Outdoor Discoveries

Reconnaissance walking in South Shropshire

Engineering works induced some timetable changes that presented the prospect of a Sunday visit to Knighton to explore some of the scenery around there. After all, the Offa’s Dyke Path passes nearby so it can’t be bad. A bus journey from Macclesfield to Crewe set me up for an onward train journey. Everything was going well until tardiness by Arriva Trains Wales meant that I missed the train to Knighton. It’s on the Heart of Wales railway and so the level of service isn’t so frequent. Couple that with its not having a Sunday bus service and plans soon change.

As ever, I had a back up plan in mind: this time, it was to be the Long Mynd near Church Stretton. I had passed by this striking hill country a number of times while destined for such places as Abergavenny, Crickhowell and Brecon so it was about time that I paid the area a visit, even as short as my first one proved to be.

I pottered up the Carding Mill Valley to the heights where Pole Bank tempted until I saw the faintness of the path through the heather from Shooting Box. That still left me with a good bimble before I came back down again, by way of Haddon Hill and Bodbury Hill. These hills may not be high but the gradients are nothing to be mocked; they certainly gave my legs and lungs a decent workout. The day remained resolutely overcast but that doesn’t bother me since the idea of a return is a tempting prospect. I still hope to get to Knighton…

A bimble in border country

Even with showers forecast, I fancied taking myself off somewhere for a walk on Sunday. Because I wanted to continue my hiatus from the Pennine Way for the sake of variety, wandering along a bit of the Offa’s Dyke National Trail appealed. I planned my hike using Anquet Maps to get an idea of what I was taking on and, while I departed from it at times, my planned route was essentially the one that I followed on the ground. The software also gave a projected time for the walk and, though it was largely correct, I might be tempted to add a bit extra to the predicted time for future excursions; I still kept an eye on the time and had alternate plans if it was taking too long.

With that in mind, I travelled to Chirk after braving the hoards of the Macclesfield Bikeathon and picked up the Llwybyr Ceiriog Trail and followed it along the Ceiriog valley until I met both the Offa’s Dyke trail and part of the aforementioned earthwork itself, after crossing from Wales into England (Chirk is almost on the border between Wales and England). In fact, I was to have the famous military barrier for company for a good part of my journey to Craig Nant. It was while I was following this section that the sun came out for a brief spell on what was a mainly cloudy if dry day; the threatened showers thankfully failed to materialise. In fact, it caused me to dawdle for longer than maybe I should have done.

Progress from Craig Nant was steady as I rounded Selattyn Hill on my way to Racecourse Common, part of which unfortunately involved some tarmac bashing. Once past Racecourse Common, it was on into Racecourse Wood for views east over Shropshire with the humps of Long Mynd making an appearance; as luck would have it, the sun was very much in evidence further east and I wonder what delights I would have savoured if skies were clearer for more of my journey.

These days, Racecourse Common and Wood are an amenity for those wanting a stroll but, as the name implies, there was indeed a racecourse here and it was for horse racing. Its heyday was the early nineteenth century before the coming of the railways, and a less than salubrious crowd put paid to its continued existence.

It was about this point that I started to think about getting to Oswestry so that I could start on my journey home. The plan was to leave the national trail for a public footpath taking me most of the way to Oswestry but the need to catch a bus from Oswestry meant that I instead pounded more tarmac than I would have liked. The sun had by then escaped from behind the clouds and I was treated to pleasant scenes as I continued on my way; I still found some time to stop and admire my surroundings.

Oswestry is certainly a pleasant spot and one where I wouldn’t have minded lingering but for time constraints; I needed to catch the 18:15 Arriva service to Shrewsbury. The wondrous St. Oswald’s Church and the pleasant town centre may well inspire another excursion and one with ample time for my training my camera on the sights. I will hold it in mind for the future. Until this walk, Shropshire hadn’t really been subject to my attentions even though it does have its hill country; the Long Mynd and the country round about it certainly do look very attractive through train windows as I ply my way to Abergavenny for the hill country of the Brecon Beacons National Park; it’s almost a shame to do so. Speaking of Wales, one thing that you don’t need to do is go there for places whose names reveal Welsh origins; there are plenty in the west of Shropshire as OS maps will show you. It’s a part of the world to which I can return.

A trip to the North Wales Borderlands

I was over in Llangollen last Sunday and picked up a copy of the 2007 visitor brochure for the North Wales Borderlands. Under this banner, the local authorities of Wrexham, Flintshire and Denbighshire are promoting the area’s worth as a destination for visitors; particularly those who might stay for a few days, I would assume. The area may not be foremost to those considering North Wales for a holiday, but the area definitely does have its charms and does prove to be something of a visitor magnet in its own right.

My first encounter with the region was when I began to visit Llangollen. The town might list a heritage railway and canal among its attractions, but it is its location in the scenic Vale of Llangollen that draws me. To the south of the Dee Valley lie the wilder country among the Berwyns and the Offa’s Dyke Path, a national trail, also passes near here. On my first foray, I walked over the hill playing host to the ruins of Castell Dinas Bran before heading to another ruin, that of the splendid Valle Crucis Abbey. From there, my return to Llangollen took me by the Llangollen Canal and within sight of the Llangollen Railway. Other visits have seen me taking in the Horseshoe Falls and sections of the Offa’s Dyke Path. One trek along this national trail saw me walk from Llangollen to Llandegla before heading to Wrexham and returning home.

The Vale of Llangollen hasn’t been the only part of Denbighshire that has been the subject of my attentions, though. In fact, I once headed to Denbigh in the Vale of Clwyd for a low-level walk along the line of the Clwydian Range to Ruthin (or Rhuthun in Welsh). That was sufficiently enjoyable that a return to those parts remains a possibility.

To return to last Sunday, the offer of a fine day in Wales was too tempting to ignore, and it felt more like April than January. Initially, my plans were to go to Llangollen for a walk in the vicinity of the Berwyns, but an alternative idea came to me and replaced the original one. The new scheme took me to Chirk, from where I picked up a short section of the Offa’s Dyke Path after proceeding along the Ceiriog Valley, rounding the substantial hulk of Chirk Castle on my way. I then left the trail to head for Llangollen and was greeted by fine views of the Vale of Llangollen on my descent to my destination. The only fly in the ointment was the lack of height in the sun late on a January day, but the vistas were memorable nonetheless.