Returning to Offa’s Dyke after a two year absence, a pleasant 6 mile hike From Forden over Beacon Hill near Welshpool
Date walked: 17th August 2021
Distance: about 6 miles
Maps used: OS Explorer 216 (Welshpool and Montgomery).
Guide used: Walking Offa’s Dyke Path by Mike Dunn published by Cicerone in 2016
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HAPPY NEW YEAR!
This isn’t the most exciting post I’ve done so to add to its entertainment value I’ve allowed Anne to be rude about me. See blue text
On 11th June 2019, damp and bedraggled, I had abandoned the path at Forden, declaring in the post that I subsequently published in January 2020 that I would pick the route up another day. I hadn’t thought that it would be more than two years before I would be back but then I hadn’t anticipated the Covid 19 pandemic either, which largely explains why it had taken me so long to be able to make plans.
Now I had a plan. Combining staying in pubs and hotels with a few nights camping I would complete the path from here over 6 days. So on a fine if cloudy day and with accommodations confirmed and my return train tickets booked from Prestatyn, I was looking forward to the challenge and the adventure. On my back would be my largest rucksack containing tent, sleeping bag, a change of clothes. stove and gubbins and more chargers and back up batteries than you could shake a stick at (why would you want to?). Total weight 10.8 kilogrammes or about 24 pounds in old money. Manageable, I thought.
I was going to leave my car somewhere in Forden; this caused my Mother some anxiety as she imagined it being towed away in my prolonged absence. I gently pointed out that I had done this several times when I had walked the Wales Coast Path, though as I cruised Fordens back streets nowhere seemed quite right until I found a large layby at the edge of the village and only 100 yards from the path. Perfect.
Huh, don’t know about laying this anxiety about your car on your Mum – you’re the guy who won’t leave the car on the top road when it snows, so that we end up having to clear the whole lane in order to get out. And why?? Because you don’t like leaving the car out on the road. (in case it feels lonely?)
Not impressed by your parking….or was the car trying to run away??
I wasn’t overly impressed that the first gate that I came across was padlocked, necessitating clambering over. (In fact I appear to have been unobservant as you will see from the rather angry comment below. So I would recommend checking very carefully for the correct path and please don’t climb over any locked gates).
The variety of gates one encounters in country walking is endlessly fascinating; I’m sure that someone would commission a book on the subject if I assembled all my gate pics. The next was straightforward and waymarked…..
Weird, isn’t it? They must reckon that they’ll have put most people off with the lock, so they can afford to let the rest of you in.
… and the one after that was adorned with a sign from the landowner. These are the best, and for my money the more rude/dictatorial/desperate the better.
Chatty.
Having skirted the village the path takes a minor road (described on the map as Roman) climbing quite steeply for half a mile before turning off into a woodland.
Wide forestry tracks are my favourite surface to walk on in woodland as you can march along without thinking about where you are putting your feet and study the surrounding flora and fauna. Here there wasn’t that much to see (I bet if you knew the slightest thing about flora and fauna there’d be lots to see!) but the remains of the dyke itself were quite prominent on my right.
This land belongs to the Leighton Estate . The Guide describes this as “one of the most extraordinary high-Victorian country estates in Britain” and the link on the name gives its story. From the ground, at least from the path, there are only remnants of its uniqueness. (like what?)
A walled bridge might suggest that this track had carried heavier traffic in the past….Yawn…..this begins to sound desperate.
…. and a tall vertical wall is almost certainly the dam for a lake – once known as Offa’s Pool- that once fed a hydro-electric scheme. Exciting!!!!
What are the red blobs, then???
The path passes an algae-coated pond….
…… and then leaves the wide track in favour of a narrow path that climbs out of the woodland into rough pasture where I snapped a buzzard preoccupied by something in the grass.
Is it a stick or a snake? I think we should be told – you must be able to make the pic clear enough to be able to tell? Is the buzzard going blind??
The ownership of the land would be in no doubt by those passing the rather ostentatious but for my money very pleasing insignia welded into a metal gate.
Yawn.
Climbing still, the path briefly joins a little lane before turning off to right at Pant-y-bwch farm and then climbs even more steeply by a small woodland called Phillip’s Gorse to emerge within sight of Beacon Ring – at 1338 feet the highest point of the day’s walk. Huzzah.
Needless to say, the Beacon was the site of a Bronze Age Hillfort. Why needless?? They are important archaeological sites. At least as interesting as beacons. The Guide says that it was used as a beacon site from the C17th and was one of the 60 or so locations of beacons lit to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887.The trees were apparently planted in 1953 to mark the coronation of Elizabeth II. A more recent celebration, as marked on a gatepost, is the 50th anniversary of the creation of the Offa’s Dyke Path.
The very poor quality of the picture precludes me from showing that there was a little booth at the beacon where, should you have one, you could stamp your Offa’s Dyke passport. I hadn’t cottoned onto this passport thing so I just stamped my guide instead. Little things, eh? And you got your I-Spy book of Gate Posts stamped? Thinking about it since I am not in favour of the whole passport business- it seems an unnecessary nonsense that simply adds clutter to the path. I hope it doesn’t catch on.
The path skirts the beacon, its ditch containing an impressive colony of Rosebay Willow Herb.
He knows SOME flora!!!
From here the path makes an almost continuous descent to the floodplain of the River Severn with little to report on.
Well, there were sheep, of course….
We, like sheep…. (remember?) yep.
… and cows….
… and a rather fun and pointless stile cum seat which, if you look closely, you might see that it has carved into it part of the Mother Goose attributed “Crooked Mile” Nursery Rhyme.
Sorry, I doubt you can read this
You could add the rhyme – it doesn’t take up much space:
“There was a crooked man, and he walked a crooked mile,
He found a crooked sixpence against a crooked stile;
He bought a crooked cat which caught a crooked mouse,
And they all lived together in a little crooked house.”
Happy memories there.
Buttington has little to remark on save for the fact that its Green Dragon Pub has a (very basic) campsite. Wedged between the A458 and the railway line its also very noisy and at £12 a night a bit pricey for what it offers. Except that the pub offers good basic pub food and a decent pint, so I am not complaining. You were!
It had been a very long time since I had erected my very small but very light Terra Nova Laser tent and I have to admit that I made a complete hash of it at first, taking half an hour of adjustments until I was convinced it would stand the night.
There followed a convivial evening where I met a very pleasant solicitor who was the other occupant in the field and who was also “doing” the dyke and the landlord, who also happens to own the shop in Montgomery where my Mum gets her papers. Small world eh? Altogether amazing.
Welcome to new subscribers W. David and TG. If you enjoyed this post, or didn’t or have something fascinating/banal to say about it, do please make a comment below. It’s just nice to hear from you. And if you would like to be notified when the next post is published please put your email into the Subscribe box on the right of this; I promise that it will not be passed on to anyone else.
A nice way to welcome. In the New Year with a prophecy of five more posts to come. You might consider a little series of books. Like “Gates of Wales”, “Coastal Caravan Parks of Wales”. Just not a “Views Over the Cliffs of Wales” please.
Might all the padlocks be a response to idiots who leave the gates open? As you’ve often noted, the gates are usually climbable. No worse than stiles.
I hope the garden gnome will return the favour and let you contribute to her next post. ? Why didn’t she make herself useful and let you know your link to the Green Dragon appears to be broken?
Happy New Year to you both.
A nice way to welcome. In the New Year with a prophecy of five more posts to come. You might consider a little series of books. Like “Gates of Wales”, “Coastal Caravan Parks of Wales”. Just not a “Views Over the Cliffs of Wales” please.
Might all the padlocks be a response to idiots who leave the gates open? As you’ve often noted, the gates are usually climbable. No worse than stiles.
I hope the garden gnome will return the favour and let you contribute to her next post. ? Why didn’t she make herself useful and let you know your link to the Green Dragon appears to be broken?
Happy New Year to you both.
Ahem, yes well you’ll have to see if my prophecy is fulfilled…. Don’t get me going about the caravan parks – I’d just about got over them. You know I very seldom find any gates left open that shouldn’t have been. But they are harder than stiles to cross for a man of my tender years. I’m frequently popping up in Anne’s pieces that she writes for Garden Rant -usually with an unflattering picture of me. Sorry about that link. I shall repair it forthwith.
Thank you for this very interesting post and the many lovely photos that somehow managed to cheer me up a bit as we enter the year 2022. Another reason I find this post particularly interesting is due to my interests in tent camping. It has been my wish to return to UK for a camping adventure which I had to postpone many times due to the present or hopefully soon to be a past world problems. Hopefully, 2022 will be the year I would get to plan my travels without worries or disruption.
Happy New Year!
Hi Wendy. Yes, a thought that I’m sure that we can all support! I do hope that you can get over here to enjoy some camping alongside some of or wonderful paths in Wales.
Hilarious interjections! What a great addition. X
Glad you approve- I’ll keep her in reserve for the duller walks.
Hello Charles – most interesting; thank you!
Following this with interest as I also hiked Offa’s Dyke back in 2004. Got “mildly disorientated” on this stretch.
Quoting from my diary: “Out with the torch – not working! Great. Under a streetlamp – what’s it say in my book? “Walk on verge of A458 – no pavement.” Great. In the dark. Tired out. Numb knees. Hungry. Busy road. Smelly feet. No torch. When this jibbering wreck eventually crawled into the oasis (Green Dragon) at Buttington, the barman went straight for the Worthington E.”
And thus saved my life!
Regards from Germany,
Colin
Hi Colin . What a great story. Would love you to add more of your diary notes for my future posts. I guess you must have walked rather further than me if you were walking in the dark. And I could see that even a pint as ordinary as Worthington E could taste good after that.
Firstly Happy New Year and happy walking.
I’ve always enjoyed Anne’s comments, correcting factual inaccuracies and, if not popping balloons, at least releasing a little air: so this was a bumper edition.
You don’t have to worry about a post not being very exciting, Walks can be like that: sometimes the senses are assailed and sometimes, like on a main road section of the Wales Coastal Path, and there are a few, you have search interest out. The main thing is that you are taking us for a walk.
My frivolous response to your last post was followed by a considered and thoughtful one, which you applauded: I remain chastened!
I have to ask you about caravans: is it a location thing or far more than than?
I have to say that for a coastal path walker they can be very handy. Out of season, and more importantly outside school holiday periods, you can get a pretty new 2 bedroom caravan for little over £100 for 4 mid week nights. And if you’re knackered after a long day’s walking there is usually a clubhouse which serves a pretty standard but sufficient menu and one, usually only one, draught beer. I won’t try an emoji as the Father Christmas I concluded with last time turned into two question marks!
Thanks for the greeting. Glad you like Anne’s farts. I’ll keep them by for future dull walks. You’ll get no chastening or censorship here though am quite prepared for an occasional argument. Caravan parks. Well in my opinion much of the landscape quality of the Welsh Coast has been severely damaged by them. So huge and intrusive. So it’s about the conflict between the amenity of a cheap place to stay in a nice location and the amenity of unspoiled landscape and scenery. Could get us into a big debate about holiday homes and housing pressure in general. For similar reasons I dislike conversions to houses of barns in the open countryside.
I’m with you on caravan parks.
Barn conversions is an interesting one: I suppose I’ve seen them as saving something and recycling, but why do they usually have extravagant entrances, flamboyant driveways and outside parking occupied by five cars.?
Why? Because it’s inevitable. Isolated barns would have had no significant track leading to and from them but a car requires a drive. And they are never just conversions as they will always either get extended or will get additional outbuildings and all the other domestic trimmings. And electric light of course so they introduce light at night into the otherwise dark landscape.
Hi Charles,
Interesting to read about your thoughts on caravan parks.
I noted many of the caravan parks in UK are too big and available only for short term stays.
Perhaps, a smaller less intrusive caravan park with well designed facilities could be converted into affordable retirement homes for some of us who wish to live long term in a caravan.
Hi Wendy. Caravan parks as affordable retirement homes. Well I can see that, being compact, they would be easy to look after but what’s the attraction of living long term in a caravan?
Good question. I was thinking alone the line of a small affordable retirement park with lots of trees and gardens, with the options of outdoor or indoor activities and with extended facilities such as a camping facilities for family/visitors, small healthcare/nursing care facility, small cafe, meal delivery service, laundrette, small community centre, library, etc that cater for older people who wish to live independently or with the option of assisted nursing care in their own private caravan lot and yet be part of a small secure likeminded community that shares similar interests. I would think this would be a better option compared to living in a nursing/residential home which tend to lack open green space.
Hi Charles
Have enjoyed reading your Offas Dyke Blogs.
Myself I have walked the path in sections from Chepstow and have so far reached Pandy. I should point out that it has so far taken me about ten years to find the time to do it because of work and family commitments. I live in Nailsea Nr Bristol and have done each section by parking up and then walking to a convenient road junction and then re tracing my steps back to where I left the car. For me it is always a problem to find a find a sensible place to leave the car and always spend part of the days walk wondering if it will still be in one piece on my return.
My next leg from Pandy will be a bit more challenging for a day walk I fear
Regards
Simon Thompson
Hi Simon. Chepstow to Pandy in 10 years is slow going even by my standards. It does sound a bit of a drag doing it your way (I hate retracing my steps). I can relate to that car anxiety; I used to reassure myself that none would want to steal a car worth so little. I really think that you need a friend at this point to walk with and do the two car thing. If you have no friends you could put a message up on the Offas Dyke Facebook page saying that you would like a walking companion and saying what great company you are. Promise that you don’t tell jokes, though. Unless you are so funny that you do stand up. But I think there must come a time when you just do several days, stay in pubs and see it to the end. I’ve spent this wet day writing up the walk to where I have got to (Chirk Gate). Stick with it.
Hi Charles
Thanks for your response. You are probably right about getting in a walking companion though I have taken the dog on a few legs. Most of my walking friends have decided to give up long distance walking after we completed the South West Coast Path, which we did in week long stretches over five years ( Bit of a theme going here).
Have considered buying an old bike and hiding it in a hedge somewhere at the end of the walk to get back to the car however the thought of staying in a pub sounds much more appealing. Maybe find some dog friendly ones.
Don’t mind the return legs as I usually check the map and find alternative routes back to the car and use a bit of road walking to cut out some less interesting stretches.
Keep up the good work and I look forward to your next blog. I’m off to do a bit off walking in the Peak District next week when I take my daughter back to Uni in Manchester. Hopefully it will have stopped raining by then…
Kind Regards Simon
Hi Simon. I did several days on the SW coast path many years ago and it was tough. Did it kill your friends enthusiasm for “through” walking? I love the Peak District. We nearly went to live there several decades ago. Just didn’t find what we were after. My best friends daughters live in Manchester! Hope the weather is good for you.
Hi Charles. Yes parts of the SWCP can be tuff going especially carrying a Large Backpack with a weeks worth clothing on board. Didn’t entirely kill off enthusiasm amongst my friends who are all younger than me for more walking as we did the Northumbrian Way a few years after which Is beautiful and highly recommended not to mention mostly flat and beer prices are a lot cheaper than down south. Think it’s more of an age thing. Creaking joints etc.
Had a great days walking in the Peaks. Stayed at the YMCA in Hartington and did a circular walk from there into Beresford Dale and followed the River Dove upto Dalehead. I can see why you would like to have moved there, very relaxing after the horrors of the M6 the day before which made me miss the walk I had planned for the Sunday afternoon at Bollington. Now Planning my next leg of Offas Dyke. Regards Simon
Hi Simon. Have you read ” The Salt Path” by Raynor Winn? I just have and really enjoyed it. She and her partner did it in a small tent, inadequate sleeping bags and very little money. And it changed their lives! I must look at the Northumbrian Way as I love that county. Glad you had a good time in the Peaks.
Hi Charles. Yes I have indeed. I was given it during the 1st Lockdown. Great Read and very poignant in parts. I was reminded of the climb out of Minehead at the start of the walk and felt their pain. My all time favourite walking book however is still A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson. There are some other great books about the AT that I found on line as well. Would love to spend a couple of weeks doing a few sections not sure if that will ever happen but who knows.
Regards Simon
Hi Simon. I’ve not read “A Walk in the Woods”; I’ll put it on my list – thanks for the suggestion. Years and years ago I had a friend from North Carolina and we walked a day or two on the Appalachian Trail. Yes, it would be great to do but then there’s so much fabulous walking closer to home that I doubt that I’ll get there either.
I see from your pictures and the coments you have made about our locked gate near the offas dyke path in the village of forden, you really should have done you homework on this matter before posting this comment. The gate you were seen climbing over is private property, And is locked for a reason. The correct gate is to the right hand side of the hedge and is clearly maked with a finger post for offas Dyke. We are now experiencing vandalism and damage to our gate (which is a direct result of people climbing gate) , our signage and property. which is clearly a vehicular access to our property. And we believe maybe the result of people reading your post. We find it hard to believe that someone standing on the A490 looking at a 15ft locked farm gate and small gate clearly maked foot path could not differentiate between the two. For 3 generations of my family owning this land there has never been any issues with walker’s using the correct path which goes through our land untill recently. We expect you to correct your incorrect post and a full apology.
We strongly recommend if are going to continue to post these sort of comments you get your facts right as your comments can have a detrimental affect on othr people’s lives.
Always happy to accept comments however rude. Thank you for correcting my mistake and I’m sorry to hear that you are experiencing these problems. It seems most unlikely that these will have anything to do with anyone reading this post. And if I am right then contrary to what you say, I suggest that others may also not have seen the correct path to use. And yet you say that in three generations you have not had any problems with people finding the correct path. Its all a bit confusing. Anyway I will amend the text of the post as requested.
Have to agree with you Charles. Much as i rate your blogs i cant imagine hoards of your followers descending on this ladies gate. Seems to me she should consider putting up a sign directing people in the right direction if its causing so much bother.
I often find footpath signs are hidden or not seen if approaching from a different direction. On longer walks sometimes you have to take the way ahead even if it does seem the wrong option.
Looking forward to your next posting.
Simon Thompson
Nailsea