The
consensus is that this is not so much a "boutique" establishment (as
advertised) but more a pub with well furnished and decorated rooms. The
breakfast isn't too bad, but perhaps a tad disappointing given that The Farndon
is one of the most expensive places at which we've stayed. Still, it has the
great advantage of convenience, avoiding the cost of Colin yesterday evening
and this morning. Just a few minutes' walk back down the High Street to the
bridge and the beginning of a day when, for most of the time, the Dee Way
actually follows the banks of the...er...Dee which today has mist rising from
it on a beautifully crisp, sunny morning. The first six miles are along the
east side of the river past a fish farm (where our navigation goes slightly
awry) and, to quote the estate agent wording of the guide book, "featuring
riverside wooden chalets of various designs" (nice). To check the Farndon
owner's comment yesterday evening about water levels, we've done our own very
basic calculation of the movement of "ap atom" (long story) from the
source of the Dee. However, the accuracy of that calculation does depend on
having a vague idea of the length of the river, and all our estimates prove to
be embarrassingly wide of the mark. A more reliable check is through a visual
inspection which reveals that, on this topic at least, the owner may have known
what he was talking about - the river level is now very high. We pass Aldford
and cross to the west of the Dee where the next hour of the walk is on a path
between the river and the boundary of the Eaton Estate, the not inconsiderable
family home of the Duke of Westminster. The side of Chester to which the path
eventually leads also seems quite prosperous - boathouses, riverside
bars/restaurants and smart looking houses - and, after passing bridges leading
into the city centre, we reach our second racecourse (London buses?), the
Roodee. And it doesn't simply involve a "good view" of the course
like yesterday, but a semi-circumnavigation on a path along the back straight
and behind the stables. After a brief discussion about how far to walk in order
to maximise convenience/timings on our next trip, we go through the Old Port
and a short way along the Shropshire Union Canal towards Saughall. Short enough
that we can walk back to the centre in 30 minutes, stopping at a pub on the
road to the station which is of such a "standard" as to make us
abandon it after one pint and sample the delights of the station buffet
instead. Sufficient time there for a cider and sandwiches, and sufficient time
on the train to share half a bottle of red before John disembarks to change
trains at Crewe, and Ben and Gary continue (with further half bottles of red)
to London.
Day 61 - Overton Bridge to Farndon
Back to our
full complement for the next couple of days, although no immediate plans for
Gary to do the sections he missed on days 59 and 60. Early start, with everyone
getting to Birmingham shortly after 8:00. Unfortunately, due to lack of admin
coordination during the preceding few weeks, neither Ben/Gary nor John is aware
of their similar arrival times at New Street and arrangements have been made to
meet not there but at Stafford. Track side problems delay this rendezvous - and
the onward journey to Crewe/Chester - by half an hour or so but eventually, and
courtesy of Colin from Chester station, we reach the pub at Overton Bridge
(which is summarily eschewed) and are "on piste" just before 11:30.
For the most part, a wholly unremarkable day's walking under grey skies along
an ill-defined and largely non-signposted route. It seems that John is
constantly having to consult the logger to determine the direction we should be
taking across what prove to be rather wet fields. Also, very little is seen of
the Dee itself which keeps meandering, in a series of U-bends, away from the
walk, and/or is shielded by embankments. And when it does come into view, its
level seems surprisingly low. So perhaps just three points of anything
approaching note. First, a brief and early pit stop at the Royal Oak just
outside Bangor-on-Dee for beer and crisps during which it is established that
the time previously given by John for today's sunset is about 35 minutes later
than actual sunset, so we'll need to get a wiggle on to reach Farndon before
nightfall. Secondly, we get a good view of Bangor-on-Dee racecourse, and
realise that it's the first currently used racecourse (i.e. excluding the
former Kington racecourse on day 55) which we've seen during all of our days
walking. And thirdly, despite the efficiency of the logger, we take the wrong
route across one particular field and, in trying to rejoin the so-called path,
we cross a grassy area which is so wet that we occasionally sink to almost knee
level. As a result, Ben's and Gary's socks and feet become exceedingly damp - a
fate from which John is saved by his "fetching" puttees. However, in
the final hour of the day on the approach to Holt, we at long last join a path
alongside the river which eventually brings us to the bridge in Farndon from
where it's only a short stroll up the High Street to our overnight resting
place, imaginatively called The Farndon. A cheery welcome from the owner
includes the opportunity to start drying our footwear in front of a log fire
whilst we take on board the first beer of the evening. The owner certainly
likes to chat, but some of his rather confused comments about the local beers
lead us to question how much of the chat has any foundation! When we mention
the low level of the Dee, he says that a period of heavy rainfall (which
occurred over the weekend) doesn't affect this stretch of the river for about
36 hours. We'll be able to test the accuracy of this tomorrow. In the meantime,
baths and showers (John's shower apparently not of the highest standard) and
good food and wine are followed by a comfortable night.
Day 60 (still no Gary): 5 September 2014 Near Oswestry to Overton Bridge
Taxi Johnny from
the previous day picked us up promptly after a decent breakfast at the b and b
adjoining then pub, where we had spent the night. We were redeposited at our
crossroads and were under way by 8.40. Plenty of time to make our day’s
destination, the Cross Foxes at Overton
Bridge, where we were to be collected
at 3 30 by Taxi Johnny, with plenty of time to make the train in Chester. Despite managing
to take the wrong path almost straight away, we were soon back on track and
making good progress northwards. Today was the day we were to say goodbye to
the Offa’s Dyke walk (who wants to go to Prestatyn anyway) and strike off
northeast along the Dee. Although this was the
one thing we had to worry about, we naturally managed to miss the turn we had
intended to make, shortly before Chirk, but got back on track quickly enough.
Our planned
route involved a crossing of the Ceiriog, whose north bank we followed for a
section that splendidly took us under the viaducts for the Llangollen Canal
and the railway, then a pleasant section along the canal before, crossing a main
road, we were on the Llwbyr Maelor
Way and on the last leg to Overton Bridge. Still plenty of
time…but when we were around the Ceiriog/Dee confluence, we managed to go wrong
by staying too close to the river. One of John’s cross-country recoveries,
involving much scrambling through brambles and bracken and up slopes that
challenged Ben’s vertigo (hypnotherapy or not), we eventually got back on
track. We were now a bit short of time, but a frisky load of bullocks enabled
us to get through Flannog farm briskly enough, and after a rather easier
stretch along the Dee, and the old helpful short cut, we made it to the pub at Overton
Bridge
with twelve minutes in hand.
Our travails
were not done yet, however. Taxi Johnny was nowhere to be seen and had to be
summoned from Oswestry. His confident demeanour began to wear a little thin as
he decided to take us to Chester
station through the clogged middle of the city, spurning the rather
empty-looking by-pass. We were both booked onto a particular train, John so
that he could do a nifty change at Milton Keynes Central and see Gloucester’s
first game of the season at Northampton. Missing the train would have been a
disaster (although John may wish he’d missed the game: Gloucester lost 53 -6: tries by North (3),
Pisi, Burrell (2), Fotuali’i and Fisher).
We made it by
just over a minute and were grateful for the red wine freely (as in readily not
gratis) available at buffet car. 16.3 miles in 6 hours, 40 minutes.
Day 59 (no Gary) – 4 September 2014 Pool Quay to near Oswestry
Despite Gary’s enforced absence
looking after his mum, John and Ben went ahead with the walk on 4/5 Sept.
Perhaps surprisingly, Ben managed to get the right train at Euston and
negotiate a change at Birmingham International. John then joined him at Birmingham New Street
and the depleted party arrived in good order at Welshpool station (the one that
serves a by-pass) soon after 10. Taxi Johnny deposited us at the pub at Pool
Quay, which at that hour had more of an excuse for not being open than usual, but
a search of the outside revealed no trace of Gary’s guide to the Offa’s Dyke
Path (north). A nasty-sounding dog put us off asking at the door.
A pleasant if
unremarkable couple of hours along the canal and by the Severn
(which at that point is describing a long clockwise turn and flowing east – we
left it eventually and struck north again), eventually took us to Four Crosse.
Here for the first time on that day we managed to get a bit lost, in a cemetery
of all places from which we eventually emerged by retracing our steps to find
Parson’s lane. Another bit of canalside action, and since it was rather warm,
with nine miles under our belts we decided to reward ourselves with a lunch
stop a – the Dolphin at Llanymynech where we doubled the lunchtime crowd and,
remarkably reduced its average age. The pub did us a good sandwich though.
The walk after
lunch was more undulating – we climbed up around the side of a hill and were
soon crossing Llanymynech golf course, possibly more
famous for being Ian Woosnam’s home course than the fact that Ben had played
there once on a cricket tour. Some quite demanding ups and downs, not helped by
a sign for ice creams put up by children who turned out to have consumed their
stock, brought us to Moelydd Uchaf. A
fine crest with commanding views. From
there it was downhill all the way to the end of the day’s walk just before 6
30: the crossroads of the path with
theB4580, where Taxi Johnny from Oswestry (more about him on day 60) was soon
persuaded to turn up and take us to our designated pub at Whittington. Total
distance 18.7 miles in 7 hours 5 minutes.
Day 58 - Montgomery/Brompton Crossroads to Pool Quay
......The
guy behind the bar has delegated the cab finding to the lady behind the desk
this morning but, by 7:30, she has been unable to complete the task having
received no reply from the numbers she's called. News is that Robin Williams is
dead - or perhaps not "news" for John who doesn't know who Robin
Williams is. But over a good breakfast we are given the more immediately
important news that, in the absence of cabs, our breakfast chef Hayley will
drive us back to Brompton Crossroads. The forecast is for showers throughout
the day and the first one - both brief and light - arrives during the first
half hour as we cross farmland to the east of Montgomery. With no sign of the
Australian couple coming the other way, we continue along flat stretches, and a
first is "achieved" when Gary manages to fall through a cattle grid
(thankfully not deep), thus somewhat belatedly fulfilling the predictions 45
years earlier of less than encouraging school "friends" before cross
country runs. A heavy shower arrives but, once again, it's reasonably brief and
proves to be the final one we encounter. Once through Lynmore Park and over the
River Camlad (another well known waterway after the Unk of yesterday), we
encounter a few climbs through the Leighton Estate - where there's a further
minor cross-track error - and up to the Beacon Ring hill fort. However,
although longer ascents than yesterday's, they're not as steep and are
generally along estate roads and broad tracks, so not too problematic. Indeed,
the consequent 1,000 feet descent through fields into Buttington is, if
anything, more testing. We've decided to continue beyond Buttington to Pool
Quay, first because we have the time to get another couple of miles ticked off
and secondly because the Powis Arms at Pool Quay seems to be an appropriate
stopping point. A cab is booked to take us from there to Welshpool at 2:30 and an
ETA of 2:00 will afford the time for a relaxed cider or two plus a bite to eat.
At least that's the theory. After crossing Buttington Bridge and some fields,
and walking for a mile or so alongside the Montgomery Canal, we arrive at the
Powis Arms on schedule - only to find it closed. However, a quick phone call
gets the cab to us in 5 minutes and we're in Welshpool by 2:15 after a journey
which, whilst of the same distance as the one yesterday evening, costs £10
less. We're dropped at the "Old Station" which, conveniently, is
adjacent to the current/new station and, just as conveniently, purveys bottles
of cider and sandwiches. Rather inconveniently, Gary realises that he's left
the Trail Guide somewhere - probably in the garden of the Powis Arms - but, a
couple of bottles of cider and a sandwich later, it's time to walk over the
bridge (Ben armed with the remnants of his second bottle) to catch the train(s)
home.
Day 57 - Knighton to Brompton Crossroads/Montgomery
Ben and Gary
travel via Newport and John joins them at Hereford for the rest of the journey
to Ludlow and then, courtesy of Colin/Carwyn (actually Owen) to the George and
Dragon in Knighton. Subject to an earlier heavy shower in Newport, there's no
evidence of the tail end of ex-hurricane Bertha - a breezy day, but dry and
generally bright. We set off from the George and Dragon just before opening
time, so no temptation to delay what could be a testing 15+ miles to Brompton
Crossroads (see Guide's description - day 56 above). Things start with a
longish climb to the top of Panpunton Hill and, soon afterwards, a
"cross-track error" when we don't take heed of the Guide's warning
that the "path is easy to miss" and duly miss a downward track
through some gorse towards a white cottage. When realisation dawns, we decide
not to retrace our steps and, instead, reach the cottage by ploughing downhill
through some of the waist high local flora. We pass Garbett Hall - our
originally proposed end point on day 56 - after 90 minutes or so walking, and
continue around Llanfair Hill to Springhill. Not long afterwards, we see the
Offa's Dyke midpoint signpost showing that we are 88.5 miles from both Sedbury
Cliffs and Prestatyn. This is also around the start of the series of short but
steep climbs and descents which will make our progress to Brompton Crossroads -
and the Blue Bell Inn - a tad slower than would otherwise be the case. We
eventually emerge through the arched gateway of Mellington Hall and the short
road to the Blue Bell at about 5:50 - conveniently close to opening time.
However, even after phoning the Dragon Hotel in Montgomery where we're staying
to ask them to arrange for a cab to collect us by 6:30, we still need to alert
the landlady to our presence before the doors of the pub are opened. It
transpires that she has been in charge of the establishment since 1966 but,
despite her taking a little bit of time to get our drinks, and the cab arriving
closer to 6:20 than 6:30, there's time and inclination to get through a couple
of ciders before we leave. The cab has, in fact, come from Welshpool - the
Hotel's usual local cabbie (Colin Montgomery??!!) being unavailable due to a
recent stroke. As a result, although it's a mere 3 miles from the pub to
Montgomery, we're charged the princely sum of £15 for the journey. Our earlier
swift two ciders dissuade us from having another immediately after check-in.
Instead, after freshening up and changing, we move straight to glasses of wine
before supper - in the company of an Australian couple who now live in
Gloucestershire and who are walking the Dyke from north to south. We exchange a
few experiences of our respective routes and overnight stops and, given that
the couple finished their day to the north of Montgomery, we half anticipate
that our paths will cross early tomorrow. We restrict supper to just a very
substantial main course - plus a bottle of red - after which Ben retires
leaving John and Gary to have a double and single sticky respectively whilst
trying to arrange a cab for tomorrow morning. The guy behind the bar says he'll
see what he can do.......
Day 56 - Old Radnor/Lower Harpton to Knighton
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.
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