Monday 4th June 2018 Knighton – Felindre
Late in Clocking On
I was due to
travel with Northern Rail but, such have been the concerns about cancellations
and the devastating effect that would have on my walking schedule, I asked Jill
to take me over to Wilmslow Station and the more reliable Virgin service to
Crewe. Here I had time for a coffee and bacon bap before climbing into the
single coach that was the Heart of Wales service to Swansea. This was a lovely
journey through rural Cheshire and Shropshire before turning onto a single
track line through the border hills to Knighton. I walked up to the clock tower
and took some photos, then popped into the Clock Tower Café for a cappuccino
and carrot cake.
So it was
11.30am before I set off up the ‘Narrows’ and out onto Glyndwr’s Way. Some
narrow and steep ginnels took me through the outskirts of the town and up onto
a high corniche. This contoured through some woods around Garth Hill before
reaching a series of lanes and farm tracks that led over the hills and down to
Llangunllo. The sun had broken through and it was getting rather hot. Little
did I think that I had five days of sunshine ahead of me. It was a long trek up
lanes to the station where the route passed under this morning’s railway line
and started a long gradually climb up onto Beacon Hill Common.
The walking
from here across the Short Ditch and the moor was magnificent. I overtook a
party of Canadians and was into a fast rhythm, perhaps rather too fast as I
missed a route marker and ended up too far to the east, descending into a farm
whose track took me to Beguildy, about two miles up the road from my target. A
small shop made me a ‘coffee to go’ and I completed this two mile section of
busy road whilst supping my hot drink. So I probably clocked an extra mile or
more in reaching Felindre and my accommodation for the night. I learnt my
lesson in the need to concentrate and I corrected all future navigational mistakes
much more quickly.
Knighton dep.
10.58, Felindre arr. 17.40
GPS 18.34
miles in 6hrs 24mins 32secs walking time. I stopped for 25 minutes in Knighton
(11.05-11.30).
I stayed at
Brandy House Farm in a camping pod. I
dined with two women on a horse riding holiday and one lady walker with a lame
dog. The meal started with various pates and was followed by chicken casserole.
A crumble completed a splendid meal. A couple of bottles of Old Speckled Hen
dealt with my dehydration issues.
Tuesday 5th June 2018 Felindre - Abbeycwmhir
Tilting at Windmills
I has not
found it easy to get to sleep in my camping pod but then slept so well that it
was five minutes to breakfast when I came round. I had to leap off my mattress,
throw on some clothes and dash down to the breakfast room. It was not to be a
long day so I had lots of time to pack my rucksack afterwards before setting
off. By 9.30am, I was descending the farm drive into the village and along the
main road. I saw the Canadian party being dropped off in front of me and I
followed them down the road and walked with them up the first climb of the day.
At the top we said our farewells and I pressed on along a grassy ridge which
eventually brought me to a tarmac lane. Here I lost all the hard earned height
as the lane dropped down to a cross road of tracks.
A left turn took me to the foot of a second
big climb. At half height three women on horseback sat waiting for me to open
and close a gate for them. Then the route continued upwards round a wind farm
and traversed undulating hillsides of gorse scrubland which must have been very
boggy in wet weather. The section ended in gaining the high point and a
fingerpost which pointed down a lane that descended gently at first and then
steeply down to Llanbadarn. The shop was off route and the pub was closed so I
walked onwards alongside a very busy road beside a river and then crossed the
river on a side lane and started to climb yet again. It was really getting hot
now so I sat at the top stile to have a bite to eat and to drain my water
bottle.
The next
section was glorious walking, along a grassy ridge and then down by some pine
trees and ancient looking dykes and earthworks. A steep descent led to Tynypant
where the climbing started all over again, this time up a narrow wooded ridge, tree-lined
at first but opening out onto a ridge with magnificent views all around. My
destination lay below in a narrow valley down to the right. To reach this
valley, the route dropped down to a col between two peaks and turned sharply
downhill through thick woodland and dappled sunlight. It was a walk into
Paradise as I worked my way along lanes and woodland paths along this remote
valley into Abbeycwmhir. Here I quickly found my b&b and was glad of a cup
of tea and a cool shower before joining my hosts, Angela and Michael in their
beautiful back garden. A magnificent day’s walking.
Felindre
dep. 09.40, Abbeycwmhir arr. 16.05
GPS 16.32 miles
in 6hrs 13mins 06secs walking with 15 mins rest (13.15-13.00) above Llanbadarn.
I stayed with
Angela and Michael Winterton at the Oaks in Abbeycwmhir, a lovely b&b where
I was treated like one of the family. I pigged myself on two sorts of flan and drank
some of their Boddingtons beer.
Wednesday 6th June 2018 Abbeycwmhir – Llanidloes
Cafes and Pubs at Last
As I sat in
the conservatory having my breakfast, the hills were shrouded in a light mist
which lent a mysterious atmosphere to the valley. But this cloud soon burnt off
in the warming morning sun and it was to be another swelteringly hot day. I got
the line wrong in the very first field in leaving the village but soon
recovered to find a lovely woodland path that led over a small footbridge and
steeply up to a lane. Here the map and the signs differed. A finger post pointed
up the lane and the map showed the route in fields to the left. I cut up a farm
track to try to get back on line, only to find barriers across the line of
stiles. So I retreated back to the foot of the Esgair Farm entrance and here
found the diversion signs that had been missing from the other end. All this
uncertainty did not cost much time and I was soon climbing strongly into the emerging
sunshine. A lovely traverse of Upper Esgair Hill ended in a steep drop into the
hamlet of Bwlch-y-sarnau.
Angela, my
host of last night, had recommended that I should avoid a bit of very boggy
ground if I now diverted, on purpose this time, along a road to the west for
500m and then up a forest trail to Waun Marteg. A long section of tarmac led to
a lovely contouring track along the edge of a forest passing several deserted
farms on its passage. I stopped briefly for a bite and a drink at a stile with
a view, then continued on this roller coaster of a contour until a left-hand
turn led very steeply down a stony and slippery track into a limestone gorge.
Here there was a sharp left turn along a very boggy path that led over a stream
to a field gate where all route signage disappeared. I was left at the foot of
a huge sloping pasture with no idea which way to head. The map indicated a
slanting line so I started up steep grass looking for breaks in the top hedge
and fence line. I was not far off with my guess and a few yards along the fence
there was a stile into a leafy track. This ascended to a lane and more tarmac
and then a steep descent down a rough grassy field where I lost all that
precious height again.
A rather
arbitrary finger post indicated a left turn which was hard to spot but then the
line became clear as I contoured round several properties. There was a rather
complex loop round a large farm that obviously did not welcome a national trail
but, more by good luck than judgment, I found the bypass and came out opposite
a gorgeous little cottage, with shutters, climbing plants and a beautiful
garden. Yet more roads led me to Newchapel where the route took a definite turn
towards home. Just when the concentration on navigation started to wane, I
completely lost the route in the next wood, ended up having to climb belatedly
and steeply back to the road that would take me gradually downhill to
Llanidloes. I soon found myself in a lovely old town with cafes and pubs and
ancient buildings. I was back in civilisation after three days in the
wilderness. I celebrated with cappuccino and spicy apple cake in the Great Oak
Café.
Abbeycwmhir dep.
09.20, Llanidloes arr. 15.40
GPS 16.25 in
6hrs 04mins 12secs walking time with a 20min break near Cyndfa.
I stayed in the Unicorn Hotel in Llanidloes and I ate at the
Angel. I was starving so I started with duck pate, had a main course of lamb
curry and finished with lemon sponge and custard. All this was washed down by
copious amounts of Butty Bach from Wye Valley Brewery (4.5%).
Thursday 7th June 2018 Llanidloes – Y Star Inn, Dylife
The Welsh Lake District
This was
supposed to be an easy day, not exactly a rest day but the next best thing. So
after breakfast I sauntered round Llanidloes in the morning sunshine and,
before I set out for the day’s walk, managed another coffee and cake in the
Great Oak Café. Rather late for me, I strode across the river bridge and up the
road on the other side. There was a delightful path climbing into the woods,
Allt Goch. I am not sure I got the standard route up to the golf course but I
picked up the waymarks at the club house. I nearly missed the left turn off the
entrance road but soon corrected any navigation discrepancies and dropped down
some very steep grassy fields to the hamlet of Van. I continued along the
tarmac farm track towards Garth then turned right and uphill until I met
another diversion around an unwelcoming property. Halfway round I started with
a nose bleed which persisted whilst I walked up a very busy main road. At last
I came to a gate which led into a field and I lay down until the bleeding had
subsided.
A field path
ran parallel to the road for half a mile until a tarmac farm lane took me a
further half mile to a diversion round the farm itself. Here I got my first
view of the great dam at Llyn Clywedog. A steep track descended to its base and
the atmospheric ruins of an old lead mine. The climb up the other side was on
hot and shade-less tarmac, on traffic-free roads that led to a car park with
few cars and a café that appeared permanently closed. A murderously steep
grassy bank took the route back onto roads. The next section had a diversion
due to a landslip. So at least half a mile was added to the day’s total. At the
top of the next field I sat at the stile and had a very brief break for water
and a flapjack. Then the way markers pointed away from the lake and towards a
distant forest. The top of the forest was also the top of the ridge and the
route descended on open pasture down towards a deserted farm. 
Llanidroes dep.
10.20, Y Star Inn arr. 16.20
GPS 15.17 miles
in 5hrs 45mins 35secs walking time plus a 10 min () break in
I stayed at Y
Star Inn at Dylife. There was no real ale on tap so I resorted to bottles of Felinfoel double dragon and Cwrw. I ate fish
and chips followed by a sponge pudding and custard.
Friday 8th June 2018 Y Star Inn – Machynlleth
Another Clock Tower
The earliest
time for breakfast was 8am so the dining room was full of walkers and fishermen
all straining at the leash. I came through the chaotic service quite well and
was through the front door and away by 9am. It was cloudy for the first time in
over a week and this made it cool for the climb back up to the top of the ridge
to pick up the national trail. I made good time along the top on relatively
flat and stony tracks and pathways. After two miles or so, the path led down
into a gully to cross the headwaters of Afon Clywedog. A steep and slatey
scramble up the other side took me past some newish looking buildings and then
over a moor to Glaslyn, a high remote and rather featureless mountain lake.
As I crossed
the plateau, the trig point of Foel Fadian beckoned. And it was so near the
path that I was up and down in just over 10 minutes, with my first and only
peak of the week in the bag. Then came a long and steep descent on slippery
slate and loose stones. Stopping briefly to check the navigation, I eventually
stepped onto easier and grassier ground and thence into the valley. A gratuitously
steep loop kept me off road for a short while but eventually the tarmac was
inevitable. I toiled up a steep lane and then a steeper farm track as the day
got warmer and stickier. The cloud covered had increase the humidity level and
I was sweating more than I had done all week. On the top of Cefn Modfedd, I
made a classical error of missing a way-marker and it was several minutes
before I realised my mistake, got the compass out and corrected my error. Soon
I was on top of the ridge and stopped briefly for a bite to eat and to finish
my water bottle.
At
Talbontdrain two little boys asked whether I wanted any water and I was
delighted to hand over my empty water bottle for filling. Then there was a gruelling
climb in the heat of midday up a curving path to Rhiw Goch. It was well worth
it because the next 2 miles were on wonderful high ground which finished in a right-hand
turn, a steep descent and a poorly marked path up to a recently cleared forest.
Another fast section then led down and left out onto the final moor overlooking
Machynlleth. But rather than dropping straight down into town, the official
route went out on a long loop to the west and it seemed an age before I
eventually hit the road and then the steep and narrow path down to the
outskirts of Machynlleth. The signs led me through a car park and kiddies play
area before passing the Heritage Centre and its café. I could not resist a
quick carrot cake and cappuccino before continuing passed the second clock
tower of my trip and on to the station. I just had time to change out of my
sweaty walking gear and then it was time for the train home.
Y Star Inn dep.
09.00, Machynlleth Station arr.15.45
GPS 17.70
miles in 6hrs 23mins 55secs walking time and had a 10min stop near Talbontdrain
and 15 mins (15.20-15.35) in the café at the Heritage Centre in Machynlleth.
Half a train
was waiting for me at Machynlleth Station and this set off on time when a rear
section arrived and had been attached. I had time for another coffee on
Shrewsbury Station before the Manchester train came in and took me to Wilmslow
where Jill was waiting to pick me up. It is nearly always the case that the
closeness of the experience leads to the last walk being perceived as the best,
so I hesitate before claiming that the last five days walking have been some of
the most sustainably enjoyable and beautiful, on wonderful grassy hills with
everlastingly lovely views. But I am sure that the spectacular weather had a
part to play on my thinking that this is the some of the best quality walking of
all the national trails.
