- Hergest Ridge
Infobox Mountain
Name = Hergest Ridge
Photo = Hergest Ridge top.jpg
Caption = The summit
Elevation = 426 m (1,398 ft)
Location =Herefordshire , ENG /Powys , WAL
Range =
Prominence = 158 m
Parent peak =Gwaunceste Hill
Coordinates =
Topographic
OS "Landranger" 148
Easiest route =
Grid_ref_UK = SO254562
Listing = Marilyn, HewittHergest Ridge is a large hill on the border between
England andWales (the highest point being inEngland ) near the town of Kington.On Offa's Dyke Path
The
Offa's Dyke Path waymarkedlong distance footpath leads along the ridge, although not quite to the actual summit, nor to thetrig point but passes very close by.Victorian Racecourse
A disused Victorian circular country racecourse is sited on the hill and is clearly marked on
Ordnance Survey maps and still visible today on the ground [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/438170] . The racecourse was popular between1825 and1846 replacing an earlier racecourse on nearby Bradnor Hill just to the north of Kington town which was started in1770 . Horse races continued here until around1880 in summer with panoramic views on all sides and popular with the local squiraarchy and farming community [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/449199] .Upland Sheep Grazing
During the
Second World War the hill was cultivated, but has now reverted to rough sheep grazing andmoorland , and is partly covered bybracken andgorse ."Hergest" should be pronounced to rhyme with 'hardest' with a hard "g" (as in "garden"). The local dialect pronunciation of the name is actually "Hargest".
The
Red Book of Hergest is amedieval Welsh language manuscript stored in theBodleian library inOxford .
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.