Wye Valley Walk

Started the Wye Valley Walk on Easter Sunday.
Setting off from Chepstow TIC near to Castle, Julie and I got our Walk Passports stamped. Just 128 miles to go!
New boots broken in at home gave really good grip on still damp paths, but I found out are fractional too small when going downhill!

TIC said no buses where running for the return trip, so we walked (with a few refreshment stops) for 2hrs and covered approx 6 miles reaching Upper Wyndcliff car park.

Temp between 12-14 degrees.

We then returned back along the A466 via St Arvans and past the Chepstow racecourse.

Without the ascents and descents, meanders etc, the return journey was much quicker, as well as being only approx. 3.5 miles back to Chepstow.

Enjoyable outside cafe for coffee and Panini at Costa made for a good way to sign off the end to the first leg. It turns out a bus service was running and had we known, we would have kept on for Tintern! The buses where running every two hours, so do not always believe what your are told at a Tourist Information Centre!

Sounds terrific, Brilly. Hope you had weather as good as we did!

Nice One, Brilly. The Wye V Walk passes within 1/4 mile of my gaff in Hereford. Let me know when you're up this way.
In my opinion, the walk gets better the closer to the source you get, say from Hay north, although Plynlimon (the source of the Wye and the Severn) is reputed to be very boggy.
You'll have a lovely time doing the WVW.
I use buses to complete walks - use the bus companies website for the most accurate information.

Returned to Upper Wyndcliff car park on Saturday, abandoning the Coupe to her fate!
For our second stage we set off for Tintern Abbey.
The leg was a better path than the first with a couple of spectacular views across the Wye Valley and Severn Estuary, including the whole Chepstow racecourse and full view of both River Severn Bridges.
The temperature was very good for walking, with the sun occasionally fully breaking out creating a lovely speckled light in the woods.
Descending from the high ridge, down through farm fields to the ghostly sight of Tintern Abbey.
Some interesting things to see in Tintern, (aside from the Abbey), particularly its industrial heritage.
Also lots of vintage motorcycles gathered up at the Tintern Abbey car park.

After a wander around the village and a boardwalk on the Wireworks iron Bridge, we chose to walk back mostly via the A466. The later absence of footpaths on a busy road, meant we ventured up a very steep and somewhat overgrown Monmouth Council path. This climbed steeply back up to the Wye Valley trail on the top of the valley ridge.
Returning to the Coupe we had covered some 11.56km according to MapMyRun in just under 3 hours.

Only about 120 miles to go!

Hi Mark,
Thanks for sharing this with us.
The first stretch seems to follow a footpath we walked on several years ago.
Brings back fond memories when me and my significant other departed from Chepstow on June 6 2011 along the Offa's Dyke Path to Prestatyn.
Enjoy the walk

Hi Pieter
Thanks
You and your significant other where walking on the opposite side of the River Wye(i.e. starting off on the English side of the river?).
A mate of mine and his other half have just started the Offa's Dyke path this very afternoon!
Did you make it all the way to Prestatyn?

Departed from the Severn Estuary and arrived in Prestatyn on June 19 (in the company of my better half )
As with the other long distance walks we enjoyed in the UK the weather was perfect with only one day of rain.
How was your adventure?

Our 3rd leg yesterday.
Tintern to Brockweir Bridge.
We covered about 13km this time and enjoyed a ride back to the Coupe via the bus.
Good weather again and some spectacular scenery.
Added bonus was at Old Tintern Station which had a preserved station building and other railway paraphernalia.
We had intended to go as far as Llandago but overshot as we could not see it from the high ridge!

4th leg, we made it from Brockweir Bridge all the way to Monmouth. Past Brockweir Bridge we rejoined the Wye Valley Walk on the opposite side to the A466 (West side).
The walk beyond Whitebrook to Redbrook was quite gentle as it followed the old lifted Wye Valley railway line. This stuck pretty close to the River itself and would make for a fantastic preserved railway!
An old railway bridge with a pedestrian walkway still stands at Redbrook.
Having made good progress we thought we had approximately 6km to Monmouth. The return bus would depart Monmouth around 1.05pm, and at approx. midday it would be a close call!

How are you getting on with the WVW, Brilly? As you're getting closer to Hereford, bear me in mind for lifts.
If we meet up at your finish point, I can give you and your Mrs a lift back to your start point.
It would be good to meet up, and you can travel Vis style - a more sedate style of life

Hi HiraethHuw

That's a very kind offer indeed!
We have had a bit of a break due to other commitments, but so far we have got to Symonds Yat East.
Hopefully we will pick up the trail again this weekend, to get as far as Ross-on-Wye at least!

Last Saturday Julie and I drove the Coupe to Goodrich Castle and then set about re-joining the Wye Valley walk where we left off.
The plan was to make our way south from Goodrich, cross the river and make our way back to Symonds Yat East and then continue around the river meanders back to Kerne Bridge and onto Goodrich Castle again.
We got off to a bad start with a lost sense of direction from me and then having to fight are way through an overgrown right of way/river path, before getting back on the Wye Valley Way.
The combination of a very hot day, (we were both dressed in shorts and t-shirts), we both got very stung by nettles and bitten by bugs!!!
Plus our MapMyRun app suggested it took us 3.5 miles before we re-joined the Wye Valley path were we left off!

So the possible plan of getting to Ross on Wye and then a bus back to Kerne Bridge, was abandon after we covered 12.5 miles back to Goodrich Castle! Later that afternoon I got shin splints, so we clearly over did it....
Still the canoeists looked like they were having fun.

Resumed our walk today.
Parked the Coupe at Kerne Bridge and picked up the trail where we had left off.
This part of the trail deviates away from the river, ascending some higher ground (Leys Hill) and actually going through the side of someone's garden!
The Wye Valley signs leave a little to be desired, but if you look at the post from both directions, you can usually deduce the right of way. Up and down through a covered path via Bull's Hill and Howle Hill.
At Coughton a big climb up through Chase Wood which will test your fitness to a clearing at the top and then a meander down towards Ross.
This leg was just over 6 miles and took us around 2 hours, arriving in the centre of Ross at midday.
A town Carnival commenced at 1pm and near the river a fair and some local stands where set up, including a number of classic cars.
These ranged from a very smart replica Jag XK 150 roadster, several Morgan's, a smart mk2 triumph Spitfire and a one owner Mk1 Golf GTI in Mars red.
A bus ride back from Ross to Kerne Bridge and we had a nice drive back down the Wye valley before turning off up towards Ruerdean and making our way back to Westbury.