Kerry Ridgeway Walk, Newtown, Powys, Wales
Posted by: 
Ddraig Ddu
N 52° 28.070 W 003° 15.244
30U E 482741 N 5813104
A gentle 15 mile route through the hills of the central Welsh Marches, walking through history from the Stone Age, via the Bronze and Iron Ages, to a Norman motte and bailey high above Bishop's Castle.
Waymark Code: WMAJCG
Location: South Wales, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 01/20/2011
Views: 1
The Cambrian Mountains of Mid-Wales are criss-crossed by countless old tracks and routeways. Many have, long ago, been abandoned and reabsorbed into the landscape whilst others have been adapted and tarred over as a part of today's highway network.
There remain, however, a rump of historic trails which remain tantalisingly intact, threading between farms and villages, between old mines and river valleys, between hilltop forts and places of ancient mysticism and power.
The most ancient of all such tracks is the Kerry Ridgeway. Its origins are lost in the mists of time but it certainly is older than the Iron Age and Dark Ages earthworks which cut its line. Nearby are Bronze Age burials and a stone circle, all constructed on the high sandstone ridge between the Severn Valley and the upper reaches of the river Teme, a commanding site for countless unrecorded and little understood ceremonies.
The Kerry Ridgeway strikes along the crest of Kerry Hill. It never dips below 1,000 feet above sea level, resulting in remarkable views in all directions, up to 70 miles on clear days. Last used regularly by cattle and sheep drovers some 150 years ago, the ancient highway forges a track through airy heather moors, cool woodlands and breezy bilberry-rich heaths.
The route undulates gently throughout, ideal for walkers, horseriders and mountain bikers, all of whom can legally trace this prehistoric way throughout.
With thanks to the Powys County Council Website for local landmarks, history and statistics.