Day 43 – Monmouth to Tintern

Distance: 16.3 km

Steps: 30,505

Monmouth has a hardware shop I could have browsed all day. Terrific range of tools and every nut, bolt and thingummybob you could wish to find. Jezabel was in her element too: a cooking shop with special offers plus two sewing shops. Consequently we didn’t get going until almost 11:00 am

The Haberdashers Boys Grammar School was having a whole school photo taken on the sports field, so caution to the wind, 500 boys were balancing on a motley collection of chairs, trestles, benches and desks to get everyone in neat rows

In view of our late start today (and it was raining), we chose to follow the Wye Valley Path beside the river in preference to going up and over Highbury, the proper Offa’s Dyke route. Jezabel is keen to return with her paddleboard and I can see a lot of fishing potential on this river, so I think we’ll be back soon.

The anticipated ‘easy, level, riverside route’ was anything but. Very up and downy and the rain had turned the banks to slippery mud.

5 km from Monmouth we crossed the Wye for lunch in The Bridge Inn at Redbrook

An interesting bridge. Formerly a railway bridge with a footbridge strapped to it, the railway is long gone, so now a hugely over engineered pedestrian bridge, though I did see three lads roar across the bridge on trials bikes.

Shortly after leaving the pub we were confronted by a Hercules aircraft, weaving it’s way up the Wye valley, very low to the ground (less than 20 metres for sure). Skillful pilot. As soon as it was there it was gone. I couldn’t get my camera out in time, this is a library image

Our cross-country jaunt ended at Bigswier Bridge from where we walked on tarmac and (unsuccessfully) attempted to hitch a lift to Tintern but only the bus driver stopped for us 😕

If you’d like to make a contribution to Parkinson’s UK, here’s the link:

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/sebastians-swagger

Day 41 – Abergavenny to Hendre

Distance: 16.1 km

Steps: 28.,129

Four days away from Sefbury Cliffs and my completion of the Offa’s Dyke Path. Wales is a beautiful country, especially when seen from such high places as I have been

More than this, I have felt more welcome here than anywhre else I have walked. It wouldn’t b e fair to try to draw up a league table but I have to mention Mary at Pandy for being the nicest and most charismatic person I have met.

I’m now travelling with Jezabel and last night we stayed at the Premier Inn, which we reached theough 800 metres of brambles snd stingrs beside the A485. I won’t be tushing to go that way again.

To make for an easier day, we started our day with a cab ride back to the Offa’s Dyke Path, which we rejoined at Lsantisilio Courceny

We walked through gently rolling hills, amongst apple orchards leased by Bulmers’ , the fruit destined for cider production

We met Sarah, going the other way, north towards Prestatyn. Sarah reckons she’ll be there by next Wednesday. It’s a tough one but I reckon she’ll do it.

Much of our conversation was about cattle – dangerous or not?

We reached Hendre mid afternoon and stayed at Old Hendre Farm. Both the evening meal and Valerie’s breakfast were absolute prize-winners. If you have reason to stay in Hendre, your first choice should be Old Hendre Farm 😜

First class accommodation and lovely food. Contact Val on Facebook: Old Hendre Farm B&B or phone 01600 740447

Here’s the Parkinson’s link :

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/sebastians-swagger

Day 42 – The Hendre to Monmouth

Distance : 9.0 km

Steps : 16,300

Old Hendre Farm is a top notch B&B. Can’t fault it. Excellent food by Val (01600 740447 / 07779 203454). Facebook: Old Hendre Farm B&B

Another easy day, or so I expected. I awoke this morning with a stiff back and a pain in my right hip. I was just about ready to abandon today’s walk and call a cab but I thought I’d give it a go first. The discomfort subsided after about three km and I hobbled on to Monmouth

We met a lot of walkers today. This has been the second or third day for walkers heading north from Chepstow. Perhaps more people set out than finish?

Here’s the link to the Parkinson’s UK website if you’d like to mak a donation

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/sebastians-swagger

Day 40 – 27,513 steps, 18.6km (MM stats – so far!)

Molly Mouse here, back for my final instalment. I’m writing this on the Thameslink down to Abbey Wood, so will probably hit 20km today!

We woke up at Mary’s and had breakfast at 8am. An excellent three-course breakfast, thank you Mary; including cereals, cooked brekky and marmalade toast. We discussed with her a hot air balloon trip she had taken some years ago – I’m really hoping to do one soon. Mary drove us to the Skilled pub, which is haunted and the oldest in Wales, where we waved goodbye and started our walk at 9am.

I didn’t think we would be walking for 6 hours without a stop?! I’ve got to hand it to Dad, although we slowed to 1mph (exaggeration) for the last 30 mins, his resilience is something else. We began walking up (as usual) on a path passed a barn that we thought would be a good rave venue and on roads with various KEEP OUT signs. The incline got considerably steeper through fields (where you really had to keep a close eye on the map), especially because there were PRIVATE signs where footpaths should have been!

Due to our combined excellent navigation skills, we made it through the sheep and cow fields to the base of another ridge. This was at about 300m (high) and the final 300m (length) push climbed another 100m up (very steep!), so Dad took the lower path and I climbed all the way up for the challenge. Whilst walking up the steep path, Dad and I would wave to each other every few minutes, until I was even too high to see him.

It was nice to have a bit of time to myself at the top, reflecting on things, as the walk has definitely done my mind good as well as my legs. It was so beautiful up there and I had a 360 degree view of the Welsh hills. Amazing. After a quick photoshoot, I began my walk back down to meet Dad, following a bearing of 200 degrees because he had the map. We met in the woods to recommence our joint adventure.

We missed a turning in the woods so it took longer than expected to get out, which is a good reminder why it’s important to always carry a compass as well as a map. We headed down through the woods for our final leg together towards Abergavenny. The last couple of hours were quite tough as we were both slowing down; we navigated some more hills, our way through a golf course and caravan park (where I had a pear from a tree which was yummy) and then resorted to the ABC game of the holiday until we met Mum in Abergavenny opposite Morrison’s. (Dad can tell you the name of the lovely cafe).

We all had some bouji, homemade food (sourdough bread etc.) and caught-up before I swapped my co-pilot duties to Mum. All three of us walked to the station where they waved me off home, to continue the adventure the two of them. 

I’m nearly home now, feeling better mentally and physically. Good chats, a hard walk and being present in the Welsh countryside has done me wonders.

I can confirm that what Dad is doing is as tough as it looks so remember to donate to Parkinson’s UK. 

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/sebastians-swagger

I’m sure I’ll be back on the adventure again soon.

Love,

Molly Mouse x x 

Day 39 – 17,902 steps, 13.2km (MM stats)

Molly Mouse again, to update you on another adventurous day.

We had breakfast with Lynn and Joell. We spent about an hour talking about all the Disney rides he had been part of creating, which was interesting for me due to the magic and interesting to Dad due to the engineering. They had lots of books to package up and send back to Los Angeles, whilst Dad and I made a plan for the day.

We explored Hay-on-Wye which is famous for its books, has some great outdoors-y shops where Dad bought some cool walking pants and received a discount, as well as some lovely vegan/ organic-type food and coffee shops. We shared a scone and an ice coffee at the castle, overlooking yet another wonderful view. Then, a wonderful taxi driver picked us up for a 40 min tour down to Pandy (this cost £35 as apposed to £50 that the other company was trying to charge so watch-out!). We spoke about the area and life in general all the way.

In Pandy, we left our bags with Sandra and Bob (the Staffy), at The Lancaster Arms, which is now a guest house but used to be a pub. I volunteered to carry a much lighter bag with just mine and Dad’s essentials for today’s walk – saw this as an opportunity for a harder workout. We set off at 1.30pm and headed straight for the top (again!). 

Along the way there were lots of things of interest including; a dangerous railway crossing, peas and blackberries to eat (yummy), a wasps nest (old), honeysuckle (I love this smell and must get some more) and (you’ve guessed it) lots of sheep. We started our ascent on roads and through fields, then came up to more mountainous/ grassy terrain, where we said hello to many Offa’s Dyke walkers and dogs. Near the top we met Loki the sprocker spaniel (Thor’s brother) and we had a nice chat with his family whilst Dad explained to them what a triagulation station is.

Up high on the Offa’s Dyke path again, we sat with some horses and looked across to where Grandad used to live (Hereford), with a strong breeze. Excellent.

We retraced our steps back to The Lancaster Arms and arrived there about 5.30pm. Mary picked us up (our host for tonight) and took us up to her farm. Mary’s farm has wonderful views of England, Wales, the stars and you can see SAS HQ! Mary is 85 and is living life to the full – she has people to stay most nights and got 64 cards for her last birthday. Please send us a message if you’d like to stay with her!

Mary kindly took us down to the Harvest Moon, by a beautiful church, the only place in the area serving a Sunday evening meal. We were lucky because it was the best meal we’d had! Nachos, veggie chilli and sticky toffee pudding + some drinks – delish! Dad says I’ve really caught the sun, which I can certainly feel.

We looked up at the million stars (10x more than Bexley) and now it’s time for zzz.

Love, Molly Mouse xx 

Day 38 – 26,808 steps, 20.1km (MM stats)

Hello – guest writer Molly Mouse here, from the Rest for the Tired B&B in Hay-on-Wye. We are definitely tired.

This morning we set out at 8.50am to catch the 9.11am bus from Knighton, which was a bit late. We had some snacks on the way and sat in-front of two ladies that reminded me of Mum and Nicky in 10 years time – having a proper natter.

We arrived in Kington and used the facilities at the Cloud 9 spa, then begun our walk about 10am. We walked up hill for about an hour and met some friends along the way; an older couple who we later saw having a picnic overlooking the beautiful views (very cute), lots of doggies with their humans and Woody the horse with his family. Woody was practicing for a race, on the disused race track at the top of the long incline.

We walked along the Hergest Ridge, taking in the amazing views and nature; including some Dumbledore-type beetles, monkey puzzle trees, horses (starring Eeyore) and sheep. At around 12.30pm we started our descent into Gladestry – I started to become a bit grumpy by this point as my bag is heavy so my feet were hurting but Dad cheered me on.

We stopped at The Royal Oak for lunch. Lovely food where Dad had a Ploughman’s and I had a jacket potato. We sat next to a very loud table, mainly talking about the Queen and COVID vaccinations, so we couldn’t really chat much. We left the pub at 2.20pm and were both very stiff (we had walked 10km by this point) but soon warmed-up after being on the move.

The second half of the walk started with lots more uphill walking and sheep. We were lucky with the nice weather and cool breeze, which was particularly appreciated at the next panoramic spot, where we almost had a snooze in the sunshine and shared some chocolate.

On we walked following Offa’s Dyke, until our second descent into Newchurch around 5pm; accompanied by more sheep and a cool Gator who whizzed down in-front of us. We got a taxi from here to Hay-on-Wye, where the B&B is clean and lovely and cosy. Dad and I both fell asleep for about half an hour after our stretches and showers, before heading out this evening.

Tonight I met an amazing couple, Lynn and Joell, from LA. Joell was a Director of Imagineers for Disney and is now a book collector. Imagineers make the magic happen and he built rides including Ratatouille (I love this one) and the Star Wars Millennium Falcon. I will write them an email and hope we can stay friends. Dad and I had Italian for tea right next door and had a brief stretch of our legs – we are both very tired now after a great day’s walk with lots of hills (and sheep), so it’s off to bed soon before another early start.

Good night, from Molly Mouse x x

DONATE TO PARKINSON’S UK HERE:

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/sebastians-swagger

Day 37 – Llanfair Waterdine to Knighton

Distance: 7.7 km

Sreps: 13,341

I stayed last night with Dyllis and Iorwerth Waters who live just up the road from Everest Hall, so named because John Hunt, the man who organised the 1953 ascent of Everest, came from this village.

I popped into the Castle Inn to return the torch they kindly loaned me last night to walk home after dark. Then on to Knighton.

Knighton is a bustling metropolis. It has a leisure centre, a railway station, a weekly cattle market, several cafes, three restaurants and half a dozen pubs. Molly is joining me this weekend and we’ll be walking Kingtown to Hay-on-Wye tomorrow.

I arrived in Knighton before midday and I have spent the aftenoon checking out the shops/restaurants and locating the bus stop for tomorrow morning. Molly’s ETA is 7:15pm this evening

This remarkable building is the former Barclays Bank

The ladies at the Offa’s Dyke Association centre do an excellent cheese scone!

These two fellows were hiding behind the shops

We stayed at the Horse & Jockey in Knighton. Where the Ladies and Gents toilets were identified by these signs. I have nevr seen anything like it!

🥁🥁🥁NEW AUTHOR ALERT 🛎🛎🛎

Please note that for the next three days, I am priviledged to be able to have secured the services of famous international DJ, Molly Mouse

Day 36 – Shirley Heights to Llanfair Waterdine

Distance: 7.4 km walked

Steps: 13,519

I had breakfast this morning with Graham and Margaret from Surbiton (what a lovely couple). We all set out together, then at the Offa’s Dyke path, they turned north and I continued south. Graham and Margaret have a level 8 km ahead of them commencing with the old petrol pumps outside of the famous Blue Bell Hotel. Then they go up in the world

My southbound path rose steeply from Drewin Farm. And how steep too. I was struggling. I always knew that today would be the most challenging day but this was only the first of five big hills. I reached ‘The Crow’s Nest’ (353 metres). Terrific view across the Vale of Montgomery.

The longest stretch of Offa’s Dyke that I have seen so far, runs up the right hand side of this field

Up and over the top of the hill and I went down the other side to a dried up stream bed. During the descent I talked myself into lunch and a nap 🫠

It was apperent that today was not going to be the day to attempt another four hills like the last one. I was definitely running out of steam. Edenhope Farm was shown on the map about 1 km to the east. It started to rain. I decided to see if anyone there felt like rescuing a wobbly old bloke who’d run out of steam

And along came Anthony (whose mum owns Drewin Farm). His dog jumped in the back and I jumped in the front of his truck. Anthony handed me over to James who runs the Crown in Newcastle (the pub was shut for ceiling repairs). Beer festival this weekend. James handed me over to another James, who added a pint of bitter and a bag of crisps to the equation. James (2) handed me over to Nicola, who fixed it with Jane, then carried my bag over to Jonathan’s car. Jonathan drove me (by a series of tiny roads) to Dyllis’s house. Dyllis booked me in for a meal and Iorwerth drove me ro the pub. Where I sit now, writing this blog

Eat your hearts out Tracey family, Mid-Wales Rescue does it much better!

So, THANK YOU everybody 👍

If you’d like to make a donation to Parkinson’s UK, here’s the link:

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/sebastians-swagger

Day 35 – Montgomery to Brompton Bridge

Distance: 18.4 km

Steps: 30,254

Whoa ! You say. No way is it 18 km from Montgomery to Brompton Bridge! Well, it is the route I took 😜 !

I though that I’d done my research. I found the bus stop, checked both the time and the route. I had checked everything with three bus drivers and I was pretty confident that the 07:48 T12 would take me to Monthomery. But it was not to be…

The driver of the T12 was as helpful as could be but Montgomery was simply not on his route “Jump aboatd” he said “I’ll drop you off as close as I can”. So he stopped at some anonymous junction (with no bus stop) saying “Montgomery is two or three miles that way” and he was gone.

I soon found out that the bus driver’s idea of a diret route was incompatible with a walker’s expeience. The road had no footway and was narrow, fast and busy, not just with cars but tractors and trucks too. I spent most of my time in the hedge.

In order to remain alive, I abandoned the road in favour of a field of sheep. I zigzagged a collection of rarely used footpaths and arrived in Montgomery at midday, late but still alive. I never did get to the bottom of the T12 mystery and in fact a T12 passed me in Montgomery as I sat outside the Spar eating my lunch. I then went to investigate the Dragon Hotel (yes, they have a swimming pool)

…and the castle

I finally left Montgomery about 3:30pm and made my way, via Brompton Bridge to Shirley Heights, my accommodation for the night. Offa’s Dyke is very apparent on the left of the path

Here’s the Parkinson’s link 😜

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/sebastians-swagger

Day 34 – Welshpool to Montgomery

Distance: 24.0 km

Steps: 39,741

Before I even start to look at today, I have to say: “Welsh bus drivers are the best”. I’ve observed this before but my driver tonight from Montgomery was incredibly helpful, and on his own time too. He had finished his shift but still managed to deliver me to Welshpool at the end of his day. You don’t get that in London

Thank you!

I had good inquizitive look around Welshpool before breakfast. It’s an historic town with some of the buildings dating back to the 16th century

There’s a proper old fashioned sweet shop where you can buy a bag of loose sweets weighed out from a big jar

I met a man called Kevin who is also a walker and I’ve since been told he does a blog. If you’re reading this Kevin, please send me a message via the ‘comments’ on this page and I’ll set up a reciprocal link

Looks like I chose the wrong day to set out in a brand new pair of leather boots. Well, I didn’t exactly choose to do so but last week in Llangollen my lovely, well broken-in, six months old, Meindl Bhutans failed. Cotswold Outdoors, good to their word, exchanged the faulty boots for a brand new pair. I didn’t really want a brand new pair but that was the best I was going to get!

On my way out of Welshpool I came across this sign. Shirley my navigation is better than that 🤨

Much of the forest to the east of Welshpool is owned by the Leighton Estste and there are ‘private, keep out’ notices everywhere There is a way through though, if you navigate carefully. The forest is well established and has: ash, larch, oak, sycamore, corsican pine anf douglas fir. I also saw two Welingtonia and NINE monkey puzzle trees !

Damn victorian botanists

At the head of the main valley facing Welshpool are the remains of a substantial brickwork construction. I think possibly a dam but derelict now. Must have been a huge undertaking

The path descends from the ridge to emerge in the village of Forden. The pub shown on the OS map does still exist but was closed today when I got there on Tuesday lunchtime.

For the next 2 km, the footpath is on top of the Dyke, though there are some signs of erosion so it probably should be re-routed.

And that brings us to Montgomery. What a lovely place. There are benches outside the Spar, all the buildings are well maintained , Bunner’s is probably the best shop in the world, the Dragon Hotel has got a swimming pool and both the T12 and 81 buses are rumoured to stop here

If you’d like to donate to the Parkinson’s UK charity, here’s the link

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/sebastians-swagger