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

8th April 2017 Lancaut in the Wye Valley

Sorry we’ve been away for so long but a change of country (we’re in Wales not England, that sort of counts) is a large upheaval. We’ve been gathering some miles under our boots and now have a series of walks to show you, the first being literally from our doorstep. We are now within walking distance of the spectacular Wye Valley, a truly stunning natural area which ends in Chepstow.

Cool gnarly trees

Our first walk starts at the bottom end of Offa’s Dyke path. This is a big ditch which was designed to keep the Welsh out, or in, depending on your perspective. Our walk took us north down a small back road towards the A38. A quick dash across the road and the path took us past the National Diving and Activity Centre. I would give this a review but there’s no way on God’s green earth you’ll get me underwater in a stinking old quarry.

Under the arches leading down to Lancaut

Next we skirted St Mary’s church in Tidenham. Then the path follows the old train line to Tintern. There is a tunnel which burrows under the hills and exits into the Wye valley just before Tintern. You can see the boarded up entrance but unfortunately there is no way to get in. Probably wouldn’t have made for particularly interesting pictures anyway.

Ruined church at Lancaut. Chuck beat us to it.

After a jaunt across the fields we reached the road down to Lancaut, our destination. There are a few paths down and you can take your pick. There is also a large wooden owl at the top. Just because.  Lancaut is a small peninsular in the Wye valley. There were some sheep and a farm and some nice views. Tucked away near the water there is a small ruined church. It was a good place for a picnic.

Some light scrambling on the route back

The route back involved getting from sea level back to the top of the cliffs. At one point there is some scrambling across some rather large rocks. If you are taking a dog ensure it is big enough not to slip between the cracks. Thankfully Chuck managed just fine. Once atop the cliffs it’s a walk back down the hill again and into Chepstow. All that remained was a drink in our new favourite pub, The Three Tuns. That gives me an idea for a pub review.

Atop the Wye Valley

2nd July 2016 Ifracombe

Sometimes you miss what is right under your nose and the world really is on your doorstep. Today we walked right from our front door and within half an hour I was walking down a road I had never been down before. Today was also different in that our walk was linear. It finished in a different place to where we started and we came back using the bus. Usually I avoid public transport like the plague. I like being out in the country due to my highly misanthropic nature and public transport is my idea of hell. Today however it showed us a marvellous way to march further afield.

Less than three miles from home and I've never been here before.

I won’t detail the exact route today as if I publish where I live you might come round and pinch my washing. The final destination was Ilfracombe and this is where we caught the bus. As the sky seems to have taken up raining as its new hobby we stuck to the small country lanes. These are ideal when the weather has been bad and also if you don’t have any mud proof footwear. It’s also a good way to start out navigating for yourself. Footpaths can move and can be hard to find sometimes. Roads are far more dependable and easy to navigate. The only downside is traffic but if they are hidden away enough cars are few and far between. The roads we were on were quiet enough and narrow enough to let Chuck off the lead for the majority of the journey.

A different perspective of the local countryside.

The area we walked in was largely free of any settlements other than a few farms and hamlets. These roads don’t really go anywhere in particular so are ideal for wandering around. The main roads around tend to follow the valleys so you don’t get a sense of the scenery. As we walked along I was amazed at how stunning some of the views are just a few miles from my house that I have never seen before.

Vicious guard dog.

After a few hours walk we came to the village of West Down which is quite near to the A361, the main road to Ilfracombe so the volume of traffic increased slightly. West Down has a church, a pub and a shop so is an ideal pit stop if you need one. We didn’t however so we cracked on. We crossed the A361 and headed towards Willingcott. This also has a pub but we skirted around the village on the No. 27 National Cycle Trail. This is on the route of the old Barnstaple to Ilfracombe railway line. It is now paved cycle/walking route which is a popular tourist route.

West Down. Not sure why I photographed the church instead of the pub today?

Past Willingcott it is downhill almost all the way to Ilfracombe. There are series of reservoirs and dams just off the path leading down to Ilfracombe. Obviously, one member of our group wanted a swim so in he went. From here it was just a few miles into Ilfracombe. A point to note here is that this is a shared walking/cycle path and it slopes quite steeply downhill. Despite all the warning signs telling cyclists to slow down and sound their bells, you will get lycra clad Bradley Wiggins wannabes flying towards you at 40mph from behind you. So make sure you are ready to send them flying into a hedge and then point out the signs telling them to sound their bell and slow down if they get upset about it.

No. 27 Cycle Route. Keep watch for potential Wiggins'.

I’ll not dwell on Ilfracombe. You can have an ice cream, look at Damien Hurst’s statue of something pretentious and then place a bet in William Hill and that’s about it. Oh and there’s a Co-op. The best thing about Ilfracombe is the view walking in. It’s like a George Seurat painting. It looks nice overall but look too close and you’ll just see spots. 

Is it a fish? Is it a dog? No, it's just Chuck in his natural environment.

Top tip, check the bus timetable before leaving and also check if weekend timings are different. Also if you have a dog ensure your bus company takes dogs. Our Waverider buses charge £1 for a Petexplorer ticket. Despite never having been on a bus before, Chuck seemed to cope quite well with it. This was a great way of seeing more and going further than if we had walked back. Is there anywhere near your house that you’ve never been? A road or path you’ve never explored? Let us know if you manage to get a new perspective of your surroundings in the comments below. See you next time.

26th June 2016 The Crown Inn and Lodges Crowntown, Cornwall review.

Well I hope you all enjoyed our little daily blog last week? I know I promised a blog from Tintagel but the weather and the traffic were equally appalling so we never actually made it there. We just trudged home behind the caravans and through the roadworks. But I realised I never really mentioned much about where we stayed, so I thought that would be a good post this week.

The lodge we stayed in. It was called Bramble.

The Crown Inn is just outside Helston and is aptly located in Crowntown. The pub itself is of the old fashioned family run variety. There doesn’t appear to be much brewery involvement here and the menus are printed by the pub. The drink selection isn’t huge but it’s very reasonable. They have mini bottles of wine for £3 a pop and Plymouth and tonic is £4.10 which is OK.

Blue steak. How it should be.

The food is home cooked and is generous. Well, it certainly is if you have the 16oz steak. I’m always slightly annoyed by these unnecessarily large meals. I always worry there must be a lot of food going to waste, a real pet hate of mine. I know that sounds hypocritical then ordering it but I ate every last bit. Bea had the ribs, which if I’m being honest was a much better than my steak. I’m not putting the steak down, it’s just that the ribs were something special. The breakfasts were also very generous. I asked for as much bacon and eggs as possible and I got four rashers with a good portion of scrambled egg which I thought was fair.

The ribs I had food envy over.

The rooms are actually in little chalets at the back of the pub. I really liked this idea as it keeps you away from any noisy drunks and it feels very holidayish. Our room was spacious and well kitted out with a spare bed, a kettle, an iron and a shower which was alright, no more. The bathroom floor was carpeted which I thought was a bit unhygienic. The beds were large and really comfy and it felt airy and fresh compared with and air conditioned hotel room. I’m not convinced they’d be that warm in the winter but that is pure speculation.

I got an extra bacon each day from my generous wife.

My one big qualm with the rooms is that there is no internet. No wifi. No phone signal. The wifi in the pub wasn’t great and trying to publish a blog with large photos every day was a hair pulling experience. It was only £80 a night but I expect at least some contact with the outside world. Overall though these are some very minor points in what was a great stay. We felt very welcome by family running the pub and they were very accommodating of Chuck which is always a plus. It’s also in a great central location for South Cornwall. I’d certainly book here again. If you want to check them out you can do so here. What are your main criteria when choosing a place to stay? Let us know in the comments. See you next time.

16th June 2016. Daily Blog from Cornwall Day 4. Land's End.

Today we went somewhere I’d always wanted to go, Land’s End. I don’t know why I was so excited about it and I’m not really sure why someone decided this was the last bit of England but off we went anyway. We parked in Porthcurno which as well as not being listed on my Sat Nav was a whopping £6.50 to park. No valet service. No security. Just a bit of tarmac.

The beach a Porthcurno. Yes this really is England.

The beach here is breathtakingly beautiful though. Big waves. Clear water. You could see the pattern the waves had made in the sand under the water. At the top of the cliff is an open air theatre set into the side of the rocks. We didn’t go in but I’m sure it would be great to see a performance here. 

Another secluded beach. You really can take your pick.

There is another car park up here but I didn’t see any prices. Just a man with a bucket so probably even more expensive.

The cliffs around this part were amazing again. They looked like a giant had stacked up rocks on top of each other. We dropped down to the beach at Porthgwarra to let Chuck cool down in the water. We realised on the way back however that there is a £1000 fine for dogs on the beach. Be aware this is not very well sign posted.

Chuck showing two fingers to 'the man'.

The rest of the way to Land’s End was very similar but the different rock formations had been carved in different ways depending on which direction they faced. You can see the Land’s End hotel from several miles away. It is a vast complex. Land’s End proved to be a bit of a disappointment. On the map it’s labelled as ‘Legendary Land’s End’. It was a bit of a mini theme park. There was a Shaun the Sheep experience and King Authur experience, it was all set up for kids. Ice cream was £2.50 a scoop. Thankfully you could still have a free photo by the famous sign but you had to pay if you wanted to change the letters.

Obligatory photo. No, I'm not from Abu Dhabi.

England vs Wales was on the telly in an hour so we set off to a village called Sennen Cove in the hope the match would be on there. Coming down the hill we recognised the place from a photo we’d seen yesterday in a gallery in Penzance. The pub was great. The food looked amazing and there was space for us to sit and watch the football. And England won.

Because it's just not magical unless you're fleecing tourists.

The route back was across the fields. It wasn’t very well signed however. We came to a farm which the footpath went straight through and the farmer seemed a bit miffed we were there. I showed him  on the map that the path went straight through the farm. He put me on the ‘right’ path and off we trotted. This is a great walk but don’t get too hung up on Land’s End. If you’re 8 years old I’m sure it’s great. Otherwise just enjoy the scenery. We’re off home tomorrow but we’ll be stopping into Tintagel. See you tomorrow.

15th June 2016 Daily Blog from Cornwall Day 3. Penzance and St Ives.

Today we’re having a slightly more sedate adventure than usual. We are covering the seaside towns of Penzance and St Ives. We started in Penzance and then took the 25 minutes train journey to St Ives.

Yeaaahhhh! Penzance!

We parked in Tesco which thankfully is far away enough from the town centre to have no parking restrictions. Free parking for the day. Result. It is also lined with palm trees which is cool. It is about 15 minutes walking to the station from here. We got our tickets already which were £8.90 return for the two of us. We’d been recommended not to drive to St Ives as the roads are terrible and parking non-existent.

 My best photo of Penzance.

Penzance was not really being shown off in its best light as we wondered round. It was a very cloudy day and the threat of rain was constant. However we could tell that it was probably very nice in the sun. The water was crystal clear. There is a small harbour but its not particularly pretty.

 Waiting for the train in The Fat Fish.

We turned into a small park but this too was nothing to write home about. We went through the town centre which had some nice little boutique shops and a lot of charity shops. We did go in a great pet shop which had some really great natural dog treats for bargain prices. Chuck loved this shop and it was difficult to keep his inquisitive little nose out the different bags.

Much nicer than Penzance harbour I think?

The trains leaving Penzance are few and far between so we had an hour to kill. We went into a café by the station called the Fat Fish. This is a great place to wait. They do take away type food and breakfasts and are also licensed. I had a pint of Cornish Rattler which was delicious.

 Waiting for the rain to stop.

The train journey to St Ives involves a change at St Erth. From here it’s an old fashioned bus type train into St Ives. The view is obscured a lot of the way but glimpses of the coast do peak through occasionally,

  Back streets back alright.

St Ives is very small but somehow we managed to spend five hours getting round it. We did consume quite a lot of food and beverage in this time though. There are lots of narrow streets full of art galleries and artisan food shops if you like spending money.

 St Ives Head. Does that need an apostrophe?

After going up onto St Ives head though, shopping, eating and drinking is all that’s left to do really. Thankfully the town provides well for this. We found a great gin bar called ….. We decided to eat here too as the food sounded good. We weren’t disappointed. It really was pretty special. My only regret is that we had to rush it slightly to get the train. It really needed to be savoured. Oh well. Tomorrow the tourist trap that is Land’s End.