THE Llama’s meadow, we heard when leaving Len Gee’s, is down by the ‘little packhorse’ bridge.

Seemed to make sense, so to gain an idea of its location on the plain below where the raging River Frome runs into the Lugg, the climb up to Swardon viewpoint is rewarded by a fine perspective.

The grassy path beneath Backbury Hill is an easy stretch of ridge in the pheasant country above Cockshoot and Old Sufton. Drop through the trees of the Grove to reach the cyclistfree pavement in Mordiford.

On May 27, 1811, the Pentaloe Brook, opposite, was swollen to a width of 180 feet and a depth of 20 feet by a tremendous storm. A large barn, a cider mill and an adjoining cottage on the road to Woolhope were swept away.

The miller William Husbands, his niece Ann Evans, Elizabeth Greenly and her infant child Jemima were drowned in the tragedy.

Beyond the church, the Lugg joins the Wye just downstream from the picture postcard setting of 1352 Mordiford Bridge.

Though you won’t receive a pair of silver spurs for crossing the bridge like the kings of old, the turn upstream is on to an agreeable levee which now shoulders part of the Wye Valley Walk.

On the other side of the River Lugg, a pigeon-house marks the site of Old Sufton, formerly the family seat of the Herefords.

The bank below the newer Sufton Court and the road to Dormington has the right kind of abrupt, water-washed character to suggest the existence here of a great bygone lake.

This was the conviction of geologist Mr Merewether, making a presentation to the Woolhope Club in 1877. The whole expanse of flat land under Longworth beyond Weston Beggard and Moreton to Dinmore, as well as Hampton and Rotherwas, the Lugg Meadows and the low stretch below Holme Lacy to a dam at Capler, was once completely submerged in water, he said.

Our present raised path crosses a waterway again on the probable site of Hampton Bishop Mill (6). Dating back to the 17th century, it stood on the Back Brook, which has the right position and structure to have served as a millleat.

From here Lower Mill(ion) Meadow leads us to the little packhorse bridge.

Properly called Hampton Meadow Bridge, this fine brick crossing enabled local inhabitants, especially from Hampton Bishop, to reach strips of land between the Lugg and the Frome.

But the information board warns us of our folly. There aren’t any llamas. Not even an alpaca. Hampton Meadow is a lammas meadow. It's been one since at least the time of Domesday.

Features of a lammas meadow are the divisions of the land into strips belonging to individual owners which are marked by ‘dole stones’.

A commoners’ association controls the grazing rights and, with no cultivation allowed, the meadows are still managed in accordance with medieval methods.

Grazing is forbidden between Candlemas (December 2) and Lammas (August 1).

Once the crop of hay has been grown and collected, the meadows are then thrown open for the commoners'

livestock. No more than 15 lammas meadows are left in existence.

The whole area is low-lying and floods regularly. Silt carried by the rivers creates deposits which have developed into a fertile, alluvial soil. The annual crop of hay removes minerals which are replenished by the next winter flood.

The flood, in turn, attracts flocks of gulls and ducks such as mallard, teal and wigeon.

Sometimes there are Bewick's swans from the Russian Arctic. But no llamas.

Priors Frome, Mordiford and Longworth.

Lanes, meadows, ridge, rivers and bridges.

A varied 4.25-mile moderate walk.

Map: OS Explorer 189, Hereford & Ross-on- Wye.

1. Yew Tree Inn at Priors Frome, upper (eastern) car park. With your back to the entrance, TL past telephone box, then TR sharply up minor road signed Checkley, Woolhope and picnic area.

Climb up past Youth Club to car park and steps to viewpoint (R).

2. Swardon Viewpoint. Return down steps, with back to viewpoint, briefly re-join Checkley road, but leave immediately, not down bridle path, but, a few paces before metal gate, TL up Mordiford Loop. At wooden signpost, TR over stile for Checkley Barn Picnic Site. Now keep going straight ahead along grassy avenue. Cross a stile and bear slightly R up to cross stile by gate on crest. Bear R along R edge/fence through waymarked gap to follow L edge/fence (Aconbury Hill on front horizon), dropping to cross stile into trees bottom L, by a gap to L. Gently descend ahead over cross track, bend R more steeply down, bend L in front of fence down three wooden steps on to gravel track. TR behind Rock House down to Woolhope road.

3. Mordiford. TR on wide pavement, Pentaloe Brook opposite, and at end of black railings, TR up 12 concrete steps, through kissing-gate. Go through five gates, along school’s fenced footpath, and cross road to opposite pavement. TL 30 metres, then TR through churchyard, bottom gate and bear R over Mordiford Bridge, thus crossing the Lugg.

4. Mordiford Bridge. At far R end of bridge, TR over stile marked Three Choirs Way, bend R and climb stile on to levee. TL, with Hampton Bishop church over to L, and Sufton R, and bend L on levee. Straighten, through metal gate, along fenced path, Lugg 100 metres to your R, bend R behind a corrugated barn, and emerge into space beyond dwelling. Ignore lane going L into Hampton Bishop to reach a metal gate a few paces ahead.

5. Three Choirs Gate. Keep ahead along L edge behind stone barn to stile and path junction. Do not cross stile, TR and follow L edge/ hedge towards Back Brook through a gate, R of pond. 70 metres beyond pond, pass a fence corner and ignoring low stile (R), TR to 2nd concrete bridge.

6. Concrete bridge. The Old Hampton Bishop Mill area. Cross Back Brook, read information board, and bear L across Lower Mill(ion) Meadow to reach Hampton Meadow Bridge.

7. Hampton Bridge. TR to cross Lugg and bear L to the bend in the river. Bear R (E.N.E) to the telegraph poles, over low, small concrete bridge, initially along water runlet, 200 metres to next information board. Go through bridle gate, R of board, to pass quietly beyond Hares Hatch via rusty gate. (Old Longworth Chapel stood on a moated site by the Frome over to the R, before being moved to Bartestree Convent in 1869-70). Follow puzzling avenue, with view to Longworth Hall, as far as lane.

8. Longworth. TR from Old Longworth into Larport Lane. Cross Frome by Longworth Mill. Now keep going along lane past cattery and hop kilns of Larport Farm. Cross road, very carefully, up lane ahead signed Checkley and bend L away from Sufton Lane to take lower fork back to Yew Tree (Len Gees). Ask for Llama.