Longtown - Offas Dyke
Seven walkers set out from the village hall car park on an 11 mile walk around Longtown, taking in part of the Offas Dyke long distance footpath high up on the nearest mountain, and returning to Longtown on part of the Monnow Valley Walk.
The day was overcast and it was trying to rain as we left the car park and headed downhill towards the Olchon Brook which we crossed before we started on our uphill climb to the Offa's Dyke path 400 metres above us. We had a mixture of stiles to cross including a lovely old stone one that an old oak tree trunk had partly grown around. We slowly made our way up, stopping to look at the views on the other side of the valley behind Longtown. We could just about make out Longtown Castle hidden amongst trees and we could see the marquees that had been put up for the Longtown Show, which had happened on Saturday. Luckily for us the village hall was open, as they were putting away the table they had taken for the show, which meant that we were able to use the facilities before starting our walk.
We caught our breath back and had our morning break just below the bracken line with about another 120 metres of ascent to go and to reach the top, along which the Offa's Dyke path runs. On restarting we also had a break from going uphill as we were walking along the contour of the mountain. At the junction with another footpath that had come up hill to join our path we started to climb again. This was a steeper climb and we all took it at our own pace, with all of us stopping to look around us, watching the house martins catching flies. At the top we stopped to admire the view and some of us also took the chance to put a layer of clothing on, as the wind was quite strong and cold. Those of us who had walked an adjacent ridge last week were pointing out to the rest of the group hills where they had walked, also naming the mountains we could see in the distance - Sugar Loaf, Skirrid and the Brecon Beacon range. The heather is flowering and the hills were covered in patches of pink. The path now led us to Hatterrall Hill where we could see a group of wild horses, several of them looked as if they were in foal. As we came around Hatterall Hill we could see Cmwyoy and the spilt where part of the hill slide from away several hundred years ago.
The group now made its way back down from the ridge into the same valley from which they had come, through the bracken which as we went further down the higher and denser it became around us. In the end it was over our heads and we needed to keep together so that we wouldn't lose anyone. Soon we were back into field systems, unfortunately the rain started, we tried to hold off putting our jackets on as we hoped it would blow over. It didn't and we all eventually put out waterproof jackets on, but surprise, surprise no sooner had we done so than the rain stopped although the skies still looked as if it would rain. As we made our way to Oldcastle Court the group were getting restless for their lunch but I wanted to find the path that would avoid us do so much road walking later. Unfortunately the waymarking in this area is not very good and the path disappeared on us, the rest of the group were still asking when was lunch so we stopped in a recently harvested field on the footpath. After lunch I showed them the path we would have taken had a there been a footbridge crossing the river Monnow instead of the half built bridge that is there now. The other sections of the bridge are just left laying on the ground becoming covered in nettles and brambles. This meant a 3 mile diversion along roads to get back onto the original footpath.
Near Walterstone we took the well-marked Monnow Valley footpath that would take us to the village of Clodock. On the way to Clodock we were able to see the route we had taken in the morning. I spotted a dragonfly land in a hedge and I was able to take some photographs of it. It was green with translucent wings that had an orange square on the leading edge of each wing.
At Clodock we walked between the church and the river, the impressive church is covered in scaffolding with a large boarded up hole on one side of it. As we left the village to walk in the fields by the river, swallows were flying low over the fields. We now left the river Monnow and followed the Olchon Brook back to Longtown.
The day was overcast and it was trying to rain as we left the car park and headed downhill towards the Olchon Brook which we crossed before we started on our uphill climb to the Offa's Dyke path 400 metres above us. We had a mixture of stiles to cross including a lovely old stone one that an old oak tree trunk had partly grown around. We slowly made our way up, stopping to look at the views on the other side of the valley behind Longtown. We could just about make out Longtown Castle hidden amongst trees and we could see the marquees that had been put up for the Longtown Show, which had happened on Saturday. Luckily for us the village hall was open, as they were putting away the table they had taken for the show, which meant that we were able to use the facilities before starting our walk.
We caught our breath back and had our morning break just below the bracken line with about another 120 metres of ascent to go and to reach the top, along which the Offa's Dyke path runs. On restarting we also had a break from going uphill as we were walking along the contour of the mountain. At the junction with another footpath that had come up hill to join our path we started to climb again. This was a steeper climb and we all took it at our own pace, with all of us stopping to look around us, watching the house martins catching flies. At the top we stopped to admire the view and some of us also took the chance to put a layer of clothing on, as the wind was quite strong and cold. Those of us who had walked an adjacent ridge last week were pointing out to the rest of the group hills where they had walked, also naming the mountains we could see in the distance - Sugar Loaf, Skirrid and the Brecon Beacon range. The heather is flowering and the hills were covered in patches of pink. The path now led us to Hatterrall Hill where we could see a group of wild horses, several of them looked as if they were in foal. As we came around Hatterall Hill we could see Cmwyoy and the spilt where part of the hill slide from away several hundred years ago.
The group now made its way back down from the ridge into the same valley from which they had come, through the bracken which as we went further down the higher and denser it became around us. In the end it was over our heads and we needed to keep together so that we wouldn't lose anyone. Soon we were back into field systems, unfortunately the rain started, we tried to hold off putting our jackets on as we hoped it would blow over. It didn't and we all eventually put out waterproof jackets on, but surprise, surprise no sooner had we done so than the rain stopped although the skies still looked as if it would rain. As we made our way to Oldcastle Court the group were getting restless for their lunch but I wanted to find the path that would avoid us do so much road walking later. Unfortunately the waymarking in this area is not very good and the path disappeared on us, the rest of the group were still asking when was lunch so we stopped in a recently harvested field on the footpath. After lunch I showed them the path we would have taken had a there been a footbridge crossing the river Monnow instead of the half built bridge that is there now. The other sections of the bridge are just left laying on the ground becoming covered in nettles and brambles. This meant a 3 mile diversion along roads to get back onto the original footpath.
Near Walterstone we took the well-marked Monnow Valley footpath that would take us to the village of Clodock. On the way to Clodock we were able to see the route we had taken in the morning. I spotted a dragonfly land in a hedge and I was able to take some photographs of it. It was green with translucent wings that had an orange square on the leading edge of each wing.At Clodock we walked between the church and the river, the impressive church is covered in scaffolding with a large boarded up hole on one side of it. As we left the village to walk in the fields by the river, swallows were flying low over the fields. We now left the river Monnow and followed the Olchon Brook back to Longtown.
posted by rwr at
11:25 pm
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