Mitchel Troy - another glorious day in Monmouthshire
Sunday 23 July
Eight walkers set off from the community car park in Mitchell Troy to enjoy the surrounding countryside on a 9 mile hike. From the village the group followed a bridleway over the A40 and on into our first field of the day. High on the farthest hill to the east we could see the Kymin and between Monmouth and us were three painted trees - white, red & blue. Why I have no idea - its art one of the group said.
Walking through our first field, which had recently been cut for hay, with the huge rolled bails awaiting the farmer to load onto his trailer, they make interesting foregrounds for landscape photography. We were even more fortunate that the next field had been cut as it had been growing oil seed rape. It was bad enough with the stumps of the crop left to brush against your ankles never mind how hard it was when the walk leader checked out the walk and the crop hadn't been harvested.
The next few fields were uneventful until we came to the field with maize growing in it. The official footpath runs directly through the middle of the maize field and there was no sign of it. The only thing to do was to walk the around the edge of the field which was still not easy as the maize was standing at over 8ft tall and between that and the hedge were thistles, nettles and bindweed(?). Well we all made it with a few scratches and stings from the nettles.
The target now was to reach Kings Wood to join the Offa's Dyke long distance footpath. To do this we had our first serious climb of the day - well are only serious climb of the day. We stopped just below the entrance to Kings Wood for a drink and to admire the views to the west - Brecon Beacons and the Black Mountains.
After walking though the wood we left the Offa's Dyke path and made our way down to the valley floor to cross the River Trothy. Where we would walk near it on our way to Dingestow and lunch. We had lunch in the churchyard and read about the privileged families (Bosanquets) of the old village.
Leaving Dingestow via the road underneath the A40 we crossed into a well looked after farm, which for some reason are planting a reed bed right across the footpath, they had laid down 2 metal girders for you to walk on which were a bit wobbly. As the early afternoon heat intensified we walked up hill towards Gwaylodyade looking over our shoulders to the gaze at the views.
We now did a bit of road walking to take us back over the A40 and onto our next footpath. In the field over from the footpath leading to Wonastow someone has built a fabulous tree house complete with drawbridge and slides. The fields below Wonastow were full of wheat with no footpath in site so we walked up the tractors tread with the ears of the wheat scratching our legs. The field led us into the farm and from here it is only a short walk to rejoin our path that we started out on.
It is a good walk, with good views.
Eight walkers set off from the community car park in Mitchell Troy to enjoy the surrounding countryside on a 9 mile hike. From the village the group followed a bridleway over the A40 and on into our first field of the day. High on the farthest hill to the east we could see the Kymin and between Monmouth and us were three painted trees - white, red & blue. Why I have no idea - its art one of the group said.
Walking through our first field, which had recently been cut for hay, with the huge rolled bails awaiting the farmer to load onto his trailer, they make interesting foregrounds for landscape photography. We were even more fortunate that the next field had been cut as it had been growing oil seed rape. It was bad enough with the stumps of the crop left to brush against your ankles never mind how hard it was when the walk leader checked out the walk and the crop hadn't been harvested.
The next few fields were uneventful until we came to the field with maize growing in it. The official footpath runs directly through the middle of the maize field and there was no sign of it. The only thing to do was to walk the around the edge of the field which was still not easy as the maize was standing at over 8ft tall and between that and the hedge were thistles, nettles and bindweed(?). Well we all made it with a few scratches and stings from the nettles.
The target now was to reach Kings Wood to join the Offa's Dyke long distance footpath. To do this we had our first serious climb of the day - well are only serious climb of the day. We stopped just below the entrance to Kings Wood for a drink and to admire the views to the west - Brecon Beacons and the Black Mountains.
After walking though the wood we left the Offa's Dyke path and made our way down to the valley floor to cross the River Trothy. Where we would walk near it on our way to Dingestow and lunch. We had lunch in the churchyard and read about the privileged families (Bosanquets) of the old village.
Leaving Dingestow via the road underneath the A40 we crossed into a well looked after farm, which for some reason are planting a reed bed right across the footpath, they had laid down 2 metal girders for you to walk on which were a bit wobbly. As the early afternoon heat intensified we walked up hill towards Gwaylodyade looking over our shoulders to the gaze at the views.
We now did a bit of road walking to take us back over the A40 and onto our next footpath. In the field over from the footpath leading to Wonastow someone has built a fabulous tree house complete with drawbridge and slides. The fields below Wonastow were full of wheat with no footpath in site so we walked up the tractors tread with the ears of the wheat scratching our legs. The field led us into the farm and from here it is only a short walk to rejoin our path that we started out on.
It is a good walk, with good views.
posted by rwr at
10:14 pm
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