VISITORS to the local section of the Wye Valley Walk were disappointed not to be able to complete the leg between Goodrich and Symonds Yat as it is now impassable due to fallen trees and the height of the undergrowth.

The couple from Usk had been intending to walk this section of the 138-mile Wye Valley Walk but faced with fallen trees blocking the path along with nettles and other brambles growing to a height of more than six feet, they decided to head back to town and make their complaints about the state of the public footpath to the Ross Gazette.

A spokesman for Herefordshire Council said: “The authority is responsible for maintaining more than 2,100 miles of Public Rights of Way across Herefordshire, including routes such as the Wye Valley Walk.

“We recognise the importance of this network and encourage anyone who identifies an issue to report it so it can be logged and assessed by our Public Rights of Way team.

“However, residents can report issues via the council’s website.

“We are aware of reports regarding the condition of this route. These reports have been logged and will be inspected and assessed as part of our inspection and maintenance programme.

“Where works are required, they will be prioritised and programmed for repair in line with safety and network usage.

“We have increased inspection capacity and continue to work with parish clerks, volunteer parish footpath officers and contractors to identify and address issues across the network.

“We are also improving how reports and completed works are recorded and shared with partners to support more effective delivery and tracking.”

In 1975 the Wye Valley Walk opened between St Arvans and Monmouth and during the 1980s,the gaps between Ross-on-Wye and Hay-on-Wye were integrated into the pathway and now the complete Wye Valley Walk is 138 miles in distance.