Not far from Ross-on-Wye’s centre is an historic landscape through Chase Hill and Merrivale Woods. A wintry walk takes you into holloways and up into the hills above the town through the ancient woodland nature reserve that belongs to the Herefordshire Wildlife Trust.

The site was once part of a Royal hunting ground, and can be reached from several points along the Ross Town Country Rail, created as part of the Ross Wild Connections project.

From the south, you approach by climbing a holloway road which skirts the edge of the reserve, before emerging along the summit ridge. On the way up is an old quarry cut into both sides of the track.

Although Merrivale Woods is best admired in spring or summer, the winter gives it a new character. Individual trees stand out in a silhouette like fashion, and the colour of the bark on the wild cherry and silver birch trees is even more distinctive.

The winter also brings an influx of birds, including siskins, finches, and flocks of blue tits, great tits, coal tits, and long-tailed tits. Goldcrests can also be heard, along with sounds of song-thrushes, blackbirds and robins singing as they forage for insects and the last few berries.

The Herefordshire Wildlife Trust say that the final views back through the trees towards Ross and across the River Wye will leave good memories of Merrivale and Chase Woods, as you walk back into the town.

Picture: Veteran oak beside the holloway taken by Lewis Goldwater, Herefordshire Wildlife Trust.