The Rolling Hills and Empty Lanes

This trail took us five scouting trips to put together and covers a wide range of countryside scenery, including country trails and lanes, pine forests, orchards, farmland, a reservoir, the Stonewall Village, and a chicken farm, and we may see some shepherds rambling about as well.

We’ll start off following a lane up to a small village nestled in a valley. From there we will follow a patchy trail over the hill to the Stonewall Village, named for the rocks on the bare hill that protect it from northerly winds - some say it looks a bit like Dartmoor in England.

Branching off the lane that leads away from Stonewall Village is a hidden trail that will soon lead us to a clear path through the pine forest. The forest floor is has a thick covering of pine needles, and villagers often come to the forest to collect firewood. On one of our scouting trips we lost the trail - after following the sound of breaking twigs we found a few farmers collecting firewood, and they were able to get us back on track.

The trail leads out of the forest and follows a zigzag path past an aqueduct and through farmland, and will take us up the rolling hills to a clear and open ridge. There are some great views to be had at this point, and it’s not likely we will see many people about - perhaps only a few shepherds.

This walk is quite long, but it’s not difficult - there is not a lot of climbing up and down. The views are excellent, and the sparse population makes it a very peaceful area to walk in.

What to bring on this hike?
Lunch and snacks.
Warm clothes: thermal layers, gloves, hat, scarf.
Good hiking boots.
(Click here to read our full What To Bring on a Hike list.)

Previous visits
Click for photos and stats from our Jan. 17 2010 walk through the rolling hills.

Reservations: click here to make your reservation.