Baskerville Hall to The Hay Book Festival - Day 3
Hay-on-Wye
Wales
Distance approx. 6km Climb approx. 90m
Monday 27 May 2019
As I said on Day 1, 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. This was going to be almost the same walk, over the 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.
Each time we come to Hay we stay at the Baskerville Hall Hotel campsite. Today I was walking my walk alone. Anne took the free shuttle bus. There had been a change in the weather from yesterday, today was very warm.
Behind the Hotel I took the steps up into Cwmsirhwy Wood and followed the path left and headed west. After a couple of rises I was on the forest track proper. There was still a few large muddy puddles on the path.
Sitting in the campsite earlier I could hear trail bikes running through the woods. While walking in the woods I did see one high up on one of the tracks.
Tall trees here.
The tracks rise and falls before dropping down to cross a stream.
On the other side of the stream I left the wood and joined the footpath that runs downhill passed the large excavation. Today I saw two crows chasing away a buzzard.
There was low cloud but the view was clear across the valley so I could see the Festival site. As previously I followed the hedge line down hill south east, passing the old standing stones.
Walking down the hill I could see loads of small blue flowers peeping through the grass. Then a little way down the hill the small blue flowers were replaced by small yellow flowers. I hadn't noticed these on my earlier walks. I did spot the child's push bike had been moved further down the hill near to the Wye Valley Walk. 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.
I crossed the road and walked by the edge of the ploughed field and turned left at the River Wye, and headed eastwards.
Between bushes and high grass I could see the River Wye on my right and across the fields to my left I could see the Baskerville Hall Hotel amongst the trees. Continuing around by the River the weather became changeable, at times I had to take my jacket off because it was very warm. Then the weather would turn a little cooler and I would have to put my jacket back on.
I noticed the stream bed below a small foot bridge was still dry despite all the rain we had had over the last few days.
The Hawthorn trees looked stunning.
Further along I saw two distinctive trees on a hill on the far side of the River. I called them the couple. You do see couples where one is tall and the other is squat.
I noticed a fresh mole hill in the middle of the track. A stump of a tree with a large hole all very interesting. No time to look further.
I could see a goose gliding up and down the River. It looked clockwork as it went up and down.
I reached the small shed and noticed that the painted Reading Rock had been replaced with another Reading Rock.
The views across the River opened up a little near here as it bends south.
On my left a field of rapeseed looked taller than it had on Day 1
As the River bends south, the path turns away from the River as it skirts around a house. Passed the house, the footpath joins a gravel road and turns north for a few hundred meters before turning right over a small footbridge.
Over the footbridge the path climbs a little up through the trees. Near the unnecessary stile the fallen log with a sign to take a seat also had a change of Reading Kindness Rock.
Climbing further up the hill, walking over the beech nut shells, the narrow path reaches the tall strong defensive walls around Wyecliff. Through a gap in the trees I could see back down the River. I heard a commotion on the water and the goose I had saw gliding on the water earlier in my walk now took to flight. Something had spooked it.
I passed through the gate at the top and entered the large field used as a campsite. Walking eastwards across the open field, leaving the campsite behind, I reached the B4351.
At the road I did a right turn, south east and headed downhill towards Hay. I crossed the bridge on my right hand side today and looked west along the River for a change, I could see the canoes on the River bank from the canoe school.
Over the bridge I passed a chair marking Agincourt 600 year anniversary.
I turned right onto the B4350 and headed south west through Hay, passed the Clock Tower.
Continuing on the B4350 to the Festival site, I passed the Parkinson's Tent, which is a good place to call in for a cup of tea and a bacon sandwich. Which is what we did most days between events as it is not too far from the Festival site.
It had been another nice little walk a little rushed today, approx. 6km with approx. 90m climb.
I had wanted to do a longer walk, but as I said before, our agenda would not allow me to do this. I would have to satisfy myself with this or similar walks each day over the seven days. I had thought about including them all as one post, but I have decided that seven smaller posts may be better.
More events to attend today, book signing and celebrity spotting. A BBC Radio 4 program Fortunately with Fi Glover and Jane Garvey was brilliant. We listened too James Holland and then later on Jo Whiley, just to name drop.
This is my walking write up for today. It was another late evening when we returned to the Baskerville Hall Hotel campsite today. But not too late for the bar so we went straight there.
More to follow
Boz North
Details correct at time of walking.
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 the link to the walk Day 2Follow the link to compare this walk with Day 4
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