Baskerville Hall to The Hay Book Festival - Day 2
Hay-on-Wye
Wales
Distance
approx. 6km Climb approx. 90m
Sunday 26 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. I had noticed each morning I could hear a wood pigeon cooing to what sounded like Baby Shark coo coo coo. I did try to record it but it didn't come out.
Today I was walking my walk alone. Leaving Anne to catch the free shuttle bus.
Near the Baskerville Hall Hotel is a large tree, Wellingtonia named after the Duke of Wellington. You can see from this photo there had been a change in the weather from yesterday.
I took the steps up into Cwmsirhwy Wood and followed the path left and headed west. No need to visit the Hounds graveyard today. After a couple of rises I was on the forest track proper.
Although showery the ground was still quite dry and the few large muddy puddles on the path had not become any larger, although I could see the occasional drop of water and its ever increasing circle in the puddles. The tracks rise and fall 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. Mist was settling on top of the hills across the valley, even so I could still see the Festival site.
I followed the hedge line down hill south east, passing the old standing stones and the child's push bike. 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.
Over the road I walked by the edge of the ploughed field and reached the River Wye. Where as the previous day Day 1 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.
In the distance I could see a lone tree on the hill which reminded me of a scene from the 1978 animated film, "Watership Down".
Continuing around by the River the weather was still a little damp. I reached the small shed and noticed a painted stone. The other side shows it is a Reading Kindness Rock. A dog walker asked if I had seen anything of interest today, kingfishers, herons etc. I had to tell him that other than these rocks I had not seen anything today. He had not noticed the stone.
The views across the River opened up a little near here as it bends south.
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 an unnecessary stile a fallen log has another Reading Kindness Rock and a sign.
Climbing further up the hill the narrow path reaches the tall strong defensive walls around Wyecliff.
Near the top of the path is covered in what I believe are beech nut shells. Also nearby I saw another Reading Kindness Rock.
At the top I passed through the gate and entered the large field used as a campsite.
Walking eastwards across the open field I reached the B4351. Where I turned right, south east and headed downhill towards Hay. You can see there wasn't much traffic on the road unlike yesterday.
Crossing the bridge, looking east along the River I could see the tents from the other event that runs in Hay when the Book Festival is on.
Over the bridge I turned right onto the B4350 and headed south west through Hay. Passed the Clock Tower, there was no need to visit any shops today.
I missed the opportunity to take a photo of the
sign showing how many miles to Timbuktu. You will see in a photo above that Hay
is twinned with Timbuktu.
Continuing on the B4350.
I continued on my way to the Festival site.
Another nice little walk, 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 seven days. I had thought about including them all as
one post, on reflection, I have decided that seven smaller posts may be
better.
More events to attend today, book signing and celebrity spotting Melvyn Bragg,
Ian McMillan, Maxine Peake, Stephen Fry, Marcus Brigstocke, Michael Cove and
many more to name drop. One especially was an up and coming singer called
Jeremy Johnson. This is my walking write up for today.
It was very late in the evening when we returned to the Baskerville Hall Hotel campsite today. Too late for the bar so we went straight to the tent.
It was very late in the evening when we returned to the Baskerville Hall Hotel campsite today. Too late for the bar so we went straight to the tent.
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.
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