Lands End to John O'Groats - Day 023 - Craven Arms to Brockton

 

Day:	023
Date:	Tuesday, 25 May 2010
Start:	Craven Arms
Finish:	Brockton
Daily Kilometres:	45.1
Total Kilometres:	699.4
Weather:	Cool, overcast and hazy in the morning and some sun in the afternoon.
Accommodation:	Free camping
Nutrition:	English breakfast; soup and bread roll for lunch; beef and ale pie, chips and vegetables for dinner
Aches:	Sore feet including one deep blister on left heel
Pictures:	Here
GPS Track:	Here
Journal:	I went down for the early 7am breakfast, joining seven construction workers also staying at the pub. The breakfast was fine except for the coffee which easily took the prize for the worst of the trip so far.  I knew I had a fairly big day to reach the Youth Hostel at Coalport, my target for the day, and also knew that there was nothing available in terms of food or drink until a pub at about 22km.  Accordingly, I stopped at a newsagent on the way out of town and bought a couple of cans of Diet Coke and two small Snickers Bars. From Craven Arms, the first hour or so involved climbing gradually to the top of Wenlock Edge via some little-used country lanes.  I strode out determined to make good time and enjoyed the cooler and overcast conditions after the heat of the last few days. The lane passed farms surrounded by low wooded hills and one tiny village and I felt like I had it all to myself. Wenlock Edge is a 30km long limestone escarpment with a steep drop on on side and a valley and hills to the other. My route joined the Shropshire Way, a lesser-known long distance footpath for its journey along Wenlock Edge and beyond.  There weren't all that many opportunities for views on the steep side because of the trees, but glimpses were had every now and then.  To the right, gentler side, I could see farms and more wooded hills.  Generally, the path was easy to follow and easy walking as well, on soft leaf-covered ground.  Mostly it stayed in the pretty woods but sometimes went the other side of the fence to skirt the farmland. I made good time to the Wenlock Edge Inn, where I intended to have lunch, arriving at 1pm to find that there was a power outage from the apologetic innkeeper.  I sadly retired to a grassy patch across the road and drank my remaining can of Diet Coke and my mini Snickers Bar while if reviewed the afternoon's plans on the map. As I packed up to move on the innkeeper came out to tell me power had been restored, but I decided to keep moving with the idea of getting a substantial afternoon tea in the town of Much Wenlock, a further 7km on.  I arrived there soon after 3pm and found a very well preserved historic market town with many fascinating old buildings. I found a cafe in the main street and ordered soup and a roll for lunch.  While eating I read the flyer about the upcoming festival week and saw that one of their guest speakers was to be Dave Moorcroft, a phenomenal runner from my day (who I think I met once), who incredibly still holds the British National records for 5000m and 3000m. After my break I passed through some more of Much Wenlock including the very old Guildhall and the even older ruined Wenlock Priory, although I could only take pictures of the latter over the fence without paying admission.  The Shropshire way then crossed more farmland and traversed another escarpment, Benthall Edge, as it approached the historic and still active industrial area around Ironbridge.  This area was really the centre of the Industrial Revolution and had a real sense of history, including the first cast iron bridge and lots of old preserved mill buildings. As I passed Ironbridge, the last town I would pass for the day, I called ahead to the Youth Hostel, 3km ahead, to make sure they had room.  No answer, but I knew it was a big Hostel, so carried on, sure they would have a bed.  When I got there at 6:30pm it was fully-booked for school groups!  Curses!  I went to a nearby pub, but they were also full, so I ordered dinner and bought a few drinks and candy bars to take with me on the assumption I would probably be camping.  I continued on trying one more pub which did have a room, but was too expensive, and eventually found myself a spot to camp in a small wood near a busy road.  It seems to be mosquito heaven.  I called ahead and booked myself a room in a pub at Penkridge for tomorrow night and will aim to be there before 5pm to collect my mail and my next set of maps.

Lands End to John O'Groats - Day 022 - Evenjobb to Craven Arms

 

Day:	022
Date:	Monday, 24 May 2010
Start:	Near Evenjobb
Finish:	Craven Arms
Daily Kilometres:	34.4
Total Kilometres:	654.3
Weather:	Sunny and warm
Accommodation:	Hotel B&B (£35)
Nutrition:	Pie and pastie and ice-cream for brunch; toad-in-the-hole with mash, gravy and veges and sticky toffee pudding and custard for dinner
Aches:	Tired feet.
Pictures:	Here
GPS Track:	Here
Journal:	Got up at 7am after a warm and sticky night, interrupted by some inquisitive cows munching right up to the tent on several occasions.  I was already pretty sweaty and grimy when I went to bed in the clothes I had worn all day, and was thankful I had bought a sleeping bag inner for this trip that can be washed quite easily.  Otherwise, my sleeping bag would become pretty gross pretty quick. Anyway, I was walking by 8am on another already warm and sunny day.  I followed more Offa's Dyke earthworks for part of the way and enjoyed the pleasant path which again climbed to semi-moorland and then descended to valley floors, farms and tiny villages on several occasions.  The climbing and descending made for slow progress, especially in warm conditions, but I didn't push it.  I was entertained throughout the day by low flying military aircraft, the first being a jet fighter that passed so low I could easily see the crew in the cockpit.  Later I saw a number of low-flying Hercules transports. After a final descent through an attractive and unoccupied golf course, I arrived in the busy little town of Knighton around 11:30am, ready for some breakfast and fluids.  I found a bakery, and followed that with a visit to a tiny supermarket where I bought some supplies to see me through the rest of the day.  I had 21km still to go to my target of Craven Arms, but figured I could do that comfortably during the afternoon.  Knighton was a significant point in the trip because it marked the point at which I left the Offa's Dyke Path and headed north-east across the English midlands towards the Peak District and the Pennine Way, my route north to Scotland.  I was sorry to leave Offa's Dyke Path because it had been well-marked, generally easy underfoot and spectacularly scenic.  Thoroughly recommended. I'm back now following the less-travelled paths suggested by my guide-book.  The way out of Knighton began with a long and arduous climb in very warm conditions to the top of Stow Hill (~400m).  Near the top, on a very steep and gravelly path, I met an un-helmeted mountain-biker weighing many kilograms, coming down the path.  I consoled myself with the thought that there was no way he had ridden up.  He was having some trouble getting traction and holding his line on the descent.  A big fall seemed imminent, but I didn't hang around to watch. I travelled much slower than I hoped during the afternoon, with more ascents and descents, some rough fields to cross and considerable heat.  Yet I wasn't too bothered as the views made up for it and I passed through some very old villages with interesting old buildings.  With about 7km to go, my route began following a lane which followed the line of an old Roman road, virtually straight for kilometre after kilometre.  I spent some time pondering those who had built it, and passed along it, 2000 years ago.  What did the countryside look like then?  I was supposed to leave the road and walk the last 4km along some footpaths but, when I got to the track junction, and saw waist-high nettles, I decided to sticvk with my Roman road which was also heading in the right direction. I reached the small town of Craven Arms at around 6:30pm and, after wandering around a little, found the only establishment that seemed to offer any accommodation and was lucky to get a room.  I had to wait half an hour in the bar until they could get their last free room ready.  As usual, I washed out the days gear while I showered, putting the plug in the bath and doing some "grape-mashing" with my feet before rinsing each item out.  You would not believe the black scum mark left in the bath when I emptied it.  I had to do some vigorous washing down. I had dinner in the bar watching the England vs Mexico "friendly" on their large screen, but went back to my room at half-time.  Hard to get too enthusiastic about a game that really didn't mean much to either team.  Less hills tomorrow, but a longish day.

Lands End to John O'Groats - Day 021 - Hay-on-Wye to Evenjobb

 

Day:	021
Date:	Sunday, 23 May 2010
Start:	Hay-on-Wye
Finish:	Near Evenjobb
Daily Kilometres:	36.0
Total Kilometres:	619.9
Weather:	Sunny and warm
Accommodation:	Free camping
Nutrition:	English breakfast; roast dinner for lunch; ice-cream and flavoured milk for afternoon tea; can of creamed rice and can of peaches for dinner
Aches:	Feet sore and generally tired
Pictures:	Here
GPS Track:	Here
Journal:	The guesthouse landlady came across the the annexe where I was staying at 8am to tell me breakfast was early so I could make an early start.  I hadn't requested this and was packed ready to go, so I really think she just wanted to get breakfast out of the way (there was only one other couple as guests) so she could enjoy more of her Sunday, which was fine, but better if she told me the night before.  However, I'm not complaining.  She really looked after me and I would recommend her guesthouse to anyone visiting Hay-on-Wye. As I walked out of town in the already very warm morning sun at 9am, a motorist coming out of his driveway smiled at me and said "I hope you've got plenty of water".  It was going to be a "scorcher".  I was still following the Offa's Dyke Path and the early walking was across farmland next to the River Wye, before it turned inland along some shady forest paths, which were most welcome.  Along this section, I was caught from behind by a big and strong guy, my age, who was also on a multi-day hike and had a pack bigger than mine.  We ended up walking together for a large part of the day.  Rob is a semi-retired nuclear physicist, who spends much of his time these days hiking long-distance trails on the continent.  He told me that he considers his average walking speed to be 6kph, a lot faster than mine, but he slowed to help the conversation.  The Path continued to pass through alternating farmland and woodland, climbing and then descending into lovely rural valleys and passing through tiny villages.  Beautiful country, but sweaty walking.  We stopped for lunch at 1:30pm in the only pub in the little village of Gladestry where I ordered the Sunday roast which, for £7.50, was an incredible feast comprising a main plate piled with roast beef, potatoes, and Yorkshire pudding, and two smaller plates piled high with vegetables of many descriptions.  I made a valiant effort, but couldn't quite manage the last bit of cauliflower cheese, which Rob demolished.  All the time I was downing tin after tin of Diet Coke to rehydrate after the hot morning.  I pretty much waddled out of that pub, and didn't embrace the solid climb up onto the 400m high Hergest Ridge, but the views from this semi-moorland and the many ponies and new foals revived me. We walked on to the town of Kington, where we found a small supermarket and had some afternoon tea and more drinks before parting company, with Rob planning to stay at a nearby campground.  Even though it was 4pm and I was tired, I needed to go further or I would fall behind the schedule I need to keep if I'm to finish and make my flight back home.  There was another solid climb out of Kington and it was still warm, but I made steady progress along the path which actually went along the top of a section of the 1300-year-old Offa's Dyke that was still clearly visible, for quite a while. Around 7pm I began looking for somewhere to camp as the path passed through a small wood near the crest of the hill.  I couldn't find an ideal spot and eventually climbed over a barbed wire fence to a small patch of cleared pasture that seems unlikely to concern anyone and set up camp.  After a quick dinner of canned rice-cream and canned peaches (note to self: get a plastic spoon to carry) I updated my diary and retired.  It really has been a magic day, despite the heat, with extensive views across the lush green Welsh borders countryside and lovely path to follow.  Touch wood, the feet weren't quite as bad today.  Maybe there's a light at the end of the tunnel.

Lands End to John O'Groats - Day 020 - Hay-on-Wye

Day:	020
Date:	Saturday, 22 May 2010
Start:	Hay-on-Wye
Finish:	Hay-on-Wye
Daily Kilometres:	0.0
Total Kilometres:	583.9
Weather:	Sunny and warm
Accommodation:	Guest House B&B (£30)
Nutrition:	English breakfast; soup, bread and chocolate cake for lunch; fish and chips for dinner.
Aches:	Tender feet
Pictures:	Here
GPS Track:	n.a.
Journal:	A relaxing day off, made even more relaxing by the landlady, who insisted on doing and hanging out my washing for me. The day started pleasantly with breakfast exchanging stories with the other guests in the guesthouse.  After that, I went for a bit of a wander around the beautiful little town of Hay-on-Wye whose unique feature is the preponderance of new and used bookshops.  It seemed like every second shop was a bookseller or trader of some description and even the town castle and cinema had been converted into bookshops.  Some specialised in things like science, sport, travel, gardening, murder and mayhem, etc., and others seemed to have everything.  It would have been easy to spend hours in one shop, let alone visit them all.  There were also a lot of curio and handiworks shops and, being a warm and sunny spring Saturday, there were plenty of visitors who were also patronising the many pubs and cafes, spilling out on to the foot-paths. I returned for another walk around town later in the day, but also spent a lot of time sitting on my bed and catching up on my email, etc. All in all, a lovely way to spend a day off and now I'm looking forward to hitting the trail again tomorrow.  Warm and sunny again, apparently.

 

Lands End to John O'Groats - Day 019 - Pandy to Hay-on-Wye

 

Day:	019
Date:	Friday, 21 May 2010
Start:	Pandy
Finish:	Hay-on-Wye
Daily Kilometres:	26.1
Total Kilometres:	583.9
Weather:	Sunny and warm
Accommodation:	Guest House B&B (£30)
Nutrition:	English breakfast; cheese sandwich and snacks for lunch, chille con carne and rice and cheesecake and ice-cream for dinner.
Aches:	Sore feet
Pictures:	Here
GPS Track:	Here
Journal:	Old friends from our days living in England in the late 1980s, Jo and Richard, came across to see me for a chat at the pub last night, which was a delight.  They live nearby, but I hadn't given them much notice, and they squeezed in a visit between a number of other commitments, which I really appreciated. I had a sleep in and chatted with the genial inn-keeper, Alan, as I had my breakfast.  He got out his large scale map to show me the quickest route back to Offa's Dyke Path and a critical turn near the end that would save me an unnecessary steep and difficult descent.  He also had the cook put together some cheese sandwiches for my lunch.  It's encounters like this one with Alan, that will make the trip memorable. The weather was perfect for a hike along a mountain-top ridge, warm and sunny, and I have ended up with a bit of sunburn.  The initial climb was solid, but the trail was good underfoot, starting out in the lowland farms, passing through hill farms, and then reaching the heath and grass covered crest of the ridge which was level at about 650m, rising to a high point of 700m.  Once the summit of the ridge was reached, the walking was relatively flat, with a nice light breeze taking the edge off the heat, and expansive views in every direction.  A number of other walkers were also out, but it wasn't crowded, and I enjoyed the quiet solitude.  There were also a number of ponies grazing freely along the way and I encountered one group of horse-riders.  The crest of the ridge (Hatteral Ridge) also marked the border between England and Wales for a large part of the way.  The ridge is part of the Black Mountains, which are part of the Brecon Beacons National Park.  I did travel for a short distance with another hiker travelling in the same direction, who told me about the guest house he was planning to stay at in Hay-on-Wye, and volunteered the details.  Several people have told me I'm lucky I'm not a week later because there is a huge book and literature festival there next weekend. The good walking conditions meant I made good time and I began my descent towards Hay-on-Wye around 4pm and reached the town at 5pm.  As I neared the picturesque and historic town centre, I spotted the guesthouse recommended by my hiker friend and they had a room for two nights, as I plan to have tomorrow off.  Although I won't be walking far around town tomorrow, it's definitely worth a browse.  There are second-hand bookshops and curio shops everywhere. I went out for dinner at a nearby recommended pub but, although the food was good, it was a bit overpriced.  I'll have to find somewhere cheaper tomorrow.  As I left the pub, I encountered the hiker I had met earlier in the day who had recommended the guest house where I was staying.  He had had a very long hard day, including doing the steep and difficult descent I had bypassed, and was very pleased he was on his way home tomorrow.

Lands End to John O'Groats - Day 018 - Monmouth to Pandy

 

Day:	018
Date:	Thursday, 20 May 2010
Start:	Monmouth
Finish:	Pandy
Daily Kilometres:	30.3
Total Kilometres:	557.8
Weather:	Mostly sunny and warm
Accommodation:	Hotel Bunkhouse B&B (£20)
Nutrition:	English breakfast; some snacks during the day; specialty local sausage pie (very spicy), vegetables and chocolate sponge pudding and custard
Aches:	Still very sore feet and some right knee twinges
Pictures:	Here
GPS Track:	Here
Journal:	Had a reasonable night's sleep despite my bedroom being directly over the bar where the Wednesday night live jazz session occurred (actually, it was quite pleasant).  I left the hotel about 8:15am and walked out through Monmouth just as all of the kids were heading to school.  There is a large (private) school right in the middle of town and I passed by several separate campus buildings blended in with the town. After a quick stop at a supermarket to get some snacks, I finally left the outskirts of town nearer 9am and began a gentle ascent away from the Wye River.  It was sunny and warm and it wasn't long before I took my sweater off while hiking, for the first time on the trip!  The path passed across farms and through a forest and was easy and pleasant going, without the spectacular views of yesterday.  I took a break in the shade at 10:30am and then decided to press on to White Castle, where there was supposed to be some kind of shop where I hoped to get something for lunch. Unfortunately, the path across some of the farms was quite rough underfoot and my pace slowed and my feet became sorer.  Still determined not to stop until lunch, I pressed on despite making a navigational error that cost me 30 minutes.  I started to feel like I would never get to the Castle, and then made another navigational error and didn't wake up until a kilometre later.  Curses!  I had to take a break, and just sat down beside the road for 10 minutes before working out how to rejoin the Path.  The way I chose looked good on paper, but ended up having me descend into a deep and steep-sided ditch and then climb up the other side and negotiate a four-strand barbed wire fence, all done without incident.  Maybe I'm not too old for this. Anyway, I reached the quite impressive White Castle soon after 2pm and found the tiny kiosk there only sold a few local candies and bottled water.  I settled for a chocolate bar and two bottles of water and dozed in the shade by the kiosk for 30 minutes.  I had overdone it in the morning and was footsore and exhausted.  I think the lady in the kiosk, who also collected admission fees to the Castle was quite worried about me.  I could see enough of the castle without paying to go in so took some pics and hit the Path again soon after 2:30pm with, supposedly, 5 miles to go to Pandy, my goal for the day.  The Path mostly crossed undulating farm land and continued to be quite rough underfoot making progress slow.  I'm becoming quite despondent about my sore feet (I hiked 20 miles a day for 2,200 miles on the Appalachian Trail with a much heavier pack, with fewer problems).  As I walked, I decided that I would aim to have a day off in Hay-on-Wye on Saturday, the day after tomorrow, and hope that 36 hours off my feet, instead of 12, will do the trick.  The blisters aren't so bad today, it's more that the feet just feel pummelled. Anyway, enough whingeing.   Well, one more.  Because it was the hottest days we have had, I was sweating quite a lot and chafing also became a problem in the afternoon (I had to travel commando for the last 5km!).  I reached Pandy, a small village strung out along a main road, and ended up walking a kilometre up the road to the Pandy Inn where they have a bunkhouse which it looks like I will have to myself.  The very friendly host is looking after me and even offered to drop me off a few kilometres up the Path tomorrow to save me climbing a big hill!  I declined.  The food in the pub is excellent and, as I type this in the bar, I'm waiting for some old friends, Jo and Richard, who live nearby, to join me for a drink. It's not a long day tomorrow, but I will be starting late (breakfast not til 8:30am) and it's supposed to be even warmer.  I hope I can find a room in Hay-on-Wye for two nights on the weekend.

Lands End to John O'Groats - Day 017 - Chepstow to Monmouth

 

Day:	017
Date:	Wednesday, 19 May 2010
Start:	Chepstow
Finish:	Monmouth
Daily Kilometres:	30.0
Total Kilometres:	527.5
Weather:	Overcast and mild
Accommodation:	Hotel B&B (£35)
Nutrition:	English breakfast; soup and roll for lunch; Steak pie, chips and peas and jam sponge and ice-cream for dinner.
Aches:	Sore feet and one new blister
Pictures:	Here
GPS Track:	Here
Journal:	I got up at 7:30am and pottered around doing some stuff online (poor reception) and getting ready to go to the Post Office after breakfast.  At the PO, my fresh set of maps for the next section, and my boots (posted from Bridgwater) awaited me.  I mailed off my old maps and a few other things I had decided I didn't need and then returned to the hotel and changed into the boots, wearing two pairs of thick socks in yet another footwear variation to try and reduce my feet problems. I finally started walking soon after 10am and followed the historic town main street down past the old castle and across the River Wye (back into England).  I was following the Offa's Dyke Path today and expected it to be easy to follow.  Too easy!  I missed a turn and spent nearly an hour negotiating a nature trail loop and some difficult tracks before finding my way back to the path proper.  Although it gave me a good look at the gorge-like cliffs along the Wye River, I didn't need to walk those extra kilometres. Back on the Offa's Dyke Path, I really enjoyed the easy walking.  It more or less followed the crest of the ridge on the east Bank of the Wye River and rose high enough to give some superb views.  It also followed some beautiful woodland paths bordered by carpets of wildflowers.  The path also followed the recognizable earthworks after which the path was named, a defensive mound built around 700AD by Offa.  I met a few other walkers early on, but then had the day pretty much to myself.  Every turn of the path revealed beautiful rural and woodland vistas with wildflowers.  It was an unbeatable walk. I dropped down to the village of Brockweir soon after 1:30pm and had lunch in the pub there.  For the next hour or so after lunch the Path followed the bank of the Wye River through short grass fields...almost like walking on lawns for a good part.  High on both sides could be seen forests cascading down to the river, interspersed with fields and the occasional farm. Then the path climbed high again and more woods, fields and wildflowers.  I finally descended into Monmouth around 7pm and crossed the river back into Wales where I quickly found a pub offering B&B and checked in.  After doing some chores and having a shower, I walked into town to find somewhere to eat and managed to get myself lost on the way back to my B&B.  Only an extra few hundred metres, but my feet are again sore, though perhaps better than yesterday.  It felt more comfortable in the boots after days in the running shoes, but who knows what tomorrow holds. I forgot to mention yesterday that I found a tick embedded in my groin after last night's shower.  That makes the third feeding on me in the last three days.  I have been just pulling them out and hoping the head comes with the body.  Some itchy spots, but so far so good.