28th January 2018 - Brockweir and The Commons

Today is a walk on a bit of the map I seem to have missed. I thought we had covered all the Wye Valley between Chepstow and Monmouth but there is a small community of houses between St Briavels and Llandogo tucked away in the trees. As there were lots of tracks and footpaths on the map I thought we could check it out. We parked up in the Old Station at Tintern. This has a café in an old railway carriage and a playground for kids. As it was a cold day in January I was surprised to see quite few people there. Parking was £1 for three hours or £3.50 for a day. Luckily I still had an old pound in the coin in the car that I’d been trying to get rid of. It slipped into the machine a treat.

You won't get very far in this carriage but you can get a coffee in summer.

We set off through the park towards Brockweir. After a little play on the adventure playground we followed the track along the river. There are a few metal sculptures along this track to add interest. My favourite is the dog that’s done a metal poo. The bridge at Brockweir is a lovely old fashioned Iron Bridge of the flat kind. The river was absolutely racing along today so Chuck was not allowed in, otherwise he’d have been back in Chepstow before we knew it.

The old signal box. There's a tut shop in there now selling things you don't need.

The path heads up onto a small road which leads to the community in the hills. It looks like a wonderful place to live. Very cut off and peaceful. One road in and out. At the end of the road the footpath climbed steeply along a track between two ancient looking dry stone walls. It’s all very Lord of the Rings. This leads up to more narrow lanes and more climbing. The first 90 minutes was all up hill.

Brooding clouds over Brockweir. We did however manage to stay dry.

There are a lot of small farms and small holdings up here. Everyone seems to have a few sheep. There’s plenty of horses too. A lot of the roads are linked by Restricted Byways which I have talked about before. The byways up here were on the whole reasonably surfaced. A few were muddy but we stayed mostly clean on the whole walk.

This walk is more hilly than it looks and it looks hilly.

As we came out on the northern crest as the river peels east the view appeared across the whole of the northern Wye Valley. It was a clear day and the view was breath taking. Definitely worth the climb. The rest of the walk was mostly small roads which were devoid of traffic. As we got down the hill to Brockweir though the road got a bit busier. There is a pub in Brockweir but we carried on past as it's January and we're saving money. We have been in before and it is very nice but I believe it is under new management now. 

An obstruction in the road.

Overall a very nice walk and very hilly. It shows it’s always worth checking you haven’t quite covered every inch of the map. There are some great views, especially at this time of year when the trees are bare. There are so many interlocking paths up here you could walk around for several weeks and not go the same way twice. It's great little place to get lost in.

9th December 2017 - Sugar Loaf Snow Walk

Obviously, today’s post is very seasonal as you can see from the pictures but I’ve got a bit behind. That’s no reason not to post it though, so enjoy our snow walk up Sugar Loaf. Having lived in Devon for the previous three years we hadn’t seen much snow. Chuck had only ever seen one very light dusting in his whole life so going on a deep snow hunt seemed a must. Although we’d been up Sugar Loaf previously we hadn’t done it in the snow. So off we went.

We didn't have to get that high before hitting the white stuff.

We parked near to the cricket ground in the back streets. A small alley takes you through to a narrow road which goes all the way up to the top car park. The road down here was very icy and Chuck was enjoying sliding about all over the place. We stayed on the road all the way up to the car park, by which time there was enough snow that people were already building snowmen.

Our eventual destination.

Snowballs gave Chuck an unlimited number of things to chase after. So, snowballs were soon flying in every direction with a dog in hot pursuit. Sugar Loaf is a concave slope which means it gets steeper the closer you get to the top. It’s quite rocky around the peak and the snow made it quite difficult to walk on. Be very careful as it is quite easy to sprain an ankle in a snow filled gap between rocks.

Sugar Loaf's residents.

The view from the top was magnificent with an obvious dividing line in snow altitude and the lower greenery. It was also very cold so we didn’t hang about. Going down was also quite a tester as the rocks were very slippy where people had compressed the snow. We went back down through the woods and emerged again where we had parked. It was still quite early however so we decided to head for the pub.

Going down can be treacherous. Take your time.

Our pub of choice in Abergavenny is The Hen and Chickens. It has a good drinks selection and does some nice bar snacks too. So, after a drink and some cheesy chips we headed back to the car. Our cheeks were rosy, from the cold not the drink, and we’d walked a long way. Gaining altitude is a great way of seeing some snow. But remember, it gets much colder the higher you climb. Work off -1⁰c for every 100m you climb. Take more clothing than you think you’ll need and be aware even if you’ve been somewhere before, it can look very different in the snow. Enjoy the snow, but respect it too and stay safe.

Why would you accuse me of dipping my nose in the snow?

12th November 2017 - Crickhowell and Pen Cerrig-calch

Today’s walk is a reminder to always respect the weather in the hills. Despite setting off in beaming sunshine we had the joy of experiencing sideways snow less than an hour later. Our goal today was the top of Pen Cerrig-calch a 701m high peak rising above Crickhowell in the Brecon Beacons. The weather looked great and we were busy for the next few weekends so it seemed like an ideal opportunity to get possibly our last hill walk of the year. Also on cold clear days the views are especially good due to the low pressure. It would be beautiful up there we thought.

The view over Crickhowell, the sun trying to break through.

We parked in a layby on the A40 which is just past the Shell garage. It’s free and there is enough space for three cars so get here early to avoid disappointment. We took the track up towards Darren, an oddly named rocky outcrop. The path goes through a farm but the footpath is well marked all the way through their land. There are also dog friendly styles. Top marks to this farmer, a model of how it should be done.

The ascent was through some lovely old dry stone wall.

The path is steep but is well paved on the farmland. Once you get on the top however the path is steep and muddy making it quite tricky to walk on. It is startlingly pretty up here though. As we came around to the more north facing slopes it became clear that we had been shielded from the bitterly cold northern wind up until this point. It was easily minus temperatures with the wind chill.

Taking the rough with smooth. A great view of the floor as the snow came in sideways.

We decided to press on however as we had come this far. This unfortunately is how a lot of accidents and walking incidents happen and I really should know better. That ‘well we may as well do it now’ mentality can get you in trouble. If you are in doubt whether or not you have the correct kit for the weather or you have the skills to navigate with a lack of visibility you should probably turn around and wait to conquer your walk another day. Better to be safe than sorry.

A few minutes later it was like a different day, apart from the wind just out of shot.

I weighed up that it was actually shorter to carry on to the top and that the navigation was within my abilities. As we kept going a large grey cloud appeared on the peak to the north. This turned out to be a lovely snowy sleet mixture which plunged the temperature further. Thankfully it didn’t last too long but in hindsight we did not have enough warm kit to deal with this had it been sustained. Thankfully it was reasonably clear by the time we reached the top but still bitterly cold so we didn’t hang about. Be aware there are lots of sheep wandering about so if your dog likes to chase make sure it’s on a lead.

Dazzling.

Once we started to descend and got out of the wind it was a much more pleasant walk. The path continues down to Table Mountain which has an Iron Age fort on top called Crug Hywel. Again there are some cracking views up here and a lot of people seemed to be making a walk up here and it would be a good walk in itself. We took in some views and set off down towards Crickhowell. The path follows a stream all the way down. It’s a really scenic path in a little leafy valley.

Walking down to the hill fort.

Just before Crickhowell we passed through a field which had two donkeys in it. They were fascinated with Chuck and seemed to really want to play with him. Chuck for his part was a touch intimidated and wanted none of it sadly. The donkeys were very friendly though. This walk was a great reminder that no matter how experienced you are that you should always plan for the worst. The most innocuous weather can take a turn for the worse up in the hills where you can lose a degree centigrade for every hundred metres climbed. Every year hundreds of people get into difficulty and have to be rescued because they were unprepared. Don’t be one of them. 

A ford on the way back down.

4th November 2017 - Forest of Dean - Nags Head Nature Reserve

A nice short nature walk for you today through the Forest of Dean. It’s that time of year when all the leaves are turning golden and any walk is a bit special. We did admittedly get a bit wet at times but that doesn’t diminish from the beautiful forest. We parked in a small spot opposite the Mary Rose Young pottery shop a few miles west of Parkend. There isn’t much space here so arrive early. We headed north but you can set off in any direction from here.

Big sticks abound in the Forest of Dean.

The path took us up a drive and across a cycle path. Be aware the actual path is somewhat obscured by a large overhanging tree. This meant we had to trek across some undergrowth and jump a stream to get back on the path once I had realised the error. There is another small car park here for the RSPB Nagshead Nature Reserve. I forgot to check if it was free or not. Sorry.

Despite sounding like one, Nagshead is not a pub.

The nature reserve has a lopped trail of about a mile. Around the trail are posts with nature questions on them. They are aimed squarely at children however, so don’t expect anything too taxing nature lovers. We didn’t finish the whole loop but kept walking towards the quarry opposite Cannop Ponds. We had a brief torrential downpour which hadn’t been forecast. Thankfully we were prepared. Always carry a waterproof no matter what the weather man says.

Rain makes for pulling faces. Gore Tex saves the day however.

The path climbs quite steeply up above the quarry and as such affords some wonderful views over the forest to the north. Up at the top the golden leaves give way to deep evergreen conifers. The track runs along Broadwell and Coalway villages. This is quite a busy spot for dog walkers from the local area. Some are great and let their dogs play, others do that odd thing where they go off the path and completely shield their dogs because ‘they might bark’ or ‘they play too rough’ or may favourite as their dog sits their excited with tail wagging in a play pose ‘he’s scared of German Shepherds’. Thankfully some people were happy for their dogs to play with Chuck and yes, he did bark.

Chuck admiring the view across the forest.

The path back took us past the nature reserve again. We got on the correct path that we should have taken previously and this is how I discovered it was obscured by a tree. That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it. The Forest of Dean is great for a walk that doesn’t require much planning. As there are so many tracks you can expand or shrink your walk on the fly according to the weather or tiredness. There isn’t an ugly bit and there are loads of activities for what I assume is a reasonable fee. There’s even a steam train. It really is a great place to go all year round. 

29th October 2017 - Forest of Dean - Bream

Today we fancied a shorter walk as we have been overdoing of late. It was Chuck’s Birthday soon so we thought we better take him somewhere he really enjoys. He mostly enjoys water but it was a bit cold for that so I thought we’d go to the Forest of Dean as he loves chasing sticks and there are oh so many sticks there. As we have covered most of the Forest of Dean I looked for a bit we hadn’t been in. I noticed in the south west near Bream was the bit of the Gloucestershire Walk we had missed when doing our long distance walk. So we parked up in Bream next to the War memorial, which was decked out nicely for Remembrance and set off into the woods.

The war memorial a few weeks before remembrance day.

The initial part of the walk was on the very outskirts of the Forest. This is the pretty world where village meets trees and the path winds past cottages. After a while we were into the woods proper. The wonderful thing about the Forest of Dean is that it is so varied. You can walk down a path with one type of woodland on one side and a completely different woodland scene on the other. There is plenty to do in the forest but today we managed to avoid all the activity. We did however meet quite a large pack of Collies. Chuck isn’t a fan of meeting large packs of dogs and shot through quickly with his ears down and his tail firmly tucked away.

Although it was cold, the sun was still beaming through the trees.

There were large number of mountain bikers in the forest. They seem to appear from nowhere at high speed across the footpaths. I’ve not really noticed that many before so I’m not sure if it is this part of the woods or it’s their favourite time of year. Either way they were a slight menace. We hit a small amount of civilisation in Ellwood, another tiny village. On the side of the road was a pig pen with a giant mother and her piglets. Watching the mother root around in the ground shows the power of these animals. The boar in the forest are a similar size and cause massive amounts of destruction on the ground. We encountered a few boar on our Gloucestershire Way trip mentioned earlier.

Cute little snorkers in Ellwood.

A short walk from there brought us to Drybrook. An even smaller village which is just a single loop road of houses. There is a small nursery here for the horticulturally minded but not much else. We walked round the loop anyway just to have a look. Back to Bream we headed, dodging yet more bikers. So a short one today, just over two hours but as mentioned we’ve been pushing it for a while now and rest is as important for fitness as exercise. Chuck got plenty of chasing in, we had a relaxing Sunday. The weather was glorious. It’s a great little part of the world if you think you’ve seen the whole of the Forest of Dean.

Chuck really enjoyed his birthday walkies.

28th October 2017 - Twmbarlwm Hill Fort

Today’s walk is one to do on a clear day. It covers the high ground to the north of Risca and Crosskeys and commands incredible views of the whole Severn Estuary. We set off from Twmbarlwm Car Par which is free but sadly a magnet for fly-tippers. We didn’t head straight up to the hill fort as I thought it would be best to save this until last. It was incredibly windy up on the ridge so we dropped down into the woods. Even up here though the views are stunning.

Lots of ferns on top.

The woods here are incredibly dense and the path follows next to them. You can’t see more than about 20 feet into them before it is pitch black. Once we got to the end though the wind came back with a vengeance. There is a car park with some picnic tables up here but I’m not sure how to get up here. It does offer an easier route to the hill fort for the less active. It also overlooks the reservoir which we didn’t go down to.

About to head off down the track.

Next we followed the route around Cwmcarn forest. This is a round route of a couple of miles. The woods are quite cut back so the views here are also very good. There are also some mountain biking tracks which honestly only look suitable for those with suicidal tendencies. They look more suitable for climbing gear than bikes.

A big log in the picnic area.

As we came around the southern edge we could see Mynydd Machen where we went a few weeks ago. I do enjoy this aspect of walking in the hills, seeing walks from a different perspective and picking out a walk you want to do from the actual ground, rather than just from a map. The woods really drop away at this point and there is some very interesting new plantations. The new firs looks oddly like cactus bringing about an almost North American dessert type appearance.

The view over Risca.

The final part of the walk is up to the hill fort itself. This impressive structure apparently kept the first Roman conquest of Britain at bay for 25 years. It’s not hard to see why when you get up to the top. It’s very steep and the view is truly spectacular. You can see all the way from the new M4 bridge to past Western-Super-Mare. 

Heading up to Twmbarlwm fort.

It was ideal weather too. Very clear but cold with low pressure giving great visibility. From here it’s just a quick drop back down to the car. This walk is ideal in clear weather, not one for when it’s raining. It’s also great if you just want a short walk but can also be drawn out for much longer as it is a very large area. I have feeling we will be returning here.

On top of Twmbarlwm.

7th October 2017 - Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal Walk

Today’s walk has a slightly urban feel to it. We decided to take a walk along the Monmouthshire and Brecon canal as Chuck is a real water baby and is always up for a swim. We parked in Car Park in Bettws. It was free very close to the canal. It gets busy quickly so get there early. We set out across a football pitch through a gap in the hedge. Very different to our usual vista.

There are lots of stone bridges along the canal.

The canal is sadly no longer in use. It looked a bit sad but thankfully didn’t have too much in the way of litter. The first section is very much still in an urban area. It’s quite pretty though with houses backing onto the canal and several old locks. The canal starts to leave the town but unfortunately then runs right next to the M4. It’s a nice view from here but the constant hum of traffic does not make for the most tranquil of walks.

And unsurprisingly, lots of locks too.

We left the canal after a bit and headed up into Allt-yr-yn Nature Reserve. The traffic noise was much quieter up here and it is a pleasant little wood. We dropped back down again and under the M4 once again. The canal leads up to Fourteen Locks Park. I didn’t bother counting them to see if it was a misleading name but there were plenty of locks. Sadly none of them in use. There was a large pool at the top and Chuck took full advantage and went for a dip.

Looks lovely with the M4 just out of shot.

This was poor timing on Chuck’s part as we went to a pub in Rogerstone next. Well, I think it was Rogerstone. It may be Highcross. It’s hard to tell where each ends. The pub was called the Rising Sun. Sadly it didn’t let dogs in. We sat outside and although it wasn’t particularly cold our poor wet dog was certainly feeling cool. We drank up quick as he was starting to shiver. We got back to the canal and Chuck jumped straight back in to warm up.

Getting away from the traffic noise now.

The canal heads out between the houses and feels more country-like the further you go. At one point we saw a rather tame heron sitting on the bank. It was posing as passers-by took photographs. We left the canal bank and headed uphill to the outskirts of Risca. We walked through a field of horses which is something you don’t see very often. The odd one or two maybe but there were loads of them. They looked like small shire horses. Any horse experts please feel free to comment below.

One of the Fifteen Locks. I can't remember which one.

We followed a small road to a woods. The woods turned out to be incredibly muddy. Our nice clean dog turned into a horrid muddy mess in quick time. Thankfully there was a stream at the bottom and he was more than happy to jump in. A freshly clean but rather wet dog. A half hour walk back to the car mainly dried him off though. 

The views get nicer further west.

The walk back through Bettws was….er…..not scenic shall we say to be diplomatic. When we got back to the car there were people waiting for our car parking space so as I said before, get there early. This was an interesting change to our usual walks. It just shows that even people who live in a big city, in this case Newport, can find a fairly rural walk right on their doorstep.

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