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.
Day 54 - Pandy to Hay-on-Wye
Good
breakfast and provision of chocolate and apples for the day ahead confirm that
the Rising Sun would probably feature in the top five establishments at which
we've stayed. Today's walk is not as taxing as we thought it was going to be.
After the need to cross (very carefully) the Newport to Hereford railway line,
it starts with a long ascent into the Black Mountains, ultimately to 2,300 feet
- the highest point on the Path - but the weather is dry, and also cooler than
yesterday, and the climb isn't particularly steep or testing under foot. So we
manage it without undue difficulty and with the help of plenty of water and
snacks. The path itself up to Hatterrall Hill and the ridge beyond is pretty
featureless, but some of the views are spectacular. (These do not include Ben
taking the first "dump au naturel" of the walk - there isn't a more
delicate way of phrasing it - in the disturbingly close proximity of some
sheep.) With perfect timing, the sun only appears when we've completed the
climb and are approaching Hay Bluff. We therefore work up a bit of a sweat on
the long descent into Hay-on-Wye where the Blue Boar is conveniently located
for reviving purposes, and a relaxed lunch and postcard/admin session, before
catching a bus to Hereford station. Train to Worcester, where we change for
John to get to Evesham and Ben and Gary to continue to London.
Day 53 - Monmouth to Pandy
Ben and Gary
travel to Monmouth by train (to Newport) and cab, and John travels purely by
cab. Remarkably, we arrive outside the Robin Hood within a few minutes of each
other, around 10:15. The entertainment from John during the early part of
today's walk is a series of 12 questions about the 1970's which, when posed in
yesterday's edition of "Pointless", apparently secured a record high
score of 600 (i.e. all wrong answers) from the 6 participating contestants. The
author's modesty precludes him from recording the outcome of the questions
being asked this morning, although the person who secured 12 correct answers
didn't participate to any noticeable extent in the subsequent discussion about
a tax issue. Anyway, back to the walk itself which is along a very picturesque
and not too testing route. A few inclines and some short sections along roads,
but essentially through fields close to or alongside the River Trothy, and with
a couple of villages (Llantilio Crosseny and Llangattock-Lingoed) to pass
through. Good progress is made, but a warm day combined with a desire not to
reach our overnight stop too early, renders it advisable - if not necessary -
to pause a while in the late afternoon sunshine at the Hunter's Moon Inn at
Llangattock-Lingoed where we meet a couple of other people who are walking the
same stretch of the Trail as us today and tomorrow - and staying at the same
place overnight. They leave the Hunter's Moon before we do because our
"pause" is one of about an hour which translates into a couple of
ciders. Strangely, on the succeeding short stretch of the walk to Pandy, Gary
falls off a plank into a shallow ditch, Ben doesn't spot a rather large hole in
a field and almost trips over, and John nearly comes a cropper at a stile.
These incidents do not prevent us from having a further cider when we get to
the Rising Sun at Pandy, and yet another after we've freshened up and are
ordering supper. Initial impressions of the Rising Sun are very favourable -
comfortable rooms with copious free-flowing hot water in individual en suite
facilities. Supper, with bottle of wine and followed by sticky, does nothing to
change these impressions but, as always, then having a second sticky is
probably a mistake!
Day 52 - Tintern to Monmouth
News of the morning is that Nigel Davies has left Gloucester - shock horror. Good breakfast, a bright morning, and beautiful scenery as we leave Tintern - once again eschewing Offa's Dyke and following the Wye Valley route as far as Bigsweir. However, on leaving Bigsweir, we take an uphill road and paths which eventually lead to the Dyke trail. Through woods and a small plantation, we emerge into a field, and a steep descent into Redbrook. It's late morning, but a conveniently located pub (definitely The Boat) is open, and discussion is brief before we decide to take advantage of its hospitality. Ben and John sample a cider taken from a barrel "round the back" of the bar, the strength of which is such as to render the possibility of a second being deemed a potential impediment to our onward journey. This proves to be fully justified, first in terms of steadiness (the journey once more follows the banks of the Wye along a narrow and occasionally slippy path), and secondly in terms of timing (our arrival at the shelter of a bridge coincides with a short, but very heavy, rain shower). Typically efficient advance admin by John has established that a bus from Monmouth shortly after 3:00 p.m. should get us to Newport in time for our trains home, and enable us to repeat our Carwyn-free achievements of days 49 and 50. We arrive in Monmouth in time for a leisurely lunch opposite the bus station at The Robin Hood pub, the bus arrives on schedule, and there are no delays in getting to Newport. However, our train is delayed by 15 minutes and, just prior to its arrival, Ben announces that he can't find his ticket. His unsuccessful attempts to find it (by retracing his steps back to the barriers) mean that he almost misses the train but, having boarded, he then finds the ticket in some "folds" in his pocket. The train delay also means that John misses his intended connection at Bristol, but at least he can share a half bottle of red in the buffet and has only half an hour to wait for a later train at Parkway. Otherwise, incident free returns home.
Day 50 - Clevedon to Avonmouth
Early brekker
not a problem for Best Westin hotels - and it's "buffet style" which
is probably a first among the 25 establishments where we've so far breakfasted.
In fact 7:00 a.m. seems to be a popular time for many of the residents -
probably because most of them put the three of us in the youth policy category.
When we check out, the woman on the desk says that there's been a coach party
staying, from "somewhere up north", but is happy to acknowledge that
to her almost anywhere east of Bristol is "up north" - particularly when
John points out that the coach parked outside is marked "Epsom
Coaches". Once again, a very pleasant start to the walking day. Indeed,
the first couple of hours towards Portishead are reminiscent of the SW Coast
Path - close to the water, along woodland tracks, and past a few groupings of
holiday homes. Then, beyond the newly developed marina complex after Portishead
Point, it's inland diversion time once more - this time to get round Portbury
Dock to the Avonmouth Bridge. This includes skirting a couple of huge outdoor
compounds filled with new cars, but the walking is pretty easy, much of it
being along bridleways and cycle trails. But eventually we approach the M5 and
the Avonmouth Bridge. As the bridge comes into view, it seems that crossing it
might be a test not so much of Ben's recent hypnotherapy sessions, as of John's
and Gary's resolve. Indeed, a fleeting moment's consideration is given to
walking into Bristol along the river instead. However, courage is screwed to
the sticking place, and the bridge is crossed in about 20 minutes without undue
concerns. Bring on the Severn Bridge next time......!! Ben has attempted to
lure Jenny out to meet us for a lunchtime drink, but finishing an essay is of
more immediate importance to her. A shame, but at least we can delay a decision
on where to finish/lunch and how to get to Parkway station. The decision is, in
fact, made quite quickly - i.e. shortly after getting over the bridge and into
Avonmouth where, at the station, a train is about to leave for Temple Meads. We
decide to catch it and then take another train to Parkway. This gives more than
enough time for a spot of lunch in a very impressive buffet at Temple Meads and
for us to establish (a) ways of returning to Avonmouth via Parkway on the next
trip and (b) that this has been the first occasion on the walk so far when we
have not taken a cab at any stage during a two day trip. The train we catch
from Temple Meads continues beyond Parkway through Cheltenham, so John stays on
board when Ben and Gary change at Parkway for the connection back to
Paddington.
Day 49 - Weston-super-Mare to Clevedon
During the
previous 48 days, we've missed a couple of "outbound" connections
because of late train arrivals at Exeter, and one return journey due to
ailing/delayed Colin at Widemouth Bay. It may be slightly surprising that,
until now, none of us has done - or omitted to do - something which has
resulted in failure to catch a train, but it's certainly surprising how that
run is broken this morning. Ben arrives at Paddington in time for the outbound
journey , but then boards the wrong train. The consequence is far more
significant in terms of expense for Ben than delay to the walk. His arrival at
Weston is only half an hour after John's and Gary's and we're all at the sea
front by 10:15. It soon becomes apparent that there are a few unnecessary items
in the bagging areas, namely waterproofs which we've all brought but which,
contrary to forecasts during the last few days, are unlikely to be required. A
pleasant enough start to the day along the coast outside Weston but then,
around mid-day and just before St Thomas's Head, we start a series of inland
diversions to get round/over the Rivers Banwell and Yeo. The early afternoon
route also involves crossing and re-crossing the M5. John's not entirely
serious suggestion that we wait for gaps in the traffic at least has the effect
of managing expectations, and the fences, tunnel, fields and footbridge which
we actually negotiate seem relatively tame. We eventually regain the coast
shortly after Kingston Seymour and, by 4:30, are approaching our overnight stop
at Clevedon. We decide against pre-arrival sharpeners (the pubs we pass aren't
all that tempting) and get to the Walton Park - a Best Westin Hotel - around
5:00. The bad news is that the bar doesn't open until 6:00. The good news is
that drinks can be ordered and brought to us in the lounge - a facility of
which we take advantage twice, in the welcome form of a couple of pints of
cider each. After changing, and taking the view that the dining room might be a
bit too formal, we have supper in the bar - a window table with views over the
Avon and Clevedon Pier. Pretty good food too (burger/steak pie/fish)
accompanied by further ciders and two bottles of red. Cheese and biscuits to
end the evening, along with a sticky each for John and Ben.
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