Just 1-0 to
Argentina after extra time, and good sleep. Gary (in socks....very silly) slips
down wooden stairs on his way to breakfast, but this in no way affects our view
of The Harp as the best place we've stayed so far. And an opinion which is not
expressed because John has promised to send to Angela a link to this blog! Come
on - great views, comfortable rooms, excellent food - including breakfast -
wonderful hospitality, free safety pins, and our own private taxi service from
Lower Harpton last night and back there this morning. What's not to like?
Having said farewell to Angela, we set off for Knighton, and possibly beyond.
It soon becomes apparent why the Official Trail Guide rates the Kington to
Knighton stretch as "the most enjoyable day's walk of the whole
path". Some spectacular scenery alongside the Dyke, over the Lugg Valley
and back towards Hergest Ridge. Although the terrain is quite undulating, the
climbs aren't particularly steep and therefore, and with no places to
"detain" us en route, we make pretty good time to Knighton golf
course and down a pretty steep hill into the town. We had thought of continuing
to Garbett Hall - about 3 miles further on at the beginning of a section which
the Guide describes as "the toughest part of the whole route". The
prospect of ticking off those miles now is attractive, but careful
consideration in the George and Dragon leads to the conclusion that, given the
location of available stopping points next time, an extra 3 miles today isn't
going to increase our future progress. Besides, it's pretty hot and we need
also to test the hospitality of the Horse and Jockey. Before doing so, we check
the availability of public transport to Ludlow station, but establish that a
cab between us isn't going to be much more expensive. We have an hour to while
away, but the Horse and Jockey proves to be somewhat dilatory with a not
particularly complex food order - i.e. baguettes, which we only just manage to
finish before being picked up by Owen the cab. Owen informs us that the Ludlow
Brewing Company is conveniently close to the station....it has to be done.
There are six types of beer but, helpfully, they can be served in third of a
pint measures for sampling purposes. We sample all six before deciding rather
prosaically to have a pint of best to wash down a healthy afternoon snack of
pork pie and scotch egg. A slightly earlier train than originally planned from
Ludlow avoids delay on the later service and ensures that we all get home
smoothly.
Day 55 - Hay-on-Wye to Lower Harpton/Old Radnor
We meet up
again at Evesham. As a result of his late departure time from home, John has
had more than sufficient time for a bacon sandwich. Ben and Gary need to slum
it and take on board a sausage roll whilst waiting at Worcester for the
connecting train to Hereford. Quite a long cab ride to Hay - and in a break
with tradition, John has an in-car kip on the outbound journey. We arrive
around 11:15 and, after resolving the important question of our official start
point (the car park or the Blue Boar) we wend our way down to the Wye and over
the fields to Clyro. The woods through Bettws Dingle provide welcome shade from
the sun before the more open fields leading to Newchurch. A couple of climbs
between Newchurch and Gladestry are eased by some comfortable turf underfoot
and, to afford yet more comfort, there's the temptation (not resisted) of the
Royal Oak at Gladestry. Our arrival at afternoon closing time doesn't mean that
our ciders have to be rushed, and we leave with springs in our steps
(relatively speaking) which help the climb up to the moorland of Hergest Ridge.
Past the site of the former Kington racecourse, and by this stage Gary is
having to make disturbingly frequent adjustments to his below waistline attire
due to the detachment of the button at the top of his shorts. In Kington itself
- which isn't as much of a toilet as Gary has previously banged on about -
there's a short debate about whether we should indulge in a further reviver.
The decision not to means that we'll almost certainly get a lift from Lower
Harpton to Old Radnor which has been kindly offered by our hosts at The Harp,
but conversely, the hill out of Kington is now distinctly more challenging than
the post-cider hill out of Gladestry. It leads to Kington golf course which is,
apparently, the highest in England at almost 1,300 feet. The next couple of
inclines, Rushock and Herrock hills, are walked round rather than over, so the
final mile or so of the day is pretty easy going. However, it's still something
of a relief shortly after getting to Lower Harpton, to see a car driven by
Angela from The Harp arriving to pick us up - even more of a relief when we
realise, from the comfort of the car, the distance to The Harp. And what a
location when we get there. Having walked around the south west coast it seems
strange to say that the views (over the Radnor Valley) are probably the best
we've experienced at any of the places where we've stayed. To take full
advantage, we have a drink outside in the early evening sunshine before
showers/baths and supper. And, even after the views, we're not disappointed by
the rooms, the food and the hospitality - Gary even obtains a safety pin for
his mobile shorts. Just the one sticky this evening, although it is preceded by
a port with our cheese. Unlikely that tonight's Argentina v Holland World Cup
semi-final will match the entertainment of last night's Brazil v Germany game,
so no need for sleep to be delayed by the footie.
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