A remarkably picturesque walk along the Wye to Symonds and back through the woods.
Situated on the westerly edge of the Forest of Dean and lying within the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural beauty, the village of English Bicknor is on the boundary with Herefordshire and Monmouthshire. It is bounded on the north by the river Wye as does Welsh Bicknor, the parish on the opposite side of the river. Two short sections of Offa's Dyke, once the boundary between the lands of the English and the Welsh, were built in the north-east of English Bicknor near the river.
English Bicknor was first settled by 1066 and is steeped in the history. Part of the parish is owned and managed by the Forestry Commission and there are way marked paths through the woodland. The Church of St Mary, high above the Wye Valley, boasts some intriguing 14th Century stone figures of females, one of them holding a round object that is thought by some to be a heart, by others an egg. Just by the church can be seen the earthworks of a Norman motte and bailey castle.
A nice touch on the high trail return a new bench has been created in memory of Joe Cox M.P.
Newent to Oxenhall
For reasons best known to others the Oxenhall Daffodil Weekend was held very late this year and all but the most sheltered and hardy daffs had well gone over, giving way to bluebells, grape hyecynths and wood anemones.
We walked the canal path from Newent to Oxenhall. This section of the disused Hereford and Gloucester Canal is of particular interest, featuring a tunnel, a length of branch canal, a series of locks, an original and unaltered lock keepers cottage and an aqueduct, all within a short distance. The lock was originally constructed in 1795, but as a result of the Canal Company’s finances, the cottage alongside was not constructed until 1838. Following closure in 1881, the lock gradually filled with silt and debris, and trees grew alongside, their roots causing considerable damage to the lock walls and the overspill channel In 1996, the owner of both the cottage and the lock gifted the entire section of canal including the cottage, lock and aqueduct, to the Trust. In 1998, the lock cottage alongside House Lock was sold by the Herefordshire and Gloucestershire Canal Trust, and then sympathetically restored to its original appearance by the new owner.
May Hill
May Hill is a hill between Gloucester and Ross-on-Wye. Its summit is on the western edge of Gloucestershire, though its northern slopes are in Herefordshire. The hill is made distinctive by a clump of trees on its top. Known locally as ‘Nipple Hill’ as, from a distance, that’s exactly what it looks like – these specially planted firs are what creates the nipple shape. The pine trees at the top of May Hill were planted in 1887 to mark the golden jubilee of Queen Victoria. Today, they mark the location of May Day celebrations when local Morris Dancers perform amongst the trees on the summit of May Hill.
The summit of May Hill is 296 metres above sea level. From the top of the hill on a clear day, you can see the Welsh borders and the River Severn, and up to 12 different counties. Many Gloucestershire residents have had their ashes scattered on May Hill, along with composer Gerald Finzi.
Buried treasure is said to be lying in wait somewhere in May Hill. An underground chamber is said to hide treasure on the east side of May Hill- many people have tried to find it, without much success. The name of 'May Hill' was first recorded in 1703, but it is unclear where the name came from. One theory is the name came from Admiral May, who had trees planted on the top of the hill for his ships to navigate the River Severn.
