Whimble Gardens & Nursery are situated on the south facing slopes of Radnor Valley amongst soft rolling farmland and surrounded by hump-backed hills and vestigial heather moors. This is the heartland of the book The Old Straight Track by Alfred Watkins. It was he who first proposed the theories of Ley-lines from observations garnered whilst delivering beer in Radnor and Herefordshire. These lines cross the valley and appear to link ancient sites and landscape features, one of which is the site of the standing stones in the valley bottom known as ‘Fourstones’.
The most important ley-lines emanate from Old Radnor church. ‘Old’ here is pre-Norman as opposed to New Radnor, the former county town of Radnorshire, which originated some 800 years ago. New Radnor was then superseded by Presteigne (the home of the Assize court until 1971) and of course today that privilege goes to Llandrindod Wells, now county town for the whole of Powys.
A mile to the east lies ‘Castle Ring’ an ancient hill fort and close by is Offa’s Dyke. Built in the 8th. century, Offa’s Dyke is a significant feature of the landscape, wending its’ way across the Border Country and is now a long distance footpath enjoyed by many walkers.
Tourism is not new to this area. During Victorian times ‘Water-Break-its-Neck’, the hidden waterfall at the westerly end of Radnor valley was an excursion for visitors to the spa town of Llandrindod Wells and is still today well worth exploring.