Mortimer Trail
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The Mortimer Trail is a 48km (30-mile) walk from Ludlow to Kington through some of the quieter corners of the English-Welsh border country. It starts below Ludlow Castle, once home to the powerful Mortimer family, before crossing the River Teme and leaving the town behind fairly quickly.
The climb into Mortimer Forest comes almost straight away. It's a big stretch of woodland and a major part of the trail. There are ups and downs to deal with, but nothing too savage, and much of the route is spent on forest tracks, woodland paths and quiet country lanes. If you like walking through the trees, you'll get your fill here.
The first big viewpoint comes at High Vinnalls, the highest point in Mortimer Forest. In May, the surrounding woodland floor is carpeted with bluebells, while the summit serves up views in every direction. From here you can pick out the Shropshire Hills, Radnor Forest, the Black Mountains and much of Herefordshire spread out below. After High Vinnals, the views come and go as the trail threads its way through other large woodlands, with regular breaks in the trees offering glimpses across the border country.
What makes the Mortimer Trail work is the variety. One minute you're under a canopy of trees, the next you're crossing open fields, passing ancient farms or following an old forest ride or a track through the hills. Add in a bit of border-country history and you've got a route and the miles pass fairly quickly.
Sunset from over the Radnor Forest in mid Wales.
The 10th-century northern wall of Ludlow Castle, seat of the Mortimer family.
Wild camp beside the Lugg, stealthy and below the radar.
Sunset from over the Radnor Forest in mid Wales.
Mortimer Trail - Quick Info
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Distance: 48 km, 30 Miles
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Start/Finish: Ludlow Castle/Kington
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Total Elevation: 1,535 m
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Duration: 2 days steady, 1 Day if light packing/trail run
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Walking Grade 3
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Terrain: Woodland Paths, valleys, some steep sections
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Views: Shropshire, Radnorshire, Mid Wales, Black Mountains
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Highlights: Dramatic mountain viewpoints, Old Farms, forest rides
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Best time to visit: Spring, summer or Autumn
Getting there
Unless you have someone to drop you off the best way to get to the start early morning is to catch a train to Ludlow. If via bus perhaps you'll be staying overnight. Either way an early morning start is the best way.
Train
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From Cardiff or the North the operator is Great Western. See Link, here.
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From Birmingham to Ludlow see. Link.
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From London to Ludlow see Link.
Busses from South Wales/Cardiff/Hereford
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Bus from Hereford: Yeomans, 492 Hereford to Leominster. Once there, change at Leominster for Ludlow using the 490 service..
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From Cardiff/Brecon: X4 Cardiff to Merthyr Tydfil and then, as above, the T4 from Merthyr straight through to Builth Wells.
Buses from the North/Manchester/Shrewsbury
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From Shrewsbury: The 435 from Shrewsbury to Church Stretton and then Ludlow.
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From Aberystwyth: The X75 from Aberystwyth to Llangurig. Then the X47 From Llangurig to LLandrindod Wells.
Buses from Birmingham Colmore to Ludlow
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From Colmore Birmingham Centre the X10 to Halesowen.
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The 192 from Halesowen Bus Station to Kidderminster.
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From Kidderminster the 292 to Ludlow.
Buses from London to Ludlow
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The National Express London Victoria Coach Station to Hereford Via Cheltenham to Gloucester. See Link.
In Kington the best option after the trail is to catch the 461 Kington to Hereford bus. From there you'll be able to catch a train to any part of the country or even a National Express iof you have booked one.
Places to stay in Ludlow
Ludlow (see towns website) is a popular town with food, concerts and theatre and there are numerous places to stay. The easiest thing to do is check out booking.com and go from there. If you're camping you can easily pitch alongside the river where there are plenty of places to tuck into for the night before starting the trail. There are no official campsites in Ludlow for tents or thru hikers - it's all touring.
Kington (see towns website) has its own attraction being a walkers are welcome town. Again check out booking.com for available rooms. There is a great campsite in Kington, the Fleece Meadow site. If the sites busy or you're slumming it I've got my head down in the towns parks before now - simply lay out your bag in the pavilion. Failing this use your imagination. I've even got my head down after a trek in the doorway of this place. It's all game when adventuring. Just be respectful and leave no mess.
Supplies/Rations
If you need emergency outdoor supplies and you've made it to Ludlow, then the only store you can check out is Marches Outdoors and they only trade on a Saturday. No rations or anything like that, but you could pick up a pair of socks. I know - not great.
Kington on the other had does have a great outdoor store the Barefoot Shoe Box, but it's pricey and for those who like the barefoot approach. You can pick up poles, barefoot boots, socks etc - no rations.
If you're coming through Hereford and you need some rations then check out Trekkit an award winning store based in the city. We also like Basecamp Foods who have supplied some great meals to us before.
For general food, close to the castle in Ludlow there is the local Spar store. If you wanted to kick off the trail with a bit of local produce then time your arrival with the Producers Market, which is every 2nd and 4th Thursday in the year - experience the town. The closest store to the station is Tesco, easy as when walking to your start.
Rations Main Meal Tip
For a rations main meal tip on trail try Couscous, Chorizo, organic dried onion and 1.5 tablespoons of Pumpkin Seed Powder for more protein. When camping it's important to keep chores to a minimum. For example, you don't want to be heating food up and then spending an age cleaning your mug from remains clinging to the bottom. Coucous is easy - just add water. Re-the Chorizo being cured meat it keeps and Pumpkin Seed Powder is fairly tasteless. For additional taste to your already flavoured Couscous/Chorizo add spices or a hot sauce. Enjoy, rinse your pot with a tiny bit of water (drink it afterwards) and relax.
For other camping tips click here.
History & Landscape
By the time you leave Ludlow behind, you've already been introduced to the Mortimers. Although the trail is named after the family, reminders of their influence are surprisingly scattered. Wigmore Castle, their ancestral stronghold, can just about be seen from the trail near Croft Ambrey and Yatton Hill, while places such as Croft Ambrey Iron Age hillfort hint at an even older past. For much of the route, though, history takes a back seat to the woodland, hills and changing views.
The landscape tells a story on a far greater timescale. Around 420 million years ago, this part of Herefordshire lay beneath a warm tropical sea where layers of sediment gradually built up. During the Caledonian mountain-building period these rocks were folded and uplifted before millions of years of erosion carved out the ridges, scarps and valleys seen today.
One of the best examples is Brampton Scar, a wooded escarpment on the western edge of Herefordshire and one of the final high points before the descent into Kington. Formed from ancient Silurian rocks, its steep slopes have long provided timber and shelter within the surrounding farming landscape. Emerging from the woodland, the views suddenly open across the Welsh border hills towards Radnorshire, making this one of the most rewarding viewpoints on the trail.
Along the way you'll also pass old farmsteads, forgotten buildings and other landmarks that reflect the long history of the Welsh Marches. The pinned map below highlights a few places worth looking out for.
Your start. Built in the 11th C Ludlow Castle was one of the first stone castles to be built in the UK, later becoming the seat of the Mortimers.
Starting in Mid Wales, the Teme is one of the fastest-flowing rivers in the UK.
Herefordshire looking east.
Your start. Built in the 11th C Ludlow Castle was one of the first stone castles to be built in the UK, later becoming the seat of the Mortimers.
Summary
The Mortimer Trail is a straightforward walk to plan but one that still benefits from a little preparation. Water is often described as being scarce, although there are several reliable sources along the route if you know where to find them. They're marked on the pinned map below. Shops and other facilities are limited once you leave Ludlow, so it's worth thinking ahead, particularly if you're walking the trail over two days.
Most of the route follows well-maintained forest tracks, field paths and quiet lanes, making navigation fairly uncomplicated in good conditions. That said, the network of forestry tracks can occasionally be confusing, so keeping an eye on the map is worthwhile, especially within Mortimer Forest.
The trail is more undulating than mountainous. There are plenty of climbs, particularly during the first half, but they're generally short and broken up by easier sections. Good footwear is usually all that's needed, although some paths can become muddy after prolonged wet weather.
What makes the Mortimer Trail memorable isn't one standout feature but the way the landscape keeps changing. Woodland gives way to open farmland, hilltops reveal wide views towards Wales, and traces of the Welsh Marches appear almost unexpectedly along the way. It's a quieter walk than many in the surrounding border country, and one that's easy to settle into.
Video on YouTube: Mortimer Trail P1-2
Quick OS Map Preview
For the Most Detailed Guide Download OS Mapping GPX, compatible with most platforms-Kamoot, Outdooractive or All Trails.
For OS Route Map Link Click, here.
The GPX file can also be used with a variety of dedicated GPS devices and outdoor watches — including models from Garmin, TwoNav, Suunto and Coros — as well as smartphone navigation apps that support GPX route import.
Click For Interactive OS Profiler
For the full interactive map with pins and locations click the image below. More information on the trail is available - History, water sources etc.
Paper Maps/Click Maps for Links to Shop
Map Reading
When navigating don't rely on the sign posting or finger posts, which are marked with a shield and crest. Check your map at all times - at intervals. Sign posts are helpful, but read the trail as if they're not there. It's a good practice to now exactly where you are.
Water Sources
You might think that water is scarce on the Mortimer Trail, and it's certainly a common perception, but there are in fact several good places to refill if you plan ahead.
The trick is to use a mixture of streams, the River Lugg, a stock trough and a pub to top up along the way. One reliable stream, for example, is just beyond Stansbatch where it runs alongside the village road. Filtered, it provides a good source of drinking water.
As always, carry enough water for the section ahead, particularly during warm weather or after long dry spells when smaller sources may be reduced.
For more details and locations see the interactive pinned map above.
For gear related to filtering water click here.
Wild Camping
There are no established campsites directly on the Mortimer Trail, so anyone hoping to backpack the route will need to plan carefully. Wild camping is not generally permitted along the trail without the landowner's permission, although some walkers choose to do so discreetly.
If you decide to camp, experience makes a real difference. Over time you begin to recognise the small, level spaces that blend naturally into the landscape, particularly around woodland edges and clearings. Equally important is knowing when not to camp. A good spot is one that's unobtrusive, causes no damage and is left exactly as it was found.
The extensive woodland also makes the route well suited to hammock camping where suitable trees are available, provided they're used responsibly and without damaging the bark.
Above all, keep your impact to an absolute minimum. Arrive late, leave early, avoid fires, take all litter home and leave no trace of your stay. The aim is simple: by the following morning, nobody should be able to tell you were ever there. Leave No Trace!
For advice on Wild Camping and Gear ETC click here.
Wild Life
The extensive woodland of Mortimer Forest supports Roe Deer and the increasingly common Muntjac, while Red Kites and Buzzards are regular sights overhead. Listen out for Great Spotted and Green Woodpeckers, especially during spring, and keep an eye on woodland rides where Speckled Woods and Silver-washed Fritillaries are often seen in summer. Around the River Lugg and smaller streams, Grey Wagtails, Kingfishers and, if you're fortunate, an Otter add another dimension to the walk.
Old paths on the trail in May or summer.
If you're camping, travel light and aim not to be seen. This Six Moons is 600 grams. Leave No Trace.
Wild Life Continued...
The woodlands are one of the defining features of the Mortimer Trail, with large areas of mixed woodland shaping the character of the walk. Mortimer Forest is largely made up of managed broadleaf and conifer plantations, reflecting centuries of woodland use in the area, but pockets of older woodland still provide a glimpse of a much longer natural history.
Oak, ash, birch and hazel are among the familiar native trees found along the route, with beech adding colour and structure to some of the woodland areas. In spring, the forest floor comes alive with bluebells, particularly around Mortimer Forest, creating one of the most memorable sights of the trail. Later in the year, woodland rides and clearings provide a rich habitat for wildflowers, grasses and butterflies.
The Aymestrey Gorge section offers a different woodland experience. Its steep-sided slopes and ancient woodland character create a cooler, sheltered environment where species such as ash, wych elm, hazel and field maple can be found alongside woodland plants that thrive in these conditions.
Look closely as you walk and the woodland reveals more than just trees. Fallen timber supports fungi, mosses and invertebrates, while old trees with holes and deadwood provide valuable habitat for birds and other wildlife. The forests along the Mortimer Trail are not simply scenery to pass through; they are a living part of the landscape's story.
Other Trails in the Area
Prior With the Central Brecon Beacons nearby and the Cambrian Mountains you'd expect some good trails and for Long-distance trails there are. They are:
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Offa's Dyke. Passing through Kington, the Offa's Dyke Path follows the historic border between England and Wales for 177 miles. It offers a much bigger walking challenge, with long sections of upland scenery, ancient landscapes and views across the Marches.
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The Heart of Wales Line Trail is a 141-mile (227 km) long-distance walking route that shadows the scenic 121-mile rural railway stretching between Craven Arms and Llanelli. It starts a little further north of Ludlow in Church Stretton.
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Herefordshire Trail The Herefordshire Trail is a 154-mile circular route exploring the county's quieter corners. It links villages, rivers, farmland and woodland, offering a chance to experience the varied landscapes that make up rural Herefordshire..
Last Reminder
The Mortimer Trail is a route that gives when taking your time. The woodland, views and traces of border history are easy to miss if you're only focused on reaching the next point. Slow the pace, look around and let the landscape reveal itself.