Autumn Rambling in Herefordshire: A Father–Daughter Wander on Watchams Walk

Watchams Walk

Summer gets all the glory when it comes to walking. Long days, occasional glorious sunshine and you might get a tan instead of trench foot. But for me, autumn wins every time. The air smells clean again, the fair weather walkers have gone, and the countryside is covered with colour. Yes, it’s colder and muddier and there’s always the risk of getting caught in a downpour, but that’s part of the fun. Sometimes it doesn't quite go to plan when you have a kid with you though. 

I like to think of myself as the sort of parent who introduces their child to the wonders of the natural world. You know, wholesome, outdoorsy, very “look at us bonding with nature.” This often means strapping Molly, 16 months old and extremely noisy, onto my back and wandering off down paths I’ve never been along before. Usually with mixed results.

This weekend's experimental wander was Watchams Walk in the Frith Wood, Ledbury. I’d never walked it before, even though I've seen the sign for it many times. It starts about 500 yards from the main entrance to the wood off Knapp Lane. The first bit was so overgrown with ferns it looked like the woodland equivalent of a "KEEP OUT" sign, which of course made me think, "I have to go up there".

With my daughter Molly at the entrance to Watchams Walk

The path began with a relatively steep climb, which quickly became a very steep and very muddy slog. Exactly the sort of terrain you’d ideally tackle when carrying a small human who has no idea what’s going on. Halfway up I did question my life choices, as there are definitely better ways to spend a Saturday afternoon than imagining yourself sliding downhill and explaining it all to A&E and to your wife.

Just as I was about to sack it off and head back to the more beaten track, a patch of grippier ground appeared. We carried on and to be fair, it was definitely worth it. The wood was stunning. Golden autumn leaves all around us, birch polypore mushrooms clinging to fallen trees and the odd bit of holly. It felt like proper wilderness. The sort of place where you half expect be attacked by a mountain lion. 

Birch polypore mushrooms, the Frith wood, Ledbury

Watchams Walk, Ledbury

Autumn in a Herefordshire woodland

For the first half of our tramp through the woods, Molly was perfectly content, but as we approached the end of Watchams Walk she decided she’d had enough. She was properly miserable. 

From there it was about 3 miles home with a very unhappy toddler on my back. I tried singing the Bluey theme tune, which bought me maybe thirty seconds of peace at a time, before the misery resurfaced and I picked up the pace like a man late for school pick up. It wasn’t even cold, just a bit drizzly and Molly was definitely grizzly. 

Walking with an unhappy child

We eventually made it home and, in true toddler fashion, Molly was absolutely fine the moment we stepped through the door. Meanwhile I was left wondering whether I’d just made future baby carrier outings slightly more complicated with this 6 mile trudge. I wasn't sure if she'd be so keen to get in the thing again. 

Still, Watchams Walk was beautiful, and walking a new hidden corner of our local woodland was great, even if the return journey home sounded like a protest march. If you’re a fellow parent who enjoys the outdoors, I highly recommend exploring your local woodlands with the little one. Just maybe avoid wandering too far and make sure you brush up on your theme tunes.

There are some beautiful places to go in Herefordshire in the autumn. The Malvern Hills, Queenswood Arboretum, Haugh Wood, Dymock Woods and Black Hill are some of our favourites. It can be a challenging time of year along the riverbanks if it has rained, but our incredible woodlands look their very best.