Things to do
Walking
Apart from the 30 suggested walks from the house (see Local Area), there are walks to be had for all tastes and weather in the surrounding countryside of the Welsh Marches, known for its great natural beauty, traditional farms and dramatic hills. Offa’s Dyke, The Lower Wye Valley and Forest of Dean, the Black Mountains and the Brecon Beacons are all within easy reach. The Throne has a good supply of local maps and walk books.
Some favourites of ours include:
- Bredwardine and Merbach Hill,
- Shobdon (including Shobdon’s early Gothic revival church, the interior is probably the finest in the country),
- Cat's Back in the Black Mountains,
- Monnington to Brobury Scar,
- Croft Castle up to Croft Ambrey hill fort
- Almeley - including Batch dingle.
Hay Bluff, beyond Hay, is also a fantastic walk in the Black Mountains (about 1.5 hours from the car park place to top and back) with spectacular views.
As well as golf and go-karting just outside the village, there are plenty of boating activities in the beautiful Wye valley, and riding and mountain biking in the Black Mountains in the Brecon Beacons National Park.
Canoeing/kayaking/mountain biking
Whitney Bridge Canoe Hire (tel. 01497 831669) (20 minutes’ drive)
Wye Valley Canoes (tel. 01497 847213) at Glasbury (35 minutes drive) also has riverside café, Vespa and mountain bike hire, and some great mountain bike trails.
Want to canoe? (tel. 01497 820604) at Hay on Wye (30 minutes drive)
Riding
The closest riding centre is Meadow Bank Riding Centre near Leominster.
Tregoyd Mountain Riders near Glasbury and Riding in Wales are further away (35 minutes drive) and offer riding and pony trekking for all abilities in spectacular scenery.