) and try to keep an awareness of the camp’s position behind you (if you can’t think of anything better to do!), you will probably lose track of it.

If you stand on the bank at Blackwardine cross by the “Give Way”

sign, and look through the gap in the hedge, Lo! the (ley)line north-west to Croft Ambrey can be descried.

But if you nip behind yourself to the direction post on the other side and stand on the bank (don’t try this at home), where exactly is Risbury Camp?

So it’s safe to conclude from the lay of the land, at this Blackwardine vantage point, that Alfred Watkins was heavily reliant on his map.

It’s also a certainty that Croft Ambrey itself would offer a better perspective of the sighting points along the 20 miles to Stretton Grandison.

Though Blackwardine represents the seat of the conception of “The Old Straight Track” theory, it doesn’t capture the imagination for too long.

Similarly, Risbury and Humber are somewhat off the beaten track for walkers.

The five-mile moderate ramble investigating this unheralded area is across rolling countryside.

Some of the field paths are quite testing during the growing season, but none of the gradients which also visit the Humber and Holly brooks are too demanding.

Whatever you make of leylines, positioning Watkins at Blackwardine gives final deliverance from the Bredwardine befuddlement.

Risbury, Blackwardine and Humber: Country lanes, brooks and field paths, some quite testing. A five-mile moderate ramble. Map: OL Explorer 202, Leominster and Bromyard. Public transport: Bus no. 426.

THE ROUTE 1. Risbury Village Hall. Park tidily by village hall and with hall to your R, go straight ahead over crossroads westwards (and not to Bodenham or Popland). Pass end of speed limit sign and drop down along tree-canopied road. Pass “Gate House”, bend R, up to junction, TR and descend to pond just beyond old mill house.

2. Risbury Bridge. Just before bridge, TR along signed footpath, over stile in metal railings.

Pass marker post, bear R through gate with tree-clad hillfort (Iron Age) up to your R.

Stay to R of Humber Brook through pasture, over stile, through (possibly nettled) copse, and out via stiled footbridge to follow hedge in front of you up to R between it and the building called Gob’s Castle.

3. Gob’s Castle. 100 metres beyond building TL through waymarked gate. Now go half R over crest of large crop field down to far R corner and cross brook (in trees) via stiled footbridge.

TL, go into trees for 20 metres and TR through gate.

Follow narrow path through trees and bear L to exit trees via gated footbridge. Bear R, briefly, then bear L up bank, pass marker post, keep to R edge of crop field beyond stile on R and TR through wooden gate into next crop field. Go half L on to road via stile. Keep on same line across junction towards Stoke Prior, between Ashcroft and Glencroft, and at Stoke Prior sign, TR for school.

Bend to R.

4. Blackwardine Crossroads.

This is where Alfred Watkins “discovered” leylines. With “Fairview” 75m to your L (ignore) and instead go straight ahead along “No Through Road” all the way to Humber Church. (Blackwardine Roman settlement was up to your L).

Opposite church lych-gate TL along path signed towards Humber Court Farm. Keep bending R, then TR for 30m to pass through a gate (L) just beyond a barn. Go slightly L up long pasture to far L corner and through waymarked gate.

Follow L edge/hedge of next (crop) field to cross gated footbridge in bottom L corner.

5. Bridle Path. TL along possibly difficult L edge of large field, through gate in L corner, next L edge and go through gate at end, 30m in from L corner. Go straight ahead across strip in next field, ahead through next gate, L edge, through next gate, L edge, further bridlemarked gate, up bank, through gate (L of buildings) and ahead along lane, still ahead on permissive path into Buckland farm buildings forecourt.

6. Buckland. 50 metres beyond a weather vane on roof to your R, TR (unsigned) between barns and into canopy of trees. Bear R through gate into open field, passing just to R of a corner sticking out at you, and pick up L edge/hedge, and go slightly L to to find gate in L corner. Go through and descend quite sharply just to R of tree in field below you. Cross Holly brook via low bridge and gate, climb L edge of huge crop field to find stile up to your L after about 350 metres.

7. “High” Stile. Cross stile and TR on your original line up along old drovers’ lane. Just beyond stile on R (ignore) go through farm gate, bear R by a grid (L) down a track past Gilhorn Cottage, up beyond “Rail Meadow” and Poplands to join surfaced track to Risbury Cross and start.