Sunday, 25 April 2010

Chepstow to Tintern Station

At last we have been able to complete the first section of the walk. This was postponed because of the closure of the walk due to landslides. We all met up at the castle car park for a photo of the group with Chepstow Castle as the backdrop. The walk started by passing the castle on the way up to the main road to the school before taking the path into woodland. This path takes a gradual climb through Alcove Wood where a great view of Chepstow can been seen from the view point.

From here it was on to Pierce wood with beautiful views looking down to the river. As we had made a late start we stopped here for lunch before heading towards the Giants Cave. All through the woods there were swathes of spring flowers to be seen, wood anenomes, bluebells and celandines. A breathless climb eventually took us up some steps to Wyndcliff car park. After crossing the road we took another long climb on the Valentine Morris' Piercefield walk eventually arriving at the Eagles Nest view point.

Still keeping to the woodland walk we entered Minepit wood where a fenced shaft, part of the old mine workings, could be seen to one side. From here we began the descent to Tintern through Blackcliff Wood before crossing an open field to Limekiln Wood. This particular stretch was very treacherous as the path seamed to have been washed away leaving a very steep rocky path almost like a riverbed with loose rocks everywhere.

It was here we heard a strange creaking noise. This was coming from one of the trees swaying gently in the wind, very unnerving! Eventually the path levelled out and become more normal before exiting onto the road behind The Abbey Hotel in Tintern. A short walk up the High Street and we cut through the church into an open field beside the river Wye. After crossing a couple of wooden footbridges and climbing another set of steps we were onto the old disused railway embankment of the Wye Valley Railway and our final destination.


Here we were met by other friends in time for a picnic party in the grounds of the old Tintern Station. This was a time to unwind, nurse our sore feet and fill up on calories before returning home.

Sunday, 11 April 2010

Sugwas to Bredwardine 20th March


Some were inclined to stay in bed this morning but heavy rain in Woodmancote was no deterrent to the walkers who were rewarded with a largely fine day.

Quite a lot of this walk was on tarmac and was in some areas gruesomely populated with squashed toads!



Only a couple a glimpses of the river Wye,but picnic lunch at Brobury Scar provided magnificent views.







Wonderful wild snowdrops provided a fine display.

The walk ended by Brobury House where the girls managed to discover a material shop, and the boys discovered that the pub in Bredwardine was closed!

The track - Sugwas Pool to Bredwardine

Sugwas Pool to Bredwardine

For this section of the walk we had to split into two groups, walking on different days because of a clash of events. This post is from the second walk on the 10th of April - a bright sunny day where temperatures reached 20 degrees. Almost two thirds of this walk is along public roads with the middle section in open country. The Wye comes into view in just two places as the path meets bends in the river.

Starting out from Sugwas we turned right and headed up a side road to Kenchester and Bishopstone and eventually back down to the main road again at Byford. Along here we noticed the large pools - one of which had a heron eying up its next meal. Crossing over the road took us down to the church where we stopped for a rest and searched for a Geo-cache which should have been in the graveyard but seemed to be missing. It was in the wall along this road we came across the wall pennywort ( see photo).

After passing through the village we walked through the orchards of Bulmers the cider makers. Members of the first group of walkers had led us to believe that the trees would be in blossom but they still have some way to go. After a while we came across our first view of the river. From here we moved on to Monnington Walk, created in in the mid 1600's to commemorate the owners election as an MP. This lovely walk is lined with pines and yews and made an enticing spot to stop for lunch.


Monnington Walk looking towards The Scar.






The path then leads uphill to The Scar about a hundred feet above the river and the wood contains a number of very old oaks. One of these overhangs the river which was where we found another geocache. The Scar provides a wonderful view of the river as it loops around from our destination at Bredwardine.






View from The Scar of the river Wye.








From here we came back onto the public roads which take us down eventually to the bridge at Bredwardine. This single track bridge built in the mid 17oo's was the first stone bridge built across the river Wye in Herefordshire. A path at the far end of the bridge took us up to the church and the end of the walk.