19th August 2017 Blorenge

Today’s walk was decided upon by the view from The Sugar Loaf above Abergavenny. From the top a few weeks before we had seen a peak on the opposite side of the town. A quick map check revealed this to be Blorenge, possibly the only thing to rhyme with orange. Though I would argue that lozenge rhymes with said round fruit. Although Blorenge is a smaller peak than Sugar Loaf the route to the top is more direct and the car park is very much at the bottom. For the less adventurous there are two car parks on top of the hill, both free, accessible from the B4246. We parked in a free car park in Llanfoist. Be aware it gets very full on a weekend. Watch those wing mirrors.

The rather idyllic canal setting.

The walk starts on the opposite side of the road. It goes steeply up hill and passes under the Monmouthshire and Brecon canal. Recommend going up the stairs to have a look at the canal as it is a lovely tranquil little spot. Be aware if you have a dog that likes going in the water they won’t be able to get out on their own. I had to drag Chuck out by his harness and got drenched in the process. We ended up walking back along the canal so if you intend to do the same you can leave this bit for now. The route to the top goes under the canal through a stone built tunnel. The other side is private property apart from the path.

The tunnel underneath the canal.

The climb up is wooded which is good as it was hot day. Eventually the track breaks out into a field of ferns. A quick hop over a style leads to a track which circumnavigates the peak. We decided to take this track anti-clockwise as there isn’t really a path straight to the summit. Even though it isn’t the top it affords some spectacular views. Be aware there are sheep about but as long as you keep a good eye out you dog shouldn’t notice them as the ferns are too high. Chuck did get startled by a sheep on the side of the path which we missed but he couldn’t chase it through the thick ferns. Know your dog and act accordingly.

Abergavenny. Far away, not small.

There is a large pond next to the car park by the main road. We decided to cut the corner off here as Chuck had dried by now. We headed towards the two large masts just over the peak of the hill. From here you can pick up the track from the second car park that leads to the summit. At the top we met a lady who had a lovely little greyhound looking dog. He was a bit timid at first but he and Chuck were soon running around and chasing. The lady was just a few months from retirement and was looking forward to walking all the time. We both got our respective dog photos at the top and headed off the peak.

It was very windy up top. Check the bacon shaped wind sock.

The path continues down to a small hut. At this point we turned towards the south. My aim was to go around The Punchbowl. What I thought was The Punchbowl was actually a re-entrant much further away. Our path was actually much closer and after a little shortcut down a steep slope we were back on track. The path goes to the third and final carpark and into a small National Trust area. We didn’t actually go into The Punchbowl but took a track down to the road so we could walk back along the canal. Chuck hadn’t learned from his previous experience and got straight back in the water. He had a good long swim before I had to drag him out yet again. We got back tour initial crossing point and headed back down to the car.

Fern Britain. They're everywhere up here.

This is a great walk for the very fit. For the not so fit the car parks at the top allow you to still take in the view. Just remember to be careful of the canal if you are not able to fish out your dog. There really is no other way for them to get out. If they always make a beeline for the water and you can’t lift them, put them on a lead. We walked for about a mile along the towpath and there really is nowhere for them to get out. We’ve already spotted our next walk from the top so look out for a walk up to the top of Skirrid/Ysgyryd coming soon.

Is there anything better than a happy dog with a stick?

The Gloucestershire Way - Day 3

We awoke feeling much better and rested than we had the previous day. Our friends the cows were grazing around our tent having awoke earlier than us. There were also a few dog walkers out early up there too. Be aware of this if you stay here. Don’t go nonchalantly doing anything private outside your tent without checking for locals first. A casual admin period was followed by a much better packing of the tent than I had done the previous day. Festival going regular Bea knew far more about tents than me it seems. We set off downhill into a series of beautiful Gloucestershire hamlets and golden fields. This would be a good day, we thought.

Sorting out breakfast with an audience.

We planned on getting supplies and coffee in Huntley on the A40. Unfortunately the petrol station was closed at this time on a Sunday morning. No fear. Google showed a post office in the village. This was also closed. The pub was open for breakfast every day except Sunday. We were low on water and food and there was nowhere left between here and Gloucester. Oh dear. Thankfully we weren’t that far from Gloucester. It was just off the edge of the map but I’d checked before we left and it was just a case of following the River Severn for a couple of miles so it wasn’t too far surely?

Our friends on top of May Hill. 

We’d taken a slight detour getting into Huntley so we headed back towards our path. This was the beginning of a long journey across bullock filled fields. Lots of climbing fences and carrying a wiggly dog over them too. Every field seemed to be filled with cows that wanted to see if they were harder than us or not. It was a long morning of shouting and waving our arms to scare off the bullocks. Thankfully for the most part they left us alone once we scared them off but it was hot, we were tired and the adrenaline required was starting to take its toll. This went on for about an hour of slog. Eventually we hit the end of the fields. We passed through an orchard and hit the main road again. We finally caught sight of the River Severn. It would be a nice easy stroll from here wouldn’t it?

When it was still fun.

No. It turns out we were still many hours from Gloucester without water. And also we had not had our last encounter with angry bovines. In fact the angriest were yet to come. The river just seemed to wind and meander endlessly. We could see Gloucester cathedral on our left, then right, then behind and then in front again. It was not getting any closer. Every field looked the same. If I’m being honest this section was boring. I may have appreciated more if I was fresh perhaps. It wouldn’t stay boring for long though. We entered a field with what looked like three cows in it. We stayed low behind a bank so they couldn’t see us but unfortunately their ‘cow sense’ tingled and they spotted us.

It was a beautiful morning.

They made a beeline straight for us. We held them off up into the next field in which there must have been fifty bullocks! They repeatedly made charges towards us. We picked up a stick each and started waving at them. They were getting closer and closer to us as they gained confidence. To add insult to injury the fence at the other end had barbed wire across it so we had to find a gap to climb over whilst fending off bullock attacks. It’s quite scary having about twenty five tons of angry beef charging at you especially when you’re tired, frustrated and dehydrated. This was the worst lot of bullocks but there were more and we were quite rightly fed up that Gloucester was not getting any closer.

Our final glimpse of civilisation before Gloucester.

After what seemed like an age we finally spied our crossing in the distance. It went under the rail bridge and up onto the dual carriage-way. There was someone parked in the middle of the path up there having just had a crash. The police were on the scene. It was a good reminder that there’s always someone having a worse day than you. We had mad civilisation. I promised Bea she would not see another cow until we were on the train. However the path did not go towards civilisation. It cut through more fields. And lo and behold, another cow! However it was just one and it was very docile but I had broken my promise.

The River Severn. We got sick of the sight of it. And cows.

The path came out at a busy intersection of the A417 and A430. There is an underpass and then….civilisation, well Gloucester, which is close enough. We went straight in to the petrol station at the bottom of the hill and bought everything, water, ice cream, fizzy pop, the lot. We waddled into town and stopped just shy of the Cathedral in a pub called The Dick Whittington Pub which I think was quite appropriate. We had two big plates of ribs and chips. They didn’t usually do ribs on a Sunday but they very kindly made them for us anyway which was great. We thought we’d feel super victorious at this point but we were just glad it was over to be fair. Chuck fell unconscious on the pub floor.

Looking suitably tired after three days on our feet. Us 1 vs Cows 0.

We limped to the Cathedral and had an obligatory selfie. It isn’t that good but we just couldn’t be bothered and we had a train to catch. At the station we had our first coffee of the day and waited for the train. We decided to take a taxi back from the station to home as we could not be bothered to walk another step. It was great pointing out all the things we had seen from the train. Now we knew it was definitely all over we could finally reflect on how good we felt about having completed this self-imposed challenge. The brief had been to stick to the Gloucestershire Way as much as possible which we had done in a fashion but it had proved impossible without bringing a three day supply of food and water. I think to sum everything we learned from this trip is too much to fill a concluding paragraph so a full blog will ensue about what to do and what not to do from our experiences. At some points I think the ‘what not to do’ should have included this walk! But I’m certainly glad we did it now. Roll on the next challenge.

The Gloucestershire Way - Day 2

After our first day of borderline starvation and boar attack we awoke surprisingly refreshed. The tent was easy to pack away and we were only half an hour from Parkend. We all breakfasted including Chuck for whom we had brought a cooked, tinned version of the raw venison he usually eats at home. When we got to Parkend there was a sign opposite the station saying that the café in the bike shop was open. After a five minute walk down the road we discovered that the sign was a packet of lies. So back the other way. The Post Office café was also closed but the shop was open at least. I got some apple cider lollies and some fudge. Amazingly the bloke serving said he’d make us a coffee anyway. Top marks that man. So we now highly recommend the Post Office café and condemn in the extreme the lying one in the bike shop.

Morning routine in the Forest of Dean.

We were still a good mile from getting back on the Gloucestershire Way. We headed directly north out of Parkend. Our destination was The Speech House hotel. We had no idea whether it was open or even any good if it was but it was on the map so off we went. The path there was surprisingly easy and open until about a mile from the end. There had been a lot of forest works here and it resembled The Somme. We trudged through ankle deep sticky mud and the path just disappeared. Thankfully I could hear the main road and headed for that. We cleaned off our boots the best we could before going in.

The inevitable coming from the sky.

The hotel was great. It had a lovely orangery, had good coffee and was dog friendly despite being rather posh looking. Everyone, staff and guests alike were chatty and interested in our adventure and obviously Chuck. I’d highly recommend this as a pit stop along the route. 

The rather lovely Speech House Hotel.

We decided our next stop would be Cinderford for lunch as it was too early to lunch in the hotel. Again it’s not on the route but there really was nothing else. The track through the woods was pleasant and there is a clearing on the top of the hill which is full of interesting moor plants. The track continues onto a bike path which is quite busy. The rain was looming and there was a distant sound of thunder so we scooted along as quickly as we could. Unfortunately in our haste I took a wrong turn. Thankfully we still got to Cinderford to stay dry.

The nicest photo of Cinderford I could get.

Cinderford is not the prettiest of towns if I’m honest. It’s also fairly devoid of good eating establishments if you have a dog. I wish I could remember the name of the café on the high street that was quite rude when I asked if I could bring in Chuck as I could then tell you to avoid it. All I need to tell you though is to go in The Fern Ticket which was great for food. It has a bar and a food servery. We had a bacon and mozzarella jacket potato each which included a trip to the salad bar. It was quite busy but then there was really nowhere else to go in Cinderford.

Plump Hill was the hardest part to navigate of day 2. The path just disappeared.

We restocked our water in Lidl next. Little did we know that this was our last chance to stock up before leaving civilization. More on this later. We got a Costa from a garage for a pick me up and then disappeared into the unknown. We were now leaving the Forest of Dean out of the north. We dropped into Plump Hill where the path was very hard to follow. Top tip, stay low. Then we crossed a valley and hit main road again. It was a steep climb from here on in and then a steep descent the other side. After giving some more cows, this time disinterested, a wide berth we came into Longhope and stopped at the Yew Tree Inn. There was a christening going on so it was quite lairy. Despite being a fairly grotty place they wouldn’t let Chuck in. So we had a quick drink and left, preferring to give our food custom to the next pub. This proved to be a very good idea.

The Farmer's Boy Inn was a sight for sore eyes.

Although we didn’t know it at the time, Longhope village shop was our last chance to stock up before Gloucester. We bought ice lollies. Blissfully unaware of our stores issue we went two miles up the road to The Farmers Boy Inn. They were very busy but were remarkably accommodating. They got us in with Chuck and found space for our bags. We were probably pretty smelly too at this point. And the food….oh the food. It was out of this world. This was full on gourmet cooking. Not just good pub food but posh restaurant food but at pub prices. No wonder it was so popular. I would highly recommend this place. We both really want to go back there.

A magical place to watch the sunset.

Our campsite for the evening was to be MayHill. It was a very long steep climb to the top and we were racing the sunset but it was worth it in every way. The view was spectacular. Across the whole of South Wales and Gloucestershire, bathed in an orange glow. It was definitely worth the climb. The top was populated by some small cows and we thought about camping elsewhere. But the cows turned out to be very friendly and the ground was lovely and soft. We were far more selective about setting up and this made for a much better night’s sleep. As we watched the light die down from inside the tent we all agreed that this had been a most wonderful day and would be remembered for a long time. But would tomorrow be as good? 

#thegloucestershireway #theworldonyourdoorstep #gloucestershirewayroute #gloucestershireway #longdistancepaths #sleepingout #campingout #wildcamping #theforestofdean #theforestofdeancamping #forestofdean #forestofdeancamping #campingwithadog #mayhill

The Gloucestershire Way - Day 1

Something slightly different for you. This weekend we left our doorstep on a Friday and returned on a Sunday. Yes, we braved sleeping outside. Our plan was to walk from Chepstow to Gloucester along the Gloucestershire Way. This long distance path goes through most of Gloucestershire but the first leg to Gloucester is definitely enough for one weekend. Equipped with a tent, some food and a dog we set out just after lunch on the Friday. The weather forecast was average at best but with three days outside we reasoned whatever the forecast there would be a risk of getting wet and cold.

The freshest we would look for the next three days.

The walk officially starts from Chepstow Castle. We joined the path half a mile up the road in Tutshill but we’d walked from home so we’d already done three miles by this time. Our goal for the first evening was to get to Bream on the south edge of the Forest of Dean. I was hoping to get there for around 6ish. The walk out of Tutshill was across fields and farmlands. We made one detour when the bullocks in a field started to show a little too much interest in us. This may have been because Bea was pilfering their fruit of a tree. Cow attacks would become a recurring theme of this walk.

The beginning of the relentless climb.

The walk continued through a mix of woods and small roads. It seemed we were climbing relentlessly. The constant crossing of styles, deadlifting the dog over them and the uneven ground was taking its toll quite early on. Our first major sticking point came near Woolaston. Two horses in a field were very interested in Chuck. Whilst they seemed friendly enough they were skittish and nervous. In our efforts to get around them we took the wrong path out of the field and ended up heading up a very steep hill and making quite a long detour. These things don’t matter too much if you’re on a loop back to your car but when you know you are trying to get somewhere these things can take a toll on morale.

Always check the view behind you.

The path wound on through more woods and farms. We met a couple of friendly goats but not much else. We walked through a lovely little woods with some water features between Hewelsfield and Alvington but for the next few miles it was just more hills woods and fields. Eventually after what seemed like perpetual climbing we broke out onto the road into Bream. Our first stop in Bream was to the Family Shopper on Coleford Road. The Gloucestershire Way actually bypasses Bream and in fact pretty much every town on the way but we could only carry limited supplies so we broke track quite a lot. Be warned if you stick religiously to the Gloucestershire Way you will not pass a pub or a shop the entire way. You won’t see many even if you don’t. More of which later.

Neighbourhood watch near Woolaston.

We set off up the road to The Rising Sun pub. It had gone seven o’clock already and we were getting worried about the available daylight for tent pitching. I had checked on Google to see if they did food. They didn’t have a website but a Google map check revealed a sign outside that said ‘Stable Restaurant’. That’ll do I thought. As we got to the pub the same sign was there announcing the restaurant. When I asked the lady inside if they were serving food this evening she looked at me as if I were mad. ‘Oh no, we don’t do food here’. So we stormed out in a hungry huff.

Lovely lake garden just before hitting Bream.

I made the decision that the Gloucester Way was going to have to be diverted through Whitecroft. I had planned to get back on it after our stop in Bream but we were going to be a good two miles away from it now. We would pick it back up north of Parkend. Thankfully the RoyalOak in Parkend was open and serving food. We had a good meal and a couple of drinks for £30. We were told that the landlord would probably let us set up tent in the pub grounds but we thought we’d have a little more freedom in the woods.

Unless you are planning on carrying all your food you will need to go here.

We set off in the direction of Parkend and just out of Whitecroft broke track right across the railway tracks. We found a half decent spot and in the fading light erected the tent as speedily as we could. The ground we had chosen was quite hard and lumpy but it was the best we had available. I did some research before we left about the law and where you can camp. It was shall we say, a little hazy. I shall say no more on the subject. We quickly realised that camping in a hastily chosen spot is not comfortable. Despite being very tired we could not get to sleep. The rain started just as we were putting up the tent and the constant drizzle was rather noisy. Chuck however loved being in the tent and was fast asleep in minutes. Cuddling up with Mummy and Daddy in bed is a very rare treat which he doesn’t get at home.

Our eats for the evening in The Royal Oak.

 About two hours later after lying wide awake occasionally chatting we realised we were definitely not alone in the woods. A loud grunting sound and the noise of much foliage being moved could be heard outside. Then another grunt. And then the sound of something large and angry moving past our tent at very high speed. Two male wild boar were having a territorial fight outside our tent. This was going to be a long night. Thankfully they took their discontent elsewhere but later that night another hog returned and did several laps of the tent sniffing at the door. We eventually fell asleep through sheer exhaustion. Despite this we still woke up around 5am the next day surprisingly refreshed.

Our boar-safe abode for the night.

Our camping experience had been fraught and we were several miles off the path I wanted to follow. But on the plus side we had survived the boar attack and we hoped there would be coffee available half an hour away in Parkend. We breakfasted with the tent door open and surveyed our campsite. It was obvious in the light that this was boar territory from the dug up ground all around the tent. For Chuck we had brought tins of Country Hunter Venison. It’s quite expensive but is a tinned version of what he eats at home. We were feeding him extra due to the extra miles he was covering. We set off towards Parkend in relatively high spirits. But would there be coffee this early in the morning? What else would our first full day away from home hold in store? Find out in next week’s thrilling instalment of the Gloucestershire Way. 

#thegloucestershireway #theworldonyourdoorstep #gloucestershirewayroute #gloucestershireway #longdistancepaths #sleepingout #campingout #wildcamping #theforestofdean #theforestofdeancamping #forestofdean #forestofdeancamping #campingwithadog

27th July 2017 The Sugar Loaf Abergavenny

Sometimes the most spontaneous of ideas can be the best. This walk was no exception. As it was our 8^th anniversary this week we thought we would go to a town and have some food and do some shopping. As we hate shopping we decided to add a short walk to reduce shopping time. We decided on Abergavenny in Monmouthshire. Upon unfolding the map we saw it is a treasure trove of hilltop walks. We abandoned the shopping idea and set out for Sugar Loaf Mountain.

The initial climb up to the Sugar Loaf

 The walk begins half way up the hill already which wasn’t really cheating as we planned to go all the way down to Abergavenny and climb back to the car. The car park is free and has a rather spectacular view already. The weather was slightly oppressive but thankfully there was only the threat of rain. The initial climb was fairly steep but offered some varied and interesting terrain. Annoyingly there were lots of sheep around so Chuck had to spend a lot of time on the lead. He had a good stick chase first though so he was glad of the rest.

Triumphal pose. Admittedly not quite at the top.

The top of the Sugar Loaf was a rather rocky feature and was peeping at us from various points leading up to it. It was surprisingly busy up there which is good to see. Plenty of families and groups up there. The views are spectacular and it appears to be the highest peak for quite some distance. Pen-y-Fan can just be made out in the distance. This is the highest point in South Wales, I think.

The camera doesn't do justice to the views from the top.

The route down started through an enormous field of ferns before dropping into a gully with a large variety of trees. Every couple of hundred yards revealed a completely different tree-scape. We came out on a small road down to the town. There were the carcasses of thousands of Hazelnuts on the road. Unfortunately any edible ones had been literally squirreled away. Shame. A little further down the road was a vineyard and wine tasting centre. We didn’t go in but it’s certainly somewhere we might revisit.

The Sugar Loaf in all it's glory. It's a popular walk as you can see.

Abergavenny is a rather nice old fashioned market town. It was very busy and had lots of independent shops which is nice to see. We stopped in a pub called the Hen and Chickens which was great. A review will follow. As the sky was blackening we didn’t hang around too long. About 45 minutes later we were back at the car. All in all it had been a rather wonderful day. Not what we’d planned but much better.

The vineyard. Maybe next time.

#Abbergaveny #thesugarloaf #blackmountains #monmouthshire #mountainwalks #theworldonyourdoorstep #blackmountainwalks

6th May 2017 Lydney Deer Park

Today is a good lesson in double checking you've not actually been somewhere before. It's easy when planning a route to cross a path you've already covered before. It's not always a bad thing but it's certainly nicer to cover as much new ground as possible. Thankfully a quick diversion meant we weren't on the same route for long and ended up being a much nicer walk than I had anticipated.

A sea of bluebells to frame these two lovelies.

We started from Lydney town parked up neat to Tesco. The path heads up towards the grounds of Lydney park woods. We walked past a field of very curious young bullocks who seemed intent on playing with Chuck. He seemed more intent on barking at them. Both parties seemed to be fairly satisfied with this outcome. As we hit the woods this is where I realised we had taken this path before.

A burst of colour appeared from between the trees.

A quick detour past a house in the wood and we entered a beautifully manicured garden which I had neither seen nor heard of before. 

Some Japanese influenced horticulture.

A small stream fed a series of ponds surrounded by large floral bushes and trees. Out the back this led into a deer park in which was a fabled White Hart. Apparently an extremely rare beast. 

This garden is a real hidden gem.

Following the path we saw a large stately home up on the hill which must be the house of the grounds. The whole park was left very natural and was simply a lovely place to be surrounded by deer.

The deer didn't stick around once Chuck appeared.

As we came to the end of the path we went through a gate which took us into The Taurus Arts and Crafts center in Aylburton. On the other side of the gate in large letters were the words 'No Entry'. Oh well. It certainly didn't say that on any of the other fences the way we came. The Taurus center contained some arts and crafts shops, wool, chocolate, incense and art stuff. It also had a rather nice farm shop. We didn't stop long because we had a rendezvous with The George Inn in Aylburton.

The grounds to the house are private we found out upon leaving them.

This was a charming little place. Don't expect quick service. The lady serving was half deaf as were here very elderly locals. But we're patient people and enjoyed the banter between staff and customers. They were also fairly busy serving lunches in the other room. Prices were very reasonable and the cider was nice and crisp. This was a nice end to walk that hadn't gone quite as planned but probably ended up being better by discovering a new place. Thoroughly enjoyable walk.


#Lydney #Lydneydeerpark #theforestofdean #deerpark #countryhouse #countrygardens #theworldonyourdoorstep

4th Februrary 2017 Bream and Whitecroft

Today is a cracking little two pub walk from just outside Lydney. It takes in the southern edge of the Forest of Dean, with pub stops in Bream and Whitecroft. What's fascinating about living on the river Wye is being able to see how differently each side of the valley is. Wales truly has a very different identity to the Gloucestershire side.

What have you seen Daddy?

As you all probably know I'm a big fan of free parking. We found a two car lay-by just north of Lydney on the B4231. The walk starts about 100m down the road. Lydney park woods abuts the Forest of Dean to the south. It has some incredible trees and rock formations in it. A truly hidden gem. It's definitely worth exploring thoroughly rather than just wondering through it. We made quite a big loop around the woods and I'm glad we did. It's fascinating how the trees have carved out the landscape. There's some really interesting rock formations as you can see below.

Light through the trees. Filter by Instagram because I'm lazy.

After a brief trip across some fields being watched by some inquisitive horses we reached Bream. This is a typical forest town. Quiet, laid back locals and sheep just wandering about minding their own business. The Rising Sun pub is perched on a hill next to a war memorial overlooking the lower Forest of Dean. It's populated by friendly locals who are happy to chat. Obviously Chuck was a minor star as usual. Drinks were reasonable. We didn't have any food but there was a separate dining area.

Trees growing out of the rocks. Weird.

We left Bream down a steep hill towards Whitecroft. The next pub was very different. Set in acres of land with a view of the steam train station the Royal Oak looks huge on the outside but is surprisingly cosy on the inside. We were hungry when we got there but they'd just stopped serving food. Despite this they still cooked us up a bowl of chips which I thought was very nice of them. The landlady was smitten with Chuck and we had a long doggy chat.

Out of the woods in style.

The path back was unfortunately along a main road for about a mile and half. But then we cut into some woods and popped out on the other side of the road from our lay-by. This was a great walk. About 5 hours including probably nearly two hours in the pub. Oh well. It's better than sitting around watching TV at home. I'll post a more in depth reviews of the pubs in the coming weeks.

Cheesy chips in The Royal Oak.

#Lydney #Bream #Whitecroft #theforestofdean #walkingblog #Gloucestershire #theroyaloak