Baskerville Hall to The Hay Book Festival via Glasbury
Hay-on-Wye
Wales
Distance 22.8km Climb 390m
Tuesday 29 May 2018
As an alternative to yesterday's walk I decided today I would walk to The Hay Book Festival via the other bridge across the Wye at Glasbury.
Leaving Anne and David at the Baskerville Hall Hotel campsite, we arranged to meet up later at the Festival Site. However due to few things on the way, timings slipped a little. As you will see if you read on.
I left the campsite passing the front of the House.
I must add a NOTE here. Just before I posted this walk I was checking it out when I noticed in this photo a sentinel bird. On the Thursday following this walk I was fortunate to obtain a ticket to join Tristan Gooley on his walking event as part of the Hay Book Festival. A sentinel bird was just one of the many interesting features Tristan pointed out in just a short time. Just to point out, it is not the carved bird on the right but what looks like a crow at the very top of the tree. If you would like more information on Tristan, The Natural Navigator then please follow the link.
Walking around the House and up the steps I had walked with Anne yesterday into the edge of Cwmsirhwy Wood. Not a squirrel was in sight today. Instead of turning left in the Wood as we had yesterday, today I walked further up the rise slightly to the right and found the headstones for the Hounds of the House. These were dated over a number of years from what looks like 1898 to one marked 2007.
Leaving the headstones I continued uphill westwards.
I was heading for the far western corner of the wood where my map shows I would find a footpath. It took me longer than I thought, crashing through the trees, up and down, slipping, sliding. Eventually I found the fence near Cwm-Sirhy.
It was very warm, but the sky was overcast as it had been the previous few days and the threat of rain was never very far away.
Once over the fence it took me a little while to join the footpath I was looking for. I was now heading towards a farm called Hendom.
I had my route planned before leaving the tent, but when I was out on the ground I had a little dither. Should I stick to my plan or change the route, more time wasted. I made the decision to stick with my plan and turned right, north west up the road before turning left, south west onto a footpath that ran beside hedgerows on the edge of fields, across fields to Pen-y-lan.
I should say in many places the footpath signs did not exist, so at times I was unsure if I was on a correct footpath.
From Pen-y-lan I continued west by a hedge into a field that ran downhill. It was very painful walking across this field. It was full of nettles, thistles, bracken and dog roses all about waist height. I had came out wearing shorts, I could not go on I had to leave the field. I made my way to cross a style on the north edge. Walking outside along the northern edge of the field I crossed back into it further down the hill near a stream.
Across the stream, the place where a fence crossing should have been was now a new fence and the post showing it as a footpath was lying on the ground. So I jumped the fence. I was starting to get the idea walkers were not welcome.
After a short rise I started to head towards Dolybongham, again no footpath signs. My map shows the footpath runs to the south of the building so that was were I headed.
Passed the buildings I saw a footpath sign. I crossed the style and turned left onto a narrow road that headed south westerly.
At the T junction at the end of the road I turned right, passing Moity Farm.
A little further up the road I saw this interesting little building. It is the New Zion Chapel for Primitive Methodists.
A little passed the Chapel I took the footpath on my left. Can you spot the footpath sign?
This led to a narrow stream.
The footbridge had moved slightly down stream. Across the stream a little further right than where the end of the footbridge is, there was a style into a field. I was now heading towards Gaer.
The footpath leads into the north of the farm. Turning left, south down a road passed the buildings a footpath sign and style on my right led me into another field. Walking slightly down hill, I disturbed what may have been a red kite. It swooped low to the ground and up into the trees that were down to my left. It was much too fast for me to take a picture, and it was too fast for me to try and identify it properly.
After crossing more fields the footpath turns left towards the wood, then drops downhill round the end of the wood. The footpath continues over a narrow footbridge before climbing away from the wood.
From the top of the rise I could see Ffynnon Gynydd in front of me. Only a couple of fields to cross! only a couple of fields with cows in them to cross. Curious cows don't normally bother me but these seemed to be a little more on edge.
I got across the first field, the cows there just stood and looked at me. As I entered the second field the cows there came charging towards me as I started crossing the field. They did not look inquisitive, they looked angry and upset. So rather than go on I back tracked to the hedge and keeping an eye on the cows I followed the hedge around the south end of the field. Fortunately they did not follow me.
Safely on the other side and out of the field I turned left onto the road and walked to the junction. It was time to check my phone for Geocaches. One was very close to the Walter Fenwick de Winton memorial.
Crossing the road and following a footpath sign over a style I was now heading south on a grass path across Ffynnon Gynydd Common. On my way across the common I picked up another Geocache.
The views were spectacular from here, still misty on the hills in the distance. Another Geocache near here.
I continued down hill south onto the road and picked up another Geocache. As the road reached the junction I collected yet another Geocache. Some very good caches.
I turned left at the junction turning south east. After a few meters I passed All Saints Church, this was the B4350.
The B4350 led me into Glasbury. On the War Memorial I saw the name Walter de Winton. I have had a quick look on the Google I suspect he may be related in someway to Walter Fenwick de Winton who's memorial I passed earlier, but unfortunately I could not find a connection.
I picked up my last Geocache of the day near Glasbury Bridge before crossing over to the south.
Over the bridge I was now pushed for time, so there was no time to waste. No easy or pleasant way to go so I just walked along the busy B4350 heading east as fast as I could.
I was tricky and slow as I was stopping every few meters to stand into the hedge as cars flew passed. Not to worry all done now.
I reached the entrance of the Hay Book Festival, late.
I found out Anne and David had walked into Hay, so I followed and we eventually met up. After a short break for refreshments we headed back to the Festival site and a talk we had tickets for. On arrival at the Festival site we had one of the famous ice-creams.
Even though my legs were stinging due to nettles, thistles and dog roses. I had covered 22.8km with a 390m climb. Found 6 out of 6 Geocaches. The rain that had threaten for part of the day had cleared, and it had been a good day for walking.
After the talk we took the bus back to Baskerville Hall Hotel campsite, where we almost ran down the road to the bar and I think was a well deserved drink.
More to follow
Boz North
Details correct at time of walking.
If you have enjoyed reading my walk or found it useful you may also like to read other walks I have done in Wales or other areas. Please check out the links on the right hand side.
Follow link to my previous walk Baskerville Hall to The Hay Book Festival 28 May 2018.
Follow link to my next walk Baskerville Hall to The Roundabout, The Begwns 1 June 2018
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