"In the UK, there is a proud tradition of naming long-distance walking paths after talented reprobates. I mean the various opium fiends, international terrorists and child murderers who make up our colourful national tapestry (see the Coleridge Way, Drake's Trail and the Richard III Trail). So perhaps a 30-mile weekend walk dedicated to the Mortimers, and their most notorious scion, Sir Roger, is an appropriate addition to the weave."
"Roger's stomping ground, however, was not where you might expect: he was a marcher lord on the Welsh border, and his family trail wends its way through tranquil countryside from Ludlow in Shropshire to the quiet Herefordshire border town of Kington, the perfect distance for a weekend hike. But can such a location, so peaceful and orderly today, live up to the outrageous standards of Sir Roger?"
"The Mortimer Trail itself has existed for some years, but now a new guidebook and app have brought this magnificently horrid hero back into the limelight. I start then in Ludlow, a town now famous for its foodie traditions, but also a place that oozes history throughout its crooked lanes. Walking down Broad Street, I admire the bay window of The Angel, from which Horatio Nelson waved to the crowd in 1802, with his left hand, of course."
The Mortimer Trail is a 30-mile route from Ludlow, Shropshire to Kington on the Herefordshire border that follows the marcher lord family's stomping ground. Sir Roger Mortimer allegedly slept with Queen Isabella, probably killed Edward II, and effectively ruled the realm in the 1320s while enriching himself. The trail traverses tranquil countryside and Mortimer Forest, offering a weekend hike through peaceful landscapes that contrast with Roger Mortimer's violent legacy. A new guidebook and app have renewed interest in the route. Ludlow offers historical attractions, including The Angel's bay window associated with Horatio Nelson and local lore.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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