Wigmore Castle

Herefordshire

The grandchildren like walking up
Wigmore castle hill:
up and up, past ruined bits of tower, –
steps, then level, higher, higher;
things look smaller way down there
on the valley floor, when we pause to stare;
who’ll be first? up, up until
we all reach the top of the castle hill.
Now we can see way out to the north.
‘Crow’s nest’ look-out, – and certainly worth
the slog of the stairs, a cluster at a time,
– one hundred and eighty-seven (or was it, nine?)

Under our feet what remnants lie,
forgotten and buried, from days gone by?
only the top of the gate-arch to show
what may be buried way down below:
the home of those who fought nearby
a war of the Roses; in later years
defences deliberately destroyed to deny
the Royalists another well-fortified base.

Now it’s a peaceful, spacious place,
easy to scramble up, not too far,
woods to explore, then back to the car.