Thelma welcomed 21 walkers on Sunday, May 3rd, in bright and sunny weather and slight breeze, they set off through the nature reserve in Merrivale Wood, crossed the field, and entered the woodland on Penyard Hill.
The view from behind the rifle range was excellent on a clear sunny day and Skirrid Mountain and the Sugarloaf could be seen clearly over to the west and the Malverns to the east.
A quick coffee stop was enjoyed at the top of the road leading from Weston-under-Penyard to Lawns Farm. Here Thelma told the story of the two large bulls she had been introduced to on the farm several years ago, who not only knew their names but also enjoyed polo mints.
From this vantage point there were good views across to Howle Hill and two of the walkers could see their house in Hope Mansell. The group passed near the ruins of Penyard Castle the existence of which was unknown to several of the group. They were even more interested to hear that some of the stones from the castle could be seen in the walls of a local barn.