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:
Sebastian's Swagger 