Walk One - Hoarwithy and Carey
The image at the top of the page shows Ballingham Bridge, the second of four Wye River crossings between Hereford and Ross-on-Wye.
Close up of Ballingham Bridge
“When you rise in the morning, form a resolution to make the day a happy one to a fellow creature.”
This was the main precept of the Reverend William Poole MA of Rugby School and Oriel College, Oxford and Prebendary of Hereford, Rural Dean of Archenfield and Justice of the Peace. Poole was the vicar of Hentland and Hoarwithy from 1854 until his death as a bachelor aged 82 in 1901. It is mainly thanks to his great largesse that we have St Catherine’s Church in its present style close to the beginning of our walk.
By 1890, the church had been transformed, with Poole’s prompting and cajoling, from a modest chapel of ease, by the designs of the London architect John Pollard Seddon. Built from local red sandstone, it consists of a tall bell tower, an apse at the east end, now the Sanctuary, Cloisters, mosaics, a white marble altar, pulpit after Fiesole Cathedral, and five stained glass windows commemorating Poole himself. The vicar was a bit of a “control freak”, however, and he was known to toss coins down the church steps in the general direction of the workmen when there had been an unsatisfactory week’s work. By Christmas of 1878 some of the boys doing the major work had divined this and indulged in much December doffing of caps and dynamism.
Hoarwithy Bridge and Toll House stand on the site of an ancient ford and ferry crossing connecting the adjoining parish of King’s Caple with routes into Ross and Hereford. Built in 1875 and renewed in 1990, the bridge also benefited from Poole’s advocacy. Having enjoyed the panoramas over the Wye and views to the Malverns and the local walkers’ constant companion, May Hill, we arrive at our objective Carey.
In 1890, the locals were being served at the then Miners Arms by James Hartland, who, if he wanted to post a Christmas card would have only needed to amble across the frontage to Carey Post Office. The pub was named after the resident family rather than any rich seam of coal or tin. We soon reach Carey Halt, or Ballingham Railway Staion. It was situated between Ballingham Railway Bridge and Ballingham Tunnel, two of the most substantial structures on the Great Western Hereford, Ross and Gloucester line. Originally proposed by the owner of Ballingham Court, the station had a limited service and was never well used. It closed, along with the line, on 2 November 1964.
We are able to see that the station building is now a private house. The platform is still in existence and down by the river we come to the dismantled Ballingham railway bridge. It was the second of four railway bridges between Hereford and Ross, which crossed the River Wye. The line was opened in 1855 but it had taken four years to complete the 36km between Gloucester and Hereford because of the four bridges and four tunnels along this meandering stretch of the river. As we head along the bank we join the start of the great horseshoe bend which envelops King’s Caple (Walk 2) and Fawley.
We will probably see mute swans coasting along where, in those earlier times, barges loaded and unloaded from the woods to local tanyards. Having joined the road for a while, we return to the river and, looking back to the roadside residences, need not be totally surprised to see the odd goat on a roof - once witnessed by a group of walkers. And so back to Hoarwithy whose name means ‘Willow tree on the boundary’ and dates back to 1005. The walk can be negotiated by all of the family in two-and-a-half hours, allowing 15 minutes in the welcoming church.