THE Roman precursor of a road atlas was the Antonine Itinerary. Published in the second century, it outlined 225 routes across the Roman Empire.

Ariconium, lying between modern Weston-under-Penyard and Bromsash, stood at the centre of a network of roads leading to all parts of Britain.

Routes XII and XIII ran through Herefordshire, and the latter connected Glevum (Gloucester) to Blestium (Monmouth) passing via Ariconium.

The course which this artery took coincides with the path we take around the south-east perimeter of Penyard Park.

From here it probably turned west into the Castlebrook Valley through Walford, across the Wye at Goodrich, and then on to Monmouth via Whitchurch.

In later, medieval, times the south-facing Penyard Castle, in ruins on top of the park, commanded the route leading through the valley towards Goodrich ferry.

When the upper reaches of Penyard Park were used to retain deer for the hunt, a surrounding bank and ditch and a palisade would have been in place to stop the deer from getting out. The line from point three on our route marks the level of this old park boundary as it curves into the Castlebrook Valley; and at some depth below that, in turn, lies the old Roman road.

Frogmore, just after turning back on ourselves, was once the home of Thomas Mayne Reid, an Irish writer of boys' adventure stories. Among the vigorous tales and hairsbreadth escapes which delighted his Victorian readers were The Scalp Hunters, Rifle Rangers and The Headless Horseman.

Any visit which he might have paid in our direction along the field path below Birches Barn to Weston village or St Lawrence's Church would have been to the traditional jingle of bells going: “Stick a goose and dress un, Say the bells of Wessun.”

The A40, which we cross, links Rosson- Wye to Gloucester via Lea, so, from Ariconium, it goes in the same direction as the Antonine route XIII.

At the small hump in the lane on the other side of the main road there is a reminder of another kind of network: Weston Halt marks the line of the Hereford, Ross and Gloucester Railway which opened in 1855 and operated until 1965. Though its influence was slight, its presence may have increased a few of Weston's property values.

In the case of the Old Rectory, dating back to 1691, its price when bought in 1972 by the late rock star Marc Bolan was £67,000.

With Ariconium on his doorstep, the “Roman Merthyr Tydfil”, it was appropriate that a metal guru should make the purchase.

The iron-working settlement is generally held to have occupied about 250 acres either side of the Bromsash to Bollitree lane.

To the south of it there were several stone built structures perhaps suggesting the existence of a villa estate.

Archaeological finds include early Roman brooches, bowl furnaces and a Mark Antony denarius.

To the north, betokened by Hask Barn (point six on our route), iron-smelting furnaces with slag-pits, cinders, hammer scale, coal, charcoal and burnt clay point to the area being the main industrial site. Its most productive period was in the second century.

From Hask Barn, you can get into top gear along the lane leading to the moat and Gothic battlements of Bollitree “Castle” (pictured). The return to the Weston Cross Inn is via an orchard with fine views across Ross-on-Wye to the Black Mountains. The figure of eight nature of the mostly easy walk gives you options.

Weston-under-Penyard, Ariconium, Bollitree.

Wood perimeter, field paths, lanes, views. A five-mile more easy than moderate walk, with two-and-a-half mile options.

Map: Explorer OL14.

The route.

1. Start at Weston Cross Inn, bottom car park, with the landlord’s permission.

TR out of car park, cross busy A40, TL by telephone box up lane passing St Lawrence’s partly Norman church. Bear R through gate, following wide hedge-lined footpath, (past a gate (R) with view to Woolhope Dome), to wood.

2. Penyard Park. When you reach Private Wood notice, take left fork option through the gate into wood, over possibly muddy patch. Fork L again after 60 metres, to follow left perimeter of wood (for two-thirds of a mile altogether). Wave to May Hill.

Drop, climb a little and bend R behind Birches Barn. Take L fork at WUP Jubilee Walk marker post.

Bend L quite steeply down to tarmac.

3. Stile below garage. (Close to line of old Roman road, route XIII). TL over stile into field and follow R lower edge above Frogmore to cross stile in hedge leading down from Birches Barn. After about 200m., cross stile in hedge down to your R and bear L across field towards L edge of school playing fields. At track junction by 2 metal gates, fork L up bank behind dwellings towards church tower. Cross stile underneath telegraph pole, go through kissinggate, and bear L up to cross stile in front of churchyard.

4. Weston-under-Penyard, St Lawrence’s Church. (Visit?) TR down stony path which approaches church to lane at bottom, with school opposite. TL and bear slightly R across A40. Go up lane passing Church View on your L, to reach Weston Halt after 120 metres.

5. Weston Halt. Hump in lane marks line of disused railway. Carry on up lane past Rectory Meadow, to far end of Bollitree Lawns and TR up bank at Public Footpath sign through kissing-gate. Follow R edge below the Old Rectory, then go half L before corner through wooden gate and across stile, 25m. beyond it.

Now on the site of Ariconium, bear L across huge crop field. Head towards light coloured house beyond next field. Cross stile, lane, stile ahead, and bear L along line of telegraph poles in that next field, over stile on to lane.

6. Bromsash-Bollitree lane. Opposite Hask Barn, TL and follow lane quarter of a mile to Bollitree “Castle”.

Just beyond moat and Merrick House bear R at junction towards Phocle Green and Rudhall. Pass “Norbury”, Porch Farm, old dovecote and caravan park to Public Footpath sign opposite set of garages.

7. Black Mountains View. TL off lane into field, stay up to left, and find stile (L) after 160 metres. Cross, TR in orchard and follow R edge through 2 gates all the way down to bottom R end. TL, over line of old railway again, and in just 20 m., TR over stile down pasture, across stile on to lane. TL at Penyard Views, and just beyond The Rock, TR up 7 steps and bank across stile.

8. Bear L across field towards Weston church tower, (Weston Hall lake to R) through gateway across lower edge of pasture to cross stile.

Follow R edge and TR through gate by floodlights, TL before stream, across stile, go along passage and TR on lane for Weston Cross Inn.