Baskerville Hall to The Hay Book Festival - Day 7
Hay-on-Wye
Wales
Distance approx. 6km Climb approx. 90m
Friday 31 May 2019
Today was the last walk from Baskerville, well for this year. 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 have had 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 I have decided that seven smaller posts are better.
Each time we come to Hay we stay at the Baskerville Hall Hotel campsite. For us there is no where better. The wood pigeon was still cooing to what sounded like Baby Shark coo coo coo. I still could not get a decent recording of it.
As with the previous days I was enjoying the solitude of walking on my own. Anne used the free shuttle bus from the park and ride to get to the Festival site.
After saying goodbye to our new friends who would be leaving the campsite today. I walked to the rear of the Hall and took the steps up into Cwmsirhwy Wood. I felt sad, whether it was because it was my last walk here I don't know. At the top of the steep steps I walked up to the right to see the Hounds graveyard.
Then turning left and headed west I walked up a couple of rises to get onto the forest track proper. As always I was excited in anticipation, would I see anything today?
I did see something, there was an animal sitting on the end of a fallen tree, what was it? As usual it was gone before I could get a good look at it or take a photo.
The track was a little dryer than it had been except for the large muddy puddles which I had to navigate my way around. I have not mentioned in my previous posts that there was always the sound of bird song within the wood. In fact most of the walk each day was full of birds singing. Following the rise and fall of the track I dropping down to cross the stream.
Over the stream I left the wood and joined
the footpath that runs downhill passed the large excavation. I had started taking my waterproof coat earlier in the week as the weather was very changeable and today was no different. One minute it was very warm, the next rain threatened. It had not stopped me. Looking across the valley I could see the threat of rain.
I followed the hedge line down hill south east, passing the old standing stones and could see the child's push bike lower down the hill, where it had been for the last few days. On turning around to look back up the hill I saw yet another child's bike on the stones from the excavation. That second bike wasn't there the last time I walked down here?
Dropping down to the bottom of the field, passing the original child's push bike I joined 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 Day 1.
Over the road I walked by the edge of the ploughed field and
reached the River Wye. Where I turned left 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
Baskerville Hall Hotel amongst the trees. Walking, in the distance I could see the lone "Watership Down" tree. A little further along I saw the trees I had called the couple, one being tall and thin the other being short and squat.
Continuing around by the River I passed the green tanker where to my right standing against a tree was the trailer for a small boat. Which I haven't mentioned before.
I reached the small shed where I had previously seen a Reading Kindness Rock, so many days ago. I wonder where they all are now, they could be scattered all over the World. I remembered the dog walker I had met earlier in the week.
Reaching the place where the views across the River open up as it bends south. I remembered the two fishers of the River I had spotted here. The man on Day 1 when I had walked in with David my brother and the grey heron on Day 5.
On most days I had noticed the swans also paddled up and down this stretch of River.
On most days I had noticed the swans also paddled up and down this stretch of River.
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 still had its sign asking people to take a seat. The sign now looked a little discarded. Climbing further up the hill along the narrow path, passed the tall
strong defensive walls around Wyecliff. Walking over beech
nut shells. Time for one last look down onto the River from the top.
At the top I passed through the gate and entered the large field used as a campsite. There were a few extra tents today as some people were now arriving for the weekend.
Walking eastwards across the open field.
I reached the B4351, where I turned right, south east and headed downhill towards Hay. I haven't mentioned this so far this week but before reaching the bridge there is a track down to the left which is the route of the Offa's Dyke Path. We walked down here a few years ago on our Offa's Dyke Path Day 5. It is almost like we only got as far as Hay and have gone no further.
Crossing the bridge, looking east along the River I could see the site of the other event that runs in Hay when the Book Festival is on. The site was now almost completely empty.
As on Day 5, rather than cross the bridge and turn right onto the B4350. I crossed the bridge and took the Riverside path down to the left, which passed under the bridge.
I took the path down by the River. Along here there are some wooden sculptures of a fox, owls and an otter but looking at some of the trees I wondered at the natural sculpture. The way the ivy had grown around and around the trees making some wonderful patterns.
I continued along the Riverside path, passed the turning up to the town and passed this delightful looking house. I wonder if in the past it had something to do with the railway line.
I continued onto The Warren, through the trees and the open where the views looked across to where I had walked earlier. On reaching a track that crosses my path I turned left. A little twist and turn, then I was between the high sides of what would have been a railway bridge.
I was soon in the area of expensive looking houses, heading roughly south through the houses.
I reached the B4350 where I was only approx. 50m from the Festival site entrance.
Another nice little walk, approx. 6km with approx. 90m climb. I had wanted to do a longer walk, but our agenda would not allow me to do this. I had to satisfy myself with this walk each day over the last seven days. I had thought about writing them all as one post, but I have decided that seven smaller posts are better.
More events to attend today, book signing and celebrity spotting Nick Sharrett, Giles Milton, Alison Weir, Eleanor Rosamund Barraclough and Max Hastings to name drop. This is my walking write up for today.
This was the last night of our stay so on returning to the Baskerville Hall Hotel campsite we had to end our holiday in the bar. There is always next year.
More to follow
Boz North
Details correct at time of walking.
Details correct at time of walking.
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