Month: October 2019

Pandy to Monmouth. 18.9 miles, 2,348ft of elevation, 43,499steps

Today saw a compete contrast in the weather to yesterday . It was always going to be with the moor now bathed in sunshine and we could look up on to the hills, standing in the view that we would have had yesterday

After our breakfast of special recipe sausage, personally selected bacon and accompanying harp music from the local harp player (on cd not live…..), we set off. Our B&B was down the longest drive and Schooner managed to full two poo bags by the time we got to the end – the first I have had to pick up the entire trip.

It was a day of rolling hills, sheep, cows and the occasional bull. Chris received some lessons on country living and now understands that cows come with slurry and muck spreaders and don’t just moo happily in a field…. he also learnt that blackberries don’t come from a jar….

We visited the white Church (which was white) and the white Castle (which was not). The white church welcome all walkers in to their vestry for hot drinks and biscuits which was a lovely touch in a well kept church in a very remote village. The white Castle, whilst not being white anymore was also a fine example of a medical defensive building with the deepest moat I have ever seen. I think Chris fancies it as a renovation project…

All in all it was a pleasant days walk and after another lesson in where food comes from for Chris (this time apples), we were soon in Monmouth with its very impressive city entrance.

Tonight we were treated to a lovely meal by Trevor (Kate’s Dad) who had made the journey especially and It was lovely to see him. He shared travel stories with Chris whilst I ate three full courses. Natasha from the Punch bowl gave us a good discount on our food which Trev gave to the charity fund so another £27 contribution as we go. Thanks Natasha.

So all in all, a lovely day. 20 miles tomorrow and then in to Cardiff to see Maddy. Can’t wait

Hay on Wye to Pandy. 17.99 miles, 2.972ft of elevation, 37,006 steps

After a lovely breakfast at the Kilvert pub in Hay, we set off up in to the Black mountains. We discovered at breakfast that the guidebook said it was another one of those ‘don’t underestimate the remoteness of today’s walk’. So we checked the weather – light showers and gentle breeze. Sounded perfect. And when we set off , it was.

However, when we started to gain height and get up in to the clouds the weather got wet, cold and very windy. So much so that the hat had to make its first appearance.

Not long after, and as we carried on climbing, the poles went away, hands were tucked up inside the jacket and it started to get properly bleak

Once we got the height (703 metres – the highest point of the entire Offa’s Dyke), the route flattened off and we then walked the ridge for a good ten miles.

As we dropped back down again and we got below the clouds we got glimpse of what we would have seen on a clear day. It would have been a spectacular walk, in the end it was a wild wind blasting walk and equally enjoyable – and the tea tasted much better afterwards.

The weather made for a quick walk and we were done not much after 3pm, this despite Chris failing to find the B&B for a good half an hour. There is not much at Pandy and the Pandy Inn was not exactly rocking on this October Monday night. So early night for us!! Yipee

Kington to Hay on Wye. 15.03 miles, 2,244 ft of elevation, 31,155 steps

Lovely day on Offa’s Dyke. A little jaded from the night before, Charlie Gibbs arrived at our pub for breakfast at 8:00am . To be honest, I had not looked at the forecast but we have a fantastic morning.

Today was a marked changed from the last few days. We left any evidence of the Dyke and went up on to the moors ‘Hergest Hill’ to enjoy a day with fantastic views and good chat.

Red kites, buzzards and plenty of other wildlife made it a beautiful walk and we made it in to Hay late afternoon and in time for a roast dinner. Thanks to Mat and Charlie for making it a great weekend. Chris Holiday now joins for three days…..

Knucklas to Kington. 17.09 miles, 3,235 ft of elevation, 41,466 steps

Looking at the stats today looks very similar to yesterday but it felt much easier. Perhaps it was because I had company, or maybe the hills were a bit easier.

We left Knucklas and the Castle Inn via the rather impressive viaduct and hit a hill almost immediately.

It was a misty day and so the views unfortunately weren’t as dramatic and far reaching as yesterday but it was none the less a very pleasant walk. The Dyke was very evident almost all day and there was even some information on its construction

Halfway through the days walk, I met my first fellow long distance walker. John is doing it the other way South to North and has his wife following in a campervan. Now that’s dedication!!! He will be finishing in Scotland mid November which will be tough but at least the days will be short!

As we made such good progress we got to Kington at about 3:30pm. We decided it would be a good idea to do a pub crawl and here is our feedback:

1. The Queens – properly rough, with the resident drunk couple watching the football scores. Very friendly barman (fellow Arsenal fan for Mat). The sign in the pub toilet says it all ….

2. The Oxfordshire – dark, musty, no atmosphere and full of old men not talking – felt like an old fashioned train station waiting room. We had our first food since breakfast – cheese and onion crisps

3. the Vault – tiny pub, full of locals that treated the place like their living room. Lovely atmosphere and we stayed for two! Second packet of crisps here

4. The Burton – friendly bit felt like an old people’s home with vast corridors and swathes of red pile carpet. We mentioned the Vault and they all seemed scared….

5. The Swan – poshest of the lot and very busy.

6. The Royal Oak – this is where we are staying and was to be our final destination and dinner venue – recommended by the local butcher. However their chef was away so were not serving food

7. Back to the Swan just before they took last orders for food. I can’t remember what we ate but looks like Mat enjoyed it…..

Montgomery – knucklas. 17.89 miles, 3,402 ft of elevation, 27,178 steps

Tough day actually. The guide book says “this is the toughest part of the whole route” which was a surprise as I hadn’t read it. I then added another few miles on top just to make it even more interesting. However We smashed through and this is what it’s like to arrive in the daylight Grahame…..

I started the day with my first casualty (non human) of the trip. A sock. Made me rather pleased really as clearly I have actually done some miles. Then I saw Grahame on the way to breakfast -that made me smile even more .

We set off about 9:30 – after a wonderful breakfast. Today was over rolling fields and beautiful landscape. We had a great pit stop at the top of Graig hill for a mars bar and water and then continued on our way. We made slow progress and I was worried we would finish in the dark again but we plodded on buoyed up by desert Island discs and wonderful views

To be honest, I loved it and the time went by quickly. I have a few pictures of sheep to remind people we are now in Wales ( step forward Tommy) and a bit of political graffiti – for Catherine and Jonathan ! (feel free to replace Corbyn with any other senior politician)

We met three chaps walking the other way about 4:00pm and they were the only other people on the trail we saw. Schooner and I had even took to taking selfies together

I eventually got to the Castle Inn at Knucklas and they treated me with proper hospitality. What lovely people. Another Ray to thank and also a shout out to Vince for a tour of his cellars . Lovely people. One last photo to end the blog – Schooner decided to have a roll this afternoon in cow poo.

Tomorrow I walk with Mat Storr for a couple of days – I think the walking should be easier as I am back on the guide book suggested days.

Llanymynech to Montgomery. 22.85 miles, 2,384 ft of elevation, 40,866 steps

What a day, slightly longer then expected mileage wise and time wise but such an awesome achievement by Grahame. It was most definitely his day.

We set off from our favourite pub at 9:00am, heading for four crosses and the bus stop for Catherine. Step 1. 3 miles walked. Done with time to spare.

It was a shame to see Catherine go. Not only had she accompanied me through the rough and unglamorous industrial/canal sections of the walk but she did it with good humour, great soup and an amazing ability to spot a footpath sign. In fact as a final harrah she found a tile in four crosses commemorating the railway line and in the picture was engine number 80135!!! (One for you Dad).

Once Catherine had gone, we pushed on to Buttington Bridge along the Montgomery canal ( which disappointingly does not go to Montgomery). Step 2 done, 11 miles in , time a little tight. We said goodby to Vern who walked on to Welshpool for his train. and headed up in to the hills.

So once the forced march was over and we said goodbye to yet another canal, Grahame and I set off for step 3 of today’s walk which took on a very different challenge. This was Grahame’s day and I am supremely impressed with his doggedness and determination to finish. A huge effort from a lovely man. I will let the photos tell the story …..

What a great effort. We still managed to find the time for an extensive lunch stop (mars bar and water – sorry Catherine), and chat to various people along the way. Dave, Sue and Rosie were lovely and generous in their donation. Thank you. They also seem to be approaching their walking with right attitude and after tea and cake seemed to be only just starting their day at 3:00pm.

Clive and Emma (a dog) also need a mention for their contribution at the cross Keys yesterday.

Step 3 done. 22.85 miles, 7:40pm finish in the dark. Another good day. I can’t wait to see Grahame in the morning…..,,

Chirk to Llanymynech. 17.83 miles, 2,930 ft of elevation, 24,479 steps

Chirk was charming. We had a curry last night hosted by a man who used to work in the Curry Garden in Blackheath. He left 20 years ago to bring his kids up but would have been there in mine and others sweet spot – you know who you are, and how much a part of our Blackheath lives this place was. Small world! Today started sunny and warm and stayed dry and clear all day. David Vernon (from now on referred to as ‘Vern’) yet again lucked out….some people are just born lucky . We walked under the famous Chirk double Aquaduct/Viaduct. Apparently the train crossing was made higher than the canal due to its superiority as a form of travel. Or it could be that the aqueduct needed to be level with the canal…… next to it we also saw an ancient homage to a well known symbol of fertility and intelligence. Or it could have been just been a very immature piece of modern art….

We did eventually get to Offa’s Dyke and the start of what I see as the homeward stretch. The paths are clear and well marked, the scenery fantastic and the company good so we had a great day. a better day at least than the man who lost a boot……

We were all loving the walk and finally got up to the old race course (Oswestry race course) with yet another wonderful example of a stupid noble/rich Englishman losing all their family wealth built up over generations, from bad decisions and bad gambling ….

All great stuff and we soaked up the history as we negotiated stile after stile. By this point it was a tough walk with plenty of hills. The views however were spectacular and of course the phone cannot do it justice. Therefore I will just post some fairly unflattering shots of us all…

We finished the day in Llanymynech in the cross keys pub. A very bland looking pub but turned out to be a great, friendly local with a lovely landlord. The best welcome so far… “come on in, here’s some water for the dog. We will sort out the rooms later. What’s you drink? First one on the house……”

After a couple of pints, and having let ‘Vern’s’ hands subside from some weird swelling , it was time for dinner. Grahame has joined the gang for a walk tomorrow, Keith came to join for dinner and we all five went over the road for another curry. The most surreal curry house, it was packed for such a tiny hamlet – and the waitress was from Thailand – . Brilliant!

Mulsford to Chirk. 16.49 miles, 1,306 ft of elevation, 35,873 steps

Well today could be summarised as frustrating. We both set of from Kate’s B&B well fed and hoping today would start better than how we ended yesterday.

We soon realised that this was naive. Despite us wanting to move quickly on to the ‘Maelor Way’ and what we hoped would be a better, defined path, we were continually met with flooding, overgrown stiles and sometimes non existent paths. At times we travelled so slowly it was taking us 30 mins to do a mile , and a couple of times we had to back track. As such we did a couple of unnecessary miles and ended the day exhausted despite the lower mileage. I will let the photos below give a picture of what we had to deal with ….

Still, we did make progress and once we resigned ourselves to the rural roads, we met saw some great sights. If you can, zoom in on this one as there is a donkey in amongst the ducks and chickens…..

We did see some lovely parts and as we followed the banks of the river Dee came across a beautiful church and pub (Manley Hall).

And then would you believe it, as we finally made it to Chirk we saw another canal. Come on, can we never leave them. This one is the Llangollen canal and was a hive of activity. We saw at least 10 boats moving and in the space of 20 minutes outstripped the previous 2 weeks excitement! It turns out Chirk is an incredibly important town in term of history and feeling suitable lazy, I have taken a photo and will allow you all to read the fine details…

I couldn’t resist one last photo now we are firmly in Wales. How can you possible guess….

Tomorrow will be a real milestone as we start Offa’s Dyke and at the end of the week will have completed it and be firmly in the South if England. We have been joined by David Vernon tonight who will do the next day and a half. Should be great, and the weather is clear again.

Finally, just a quick hello from our bullock friends….,