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Day 16 Monday. I was up before 7 on yet another smiling morning after quite a good night's sleep and was glad to use the shared washing facilities before anyone else was up. I started to pack my stuff away when Yo appeared with Vicky the dog to tell me that breakfast was at 8am. We decided that the wet tent would have to be bundled into the boot of her car and it could then be dried out that evening: she was going on to see friends with whom we would be staying for a couple of nights. Yolanda has taken on the role of supporting our expedition and has been absolutely amazing ferrying us around and organising us. Nothing is too much trouble and she always tries to think ahead. Normally I just get on with what I have and make do, but she makes sure everything is worked out in advance and keeps everything running smoothly. She will be helping in the background until Wednesday this week, then is joining us again for the last 2 weeks in Scotland.
So on another sparkling morning, John and I set off up the road following the Offa's Dyke path signs, climbing up to a large wood on a hill - our first of several climbs that day. We were soon walking in fields and little woods alongside the River Trothy who's course we would more or less follow for over 10 miles. It was lovely pastoral countryside with lots of fine views over hills and valleys and towards the Black Mountains where we were headed. Our original target was Pandy, but as we had no packs and the weather was good, we thought we might go further. The way was never level, so there was some work to do but the great thing was that the Offa's Dyke path is very well marked and new gates had replaced stiles courtesy of Monmouth County Council. In fact all of the paths looked very well marked and and set up and we encountered no problems across the farms. Most of the farms had sheep, cattle or horses and wiith springtime, there were lot of young livestock: innumerable lambs of course but also a number of foals, some very young and looking like their legs are too long to be manageable. We crossed some cider orchards, but few crops in this hilly country.
The cold morning air warmed with the bright sunshine and as the day wore on, we needed to fill our water bottles more than once. We crossed and recrossed the Trothy, passing the site of the Grace Dieu monastry of which nothing remains apart from the field and farm names. Much more significant was the White Castle, in a commanding position high above the valleys which must have been quite a large fort in its day. A substantial portion of the walls and round towers remain, looked after by Cadwr, the Welsh heritage agency. As we strolled down the long field below these battlements, I mused on what it must have been like to march to a place like this from distant parts, then be told to attack the walls with, running uphill with a spear and protected by a helmet.
We walked pretty solidly aiming for a pub at the pretty village of Llangatock Lingoed, which involved a final yomp up a very steep hill to the white painted church. We were very disappointed to find it closed, but sat on the benches and managed to fill our water bottles. It would have been a very nice place to stay had we arrived in the evening - we are finding a lot of accommodation along this route, which isn't the case on less well known paths and lanes.
After a few more hills and dales, we arrived at the main road through Pandy and decided that we felt fresh enough to continue to Llanthony in the middle of the Black Mountains. This would involve a 1,300 foot climb up to the top of the ridge, but we thought it quite managable without packs and in such good weather. The climb was mostly quite steady, rather than very steep, and as we broke out of farmland onto the open heath, a hang glider wheeled down and landed near us with a disgruntled pilot who said that the weather was too calm and he hadn't been able to get any proper lift that day. We quickly got to the trig point on the first summit, and it was an easy walk to the second. I have walked these hills in more normal weather, and the ground is normally boggy with lots of puddles and they are often cloudy and rainy. However, for us the conditions couldn't have been better,and the huge panoramas were enhanced by the golden early evening sun. At one point, a group of ponies wandered towards the path and crossed in front of us. they looked very relaxed and happy.
There followed a long descent to the valley which we had hoped to gain by 6pm, but the path was rocky and narrow, and it was 6.30 before we emerged from the woods above the ruined priiory and saw Yo and Vicky coming to meet us. Llanthony is a lovely ruin, part of which is an hotel, in a glorious situation. It has a bar but, to our extreme disappointment this was closed as was a pub a little further down on the road. We had walked that last few mountainous miles dreaming of sitting with our beer and enjoying the evening before heading onwards in the car.
We were both very tired after 23 miles and a lot of climbing, and were glad to arrive an hour later at Ray and Elsie's for a bath and dinner. We were not, however, very sociable and both collapsed into bed rather early.
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