The Kerry Ridgeway Walk and Cycle Route is a 15 mile walk from the Cider House south of Kerry, Newtown, Powys to Bishop’s Castle. It is great for walking or cycling and is considered one of the most dramatic Drovers Routes in the country with views that on a clear day can see up to seventy miles. The Ridgeway does not drop below a 1000 feet and takes you through heather moors, woodlands and bilberry rich heaths with stunning views of the Welsh mountains and Shropshire Hills.
Drover’s roads were used to get livestock to markets and they date back to Neolithic stone axe traders. The earliest routes are found on natural ridges which had clear views and connect one area of lowland with another. The Kerry Ridgeway is one of those that has been in use since 4000 B.C. It is older than the Iron Age and Bronze Age Earthworks along its length.
The Six Bells Pub lies at the end of Kerry Lane in Bishop’s Castle, a place to enjoy a well earned pint. Originally a farm house built in 1670 it became a hostelry in the 1750 offering the increasing numbers of drovers arriving in Bishop’s Castle paddocks for their livestock and accommodation over night.
There is parking just north of Cider House Farm and plenty of parking if you are starting from Bishop’s Castle.
You can find a link to a PDF with a more detailed description of the route here.
The map of the Kerry Ridgeway in the header of this blog post contains OS data and the Crown copyright is acknowledged.
The route of the Kerry Ridgeway is illustrated in another map shown below.
