Baskerville Hall to The Hay Book Festival - Day 1
Hay-on-Wye
Wales
Distance approx. 6km Climb approx. 90m
Saturday 25 May 2019
I had wanted to do a long walk this year while we were at Hay-on-Wye for the World-famous Book Festival. Unfortunately, due to our agenda this year I would have to just satisfy myself with walking from the campsite to the Book Festival.
Again we were staying at the Baskerville Hall Hotel campsite, which we think is a gem.
This was going to be almost the same walk each day over the next seven days. I had thought about including them all as one post, however on reflection, I have decided that seven smaller posts may be better.
Today I was walking with my brother David. From the campsite we walked up to the Baskerville Hall Hotel. Check out the Hounds?
Walking round to the back of the Hotel we took the
steps up into Cwmsirhwy Wood. At the top of the steps I took David in the
direction of the Hounds graveyard, where the Hounds of the Baskervilles are buried. The
gravestones are a little overgrown today.
From the Hounds gravestones we turned back towards the Hotel and returned to the path where we turned right, and headed west, after a couple of rises over an overgrown area we were back on the tracks.
This area is used for motorcross, one of the many events ran at The Baskerville Hall Hotel, and you can see the bike tracks through the trees.
The ground was very dry and the air was warm. Even so there were a few large muddy puddles on our route. The tracks rise and fall before dropping down to cross a stream. On the other side we left the wood and joined a footpath that runs downhill across an open field. In the field we saw this large excavation, this wasn't here last year. David said it looked like someone had dug the ground ready for some foundations to be laid but I am not so sure.
The view was clear and we could see across the Wye Valley to the Festival site.
We followed the hedge line down hill south east. Passing these very old looking standing stones, I saw these on this walk last year. Are they very old boundary stones or something more? interesting.
On the way down the hill we passed a child's push bike. Reaching the bottom of the hill we now joined part of the Wye Valley Walk and crossed the A438. The Wye Valley Walk is a 136 mile walk from Chepstow to Plynlimon, part of which we walked when we were on our Offa's Dyke Path.
Across the road we walked by the edge of a ploughed field and reached the River Wye. Where we turned left and headed eastwards. The River Wye was on our right, we could see it occasionally through the bushes and high grass.
Last year this area was full of hundreds of beautiful blue coloured dragonflies. Today I did not see any, however later in the week I saw them, you can check them out, on a post for a walk later in the week.
Looking left across fields that could be corn we could see the Baskerville Hall Hotel amongst the trees. It was very peaceful and tranquil along here, so different to the busy Festival site and the bustling town.
Continuing around by the River we passed a small shed near where the views of the River opened up a little.
The path turns a little away from the River as it skirts around a house, looking across the River we could see a man standing in the water fishing.
Passed the house, the footpath joins a gravel road for a few hundred meters before turning right over a small footbridge.
Walking eastwards across the open field we reached the B4351. Where we turned right, south east and headed downhill towards Hay. The traffic was backed up quite a way back along the road. So different to later in the week.
Crossing the bridge, looking east along the River we could see the tents from another event that runs in Hay when the Book Festival is on.
Over the bridge we turned right onto the B4350 and headed south west through Hay. Turning left by the Clock Tower I had to call into a shop on High Town to collect a belated Anniversary present for Anne.
Present collected, we walked by the Hay Castle on Castle Street and returned to the B4350. Where we continued on our way to the Festival site.
It had been a nice little walk with David. We had walked approx. 6km with approx. 90m climb. I had wanted to do a longer walk, but as I said above, our agenda would not allow me to do this. I would have to satisfy myself with this or similar walks each day over the next seven days. I had thought about including them all as one post, however on reflection, I have decided that seven smaller posts may be better.
We had quite a few events to attend today, book signing and celebrity spotting Julia Donaldson and George Alagiah just to name drop. This is my walking write up for today. It was late in the afternoon when we returned to the Baskerville
Hall Hotel campsite, and as most days the bar.
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.
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