Kington - Riverside & Church

Navigating The Route

This is an on-foot Spy Mission through Kington's riverside, town centre streets and church area, with Agents tracking Dr D'Astardly's device, planted to form a dam and turn the town into a giant fish farm, and sneaking around town to crack the clues that will help decipher the device's deactivation code.

The operation covers approximately 1.5 miles and should take around 2 hours to complete. You'll start outside the museum close to the Burton Hotel, investigate the Market Hall, Bridge Street, High Street, Love Lane, Church Lane and The Square, then continue around the River Arrow, Kington church and churchyard before heading back towards the start area.

This Trail is not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs. There are no steps or stairs, but there are a couple of fairly steep inclines, some narrow lanes and paths, and a steep and possibly slippery footpath in the wet.

Take care around traffic, especially where pavements are narrow. Agents should also stay alert on the narrow footbridge, at busy road crossings, on the steep footpath in wet weather, and around the road and car parking areas by The Square. As an optional extra at the public footpath sign, you can walk onto the narrow footbridge for a game of Pooh Sticks.

Getting There

By car: Begin the mission outside the museum close to the Burton Hotel (HR5 3BQ). There is a pay & display car park close by for your undercover vehicle.

By public transport: Make your way to the museum close to the Burton Hotel, then gather your Agents outside to begin the operation.

Need the Loo?

Public toilets are by the museum, so it's worth making a tactical stop before setting off to foil Dr D'Astardly's fishy scheme.

Bring Your Furry Sidekicks

Four-legged Agents can join the mission, but please supervise tracker dogs closely and do not let them run ahead in search of the clues. 🐾

The route includes narrow lanes and paths, road crossings, car parking areas around The Square, fairly steep inclines, a narrow footbridge and a footpath that can be steep and possibly slippery in wet weather, so keep canine recruits close throughout.

Food & Drink Stops

Even elite operatives need rations. There are chances to stop for refreshments and stock up on snacks before Clue 06.

If you'd rather pack your own supplies, you could enjoy a picnic around Clue 08 before continuing the code-cracking.

Want to Make a Day of It?

Kington Church and Churchyard

The church is a cracking extra for history-hunting Agents. Inside is the altar tomb of the Knight Thomas Vaughan, whose Lady was 'Ellen the Terrible' - so named after she dressed as a man to enter an archery competition and shot an arrow through a man she believed had killed her brother. Outside, the churchyard offers beautiful views across the Arrow Valley and to the slopes of Bradnor Hill.

The River Arrow and Kington's Town Centre Streets

Kington is described as a quaint, quirkily old-fashioned centre for walking, and this mission gives you a compact taste of it. Slow the pace after the deactivation code is cracked and enjoy Bridge Street, High Street, Love Lane, Church Lane and The Square without having to interrogate every suspicious detail.

The Market Hall

The route takes you to the Market Hall, where a plaque on the wall reveals what the original building was known as prior to 1768. It's a neat little slice of local intel in the middle of the operation.

Offa's Dyke near Hergest Croft Gardens

If your squad still has energy after saving Kington from becoming a giant fish farm, Offa's Dyke runs close to Kington and has many local names, including Rough Moor, Riddox, Rowe Ditch, Grim's Ditch and The Ley. The closest place to access it from here is close to Hergest Croft Gardens (HR5 3EG).