The big wall walk - Offa's Dyke

Day 1 Sedbury (from Chepstow) to Tintern 22km 

After a 2km walk through suburbia we found the first visible remains of the ancient defensive wall now called Offa's Dyke, built around 1300 years ago. The plan is to walk its entire length of about 268km, roughly following the border between Wales and England.

The stone that marks the official start of the wall has a view over the very wide Severn River near the top of its estuary.

But it follows a tributary of the Severn, the Wye River which is also effected by the tide fir quite a distance. Maybe that is the cause of the mud? The Wye River at Chepstow has the fastest tide in the world! It can rise, or fall, 13 metres in four hours.

After walking through fields and along roads most of the afternoon was spent in magical forest glowing with the growth of new spring leaves, tinged with a blush of Bluebells in places. The Dyke was visible most of the time, often built at the top of a very steep slope above the river.

The view down to Tintern Abbey from the Devil's Pulpit where the devil may have preached attempting to lure the monks into sin.

Walking along the bottom of the Dyke, often 6 metres high in this location.

Tintern Abbey, destroyed by Henry VIII

Day 2 Tintern to Monmouth 19km

Squelchy flat walking along the River Wye all morning.

Followed by a climb through Cardora Woods with the most incredible Bluebells. Like stepping through a portal into another world, surreal and beautiful. We spent a lot of time trying not very successfuly, to capture the experience in a photograph.

A Lord of the Rings scene ked us into a muddy descent to the town on Monmouth.

Day 3 Monmouth to Llangattock Lingoed - 20km

After crossing the medieval bridge we got lost briefly while finding our way out of the town.

A humid walk through woods and across many fields dotted with sheep and muddy areas punctuated by a stop in a tiny church which offered coffee, tea and a toilet to walkers and very appreciated. We left a donation and thank you notes.

Thundery showers surrounded us and eventually dropped a few buckets of water in the late afternoon.

A field of wishes.

Cider apple orchard in flower.

The imposing and impressive White Castle ruins.

Mud, mud, glorious mud!! Horrible sticky stuff.

Finally arrived at the tiny very old Hunters Moon Inn, at 7pm. It was a long damp day.

Day 4 From Hunters Moon Inn to Longtown -16km

The day began with a walk through numerous fields, soggy underfoot, hills all around.

We were headed for a big hill to walk about 5kms along the ridge. After a steep climb, we sat on the earth walls of an Iron Age Fort watching wild ponies.

Afternoon tea before walking 3 kms down to the bottom of the valley to our pub in Longtown. Not a bad view!

Day 5 Longtown to Hay-on-Wye - a long day of 24kms

A hot humid steep climb back up to the ridge of Hattersall, over 12 kms along the ridge before descending Hay-on-Wye for the night. Views of the green valley to our right and the wilder Black Mountains to our left, and so many ponies! Dozens and dozens! 

Valley views and peat bogs.

It was mid-afternoon when we began the almost two hour descent to Hay-on-Wye. Pony or mountain goat?

Day 6 - no walking today. An unscheduled rest day as I injured my knee on day one and it is now very sore. It needs a rest. The book town of Hay-on-Wye is not a bad place to hang out in a cafe.