A romp along the Offa’s Dyke Path on the top of  Hatterall Ridge on a lovely autumn day

Date walked:  17th November 2017

Distance: around  11 miles

Map used: OS Explorer OL 13 – Brecon Beacons National Park

Guide used: Offa’s Dyke Path by Mike Dunn. Published by Cicerone  in 2016

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Anne had again offered me back-up for this afternoons walk, so my plan was to leave my car at Pandy and for Anne to pick me up at Llanthony Priory – a place well-known to us and with only one road going through the valley;there could be no question of us not finding each other.

It was about half-past one when I parked up at Pandy; sunny but cool, it had the makings of a very pleasant afternoon. A finger-post directed me away from the A465 across a field, bringing me to The Monnow River.

From there I climbed a bank to reach the railway line. Pause for train to pass.

The path joins a small road passed a property called Treveddw – intriguing, my lane is called The Veddw! A dog rushed out to challenge me, which I hate. I was preparing to defend myself but it sloped off without further ado.

The path leaves the road and crosses a field, climbing quite steeply towards a phone mast…..

…. and then picks up the road again, still climbing, reaching a rather pretty Arts and Crafts House where there was a lovely view over the Honddu Valley towards Forest Coal Pit.

Staying on the road, I “helloed” a field of resting sheep…..

They completely ignored me

… and cursed a BT Openreach Van that had been parked in this remote spot as an act of extreme provocation.

I managed to restrain my desire to accost the driver and demand to know why we do not have Superfast in a far less remote location.

The views continued to change but always to please.

View to the Skirrid.

The road became more of a track and I had my first people-sighting of the day.

They were very shy

Still climbing, but gently, I passed the home of the writer Anthony Woodward . We know him slightly and have been to supper once. Nice chap. He does not have a garden but on the back of his fantasy that he does, he wrote the book The Garden in the Clouds. He used to open for the National Gardens Scheme before it was realised that there wasn’t a garden there.

Garden or no, I think it is rather fun that he has put a poem on his barn.

From here there was another fab view ….

That’s the Skirrid again top right.

…. and it was just  half a mile to reach a Trig Point at  1522 feet. (The Beacons way also merges with the Offa’s Dyke Path around here)

I made a rather poor attempt at a selfie.

Well, at least you can see my tummy

This is the southernmost part of the Hatterall Ridge – the most easterly ridge of the Black Mountains.  

And being a ridge, it means that there was not too much more uphill to do.

The next few miles were punctuated by occasional sandstone marker stones.

Above Oldcastle the ridge is relatively narrow and there was hazy view to the little hamlet.

Anne and I once made love in that churchyard.

It felt wonderfully remote up there.

Only one other small group and an individual passed by me…

… and I saw a couple of grazing wild horses.

There were several possible routes down to Llanthony. The Beacons Way takes the first but I walked on to another Trig Point at 1,817 feet.

I carried on for another couple of miles, passing a small cairn before taking the last marked path down to the Abbey.

At first the track descended relatively gently, but steepened after a bit.

It was getting a little chilly but I was blessed with some lovely light as I picked my way down the hill, poles in hands.

Towards the bottom I finally lost the sun.

By now it was flattening out and I had an easy finish, passing by one of the many ruined buildings in this valley,…

… and through a field with several dead trees.

The ruins of the Priory….

… are right next to  The Priory Hotel.  (I could do without the soundtrack on their website) . I can vouch for the food and drink in their cellar bar and friends have stayed there and were happy with the accommodation so I recommend it to you.

I was about 20 minutes early. IF I could have reached Anne I would have snuck into the cellar but I couldn’t so I didn’t. The road from Llanvihangel Crucorney to Hay is one of my favourite drives in the country and is generally very quiet, so it was no hardship to take a slower look at the familiar territory until Anne appeared. That was a Fish and Chip night. They’re the best.