YOU don’t need to be a “spin doctor”

to extol the virtues of the middle Wye Valley. Backney Common, Strangford and the hamlet of Foy are perched on a strip of land which reaches out into one of the more sinuous stretches of the twisting river.

Our sedate walking loop wanders around to a grassy promenade on the right bank in an area particularly noted for its barbel.

Though Foy has usually been a quiet outpost scattered on either side of the river, the advent of the train once ushered in a slightly more bustling era.

From 1855 the familiar pursuits of hunting and shooting were carried out to the accompaniment of shunting and hooting. On June 1, the Hereford, Ross and Gloucester Railway opened to a fanfare of trumpeting and firing of cannon.

Five thousand excited onlookers turned out in Ross to welcome the inaugural special train conveying representatives of the Great Western Railway from Gloucester to Hereford.

Sadly the great engineer Brunel was unable to join in the festivities and tendered his apologies from the celebratory dinner held in Hereford’s Green Dragon hotel. Altready ailing, he was destined to die of fatigue four years later at the age of 53.

Beyond the point where the Wye embarks on an extravagant S-shaped journey from Ballingham to Backney, it had been necessary to install three bridges in the space of three miles. Each of them, at Ballingham, Strangford and Backney had consisted of five tall masonry piers and six spans, originally of timber.

The middle pier of the middle bridge at Strangford collapsed in the flood of 1947 about ten minutes after a goods train passed over it. When steam travel was at its height, seven trains a day were clattering “with-a-with-a-wild fling”

through the valley.

The fourteen remaining piers still stand at the three crossings of the river, though shorn of their trusses after Doctor Beeching gave a “short back and sides” to the line in 1965.

The southernmost sentinel of the three is to be found below the picnic area and ample park from where the mostly level walk commences. The country lane rises very gently to an airy open stroll beyond Strangford Farm with good views ahead to How Caple in the company of the lark ascending.

The pedestrian bridge (at point 5 below) leading to Hole-in-The-Wall was built from public subscription originally in 1876 before replacement in 1921 following its own flood-induced collapse two years earlier.

It seems that before the footbridge there once existed a tunnel under the Wye just a little upstream which linked a cellar at the former Ingestone House to Court Farm on the opposite side. The strong tradition holds that the subway was created for the convenience of two religious houses which were close to the two banks of the river. Large stones found in the garden at the Hole-in-The- Wall farm may have formed part of a building which housed the Brampton Abbots.

Anyway, a young man from the locality set out to explore the tunnel with his dog. Somewhere near the middle of it either his courage failed him or his progress to the other end was blocked by some obstruction. So the man and his dog were forced to retrace their steps.

Back up at Brick End, directly above the bridge, Peter, now Baron, Mandelson of Foy spent many of his weekends in the 1980s entertaining guests such as Mo Mowlam and Tony Blair.

Where he was conceiving a turn for the country to the left, our walk spins down to the right. Unlike the young man before him, he may not have known about the tunnel under the river. Or about any prints in the darkness.

herefordtimes.com/news THE HEREFORD TIMES, Thursday, August 19, 2010 27 Through the past darkly THE ROUTE.

1. Backney Bridge Picnic place. GR 583 272. Before setting out, pick your spot for later refreshments by the riverside a few yards south of the car park. For the walk proper, exit park the way you drove in and TL. Pass the old Strangford landfill site, and pass the right turn for Strangford, to reach junction. Go straight ahead for Hoarwithy and Sellack church.

Pass to R of the Corner House, coronation seat along hedge-lined lane to T junction.

2. Baysham. TR for Strangford passing Baysham Court, with views opening out to R. Wave to May Hill. (Further R, Penyard Park and Chase Wood). Keep straight ahead beyond a right turn, over the old railway line, poplar-lined, towards Strangford farm buildings.

Pass through gate, briefly on “Private” farm drive, L of pond, then bear R to pick up farm track along R edge/Hedge. (Marcle tower ahead). Views now open out L (N) and swap to L edge/hedge at a marker post. It’s a broad footpath. Bear very slightly L at next marker post to put hedge back on your right. Drop to R corner and go ahead through galvanized kissing-gate. Follow R edge/hedge 150 metres to galvanized gate (R).

3. Galvanized gate. TR through gate to follow R edge/hedge gently down to barn of Cole's Farm in Foy. Just in front of barn, TL along stone wall, then TR to exit field via gate on to country lane. TL to reach Stephlands Cottage – on the left.

4. Stephlands Cottage. At far end of this dark building, TR off lane into field and follow L edge/hedge down through small gate along a fine grassy strip in the crop field to Foy suspension bridge.

5. Foy suspension bridge. (Visit?) Don't cross, TR just before bridge and follow a beautiful stretch of the river Wye, initaially along crop edge, then the grassy right bank downstream. Cross a water runlet through gate on the footpath up to “Church only” and climb bank through bigger gate up steps into churchyard. Circle to main car park on north side of church and TL on to country lane.

6. Lane. Now follow lane from St Mary’s Church all the way back to Backney Bridge picnic place, checking fine view behind you at a slight crest half way.