Day 33 - Kington to Knighton - 15.5 miles
My first call had to be to climb back up the hill to St.Mary's Church to visit the tomb of Sir Thomas Vaughan who died at the battle of Banbury in 1469 and...more interestingly... his wife Ellen the Terrible.
I thought she looked pretty ok in alabaster but apparently she aquired the reputation after she killed her cousin with an arrow to the heart in retribution for him killing her brother.......not as more modern - politically incorrect - rumour would have it, because of the quality of her cooking!
It's that bloke again
The church is impressive on the hill
with a really spacious interior...
and beautiful specimen trees - all just about to come into blossom.
I'm choosy about landscape paintings. You see a lot but they don't always do it for me. As I walked back into town looking at various shops, in the window of the Kat and Fiddle gallery, I saw some paintings that really caught my eye.
Kathryn Moore moved from Bristol via East Anglia to be based in Herefordshire
and clearly, since arriving her art has been inspired by Hergest Ridge and the surrounding area. She explained her technique of working from sketches and paintings plein aire and then working up collages in her studio. Really striking and beautiful !
I decided to try a different tack on the toes today! Having bathed my feet in salt water last night, it's a change of shoes today - boots go in the rucksack.
but it looks like you'd need to be careful on the fairways not to get tangled up with the inquisitive local residents!.
On what remains today, it's easy to forget how significant Offa's Dyke was as a fortification and may well have seen battles in the past but now it's a....
... lamb's playground.
Walking on these long trails does get to you.
I caught up again with the Cockermouth crew who told me they hold a special celebratory dance whenever they reach a fold in the map. Despite initial reticence to share this very special moment with me, they eventually gave in.......
..... imagine the theme to Hawaii 5 - 0
Kington has some lovely knooks and crannies, a range of really interesting independent shops, coffee shops, chatty Post office and some great butchers and pie shops - the delicious smells of cooking pies was too distracting to ignore.
I decided to try a different tack on the toes today! Having bathed my feet in salt water last night, it's a change of shoes today - boots go in the rucksack.
Eventually under way, the trail crosses Kington golf course which claims to be one of the highest in Britain....
On the way up the hill alongside remnants of the dyke, I met two couples
Sue, Steve, Anthony and Diana ex graduates of Cardiff University and now living in Monmouth and Hampshire. They're walking sections of the trail - shuttling by car at the beginning and end of each day.
On what remains today, it's easy to forget how significant Offa's Dyke was as a fortification and may well have seen battles in the past but now it's a....
The guide book had promised that the area between Kington and Knighton features some of the most visible remains of the dyke. And so it does....
It's sometimes difficult to catch on camera the sheer blueness of bluebells .....
but today, the blue had the intensity of electric neon.
The walk was undulating and varied. It circles Herrock Hill, common land on which there are apparently 17 species of wax cap fungii.
And of course, there's always the sheep..
Walking on these long trails does get to you.
I caught up again with the Cockermouth crew who told me they hold a special celebratory dance whenever they reach a fold in the map. Despite initial reticence to share this very special moment with me, they eventually gave in.......
At long last, gorse in full throttle. - my favourite. What looked like fields of it. The smell was heavenly!
Eventually as I climbed Gilfach Hill, the clouds gave way to blue sky and sunshine
After a late start, I'd been yomping along all day with the hope of getting to Knighton at a sensible time so it was good to eventually to draw close..
By now, my toe was feeling twice the size it normally is and I wasn't sure it'd feel like walking another long day tomorrow.
My usual vavavoom was on rather low octane by the time I arrived in Knighton.
This was when sense eventually kicked in along with lots of good fortune - I spotted a Boots next door to The Horse and Jockey, they said the surgery on the other side of the pub was open until 1830 so I tried my luck at a short notice appointment.
The doctor was obvioulsy busy but having looked at my foot she prescribed antibiotics and recommended a couple of days off walking. Hmm!
Total distance so far = 428.9 miles
Total ascent so far = 54 450 feet
It looks like I need to somehow adjust settings to enable comments to be left. If you're having any difficulty please don't hesitate to send me a text or email.
If you're tempted to contribute to any or all of the great charities I'm supporting, here are the relevant links.
Just Wheels UK - this is a small charity set up to provide wheelchairs in a rural community in Tanzania. It does this through funding training, education and the local fabrication and servicing of bespoke wheelchairs. My nephew uses a wheelchair and as he grows I can see the life changing freedoms that proper wheelchairs can bring to both users and their families.-
Parkinsons UK - My dad had Parkinsons in his latter years and the research work this charity funds and the support it provides to patients and their families is invaluable. - https://www.justgiving.com/
- RNLI - these are the brave guys who selflessly head out to sea to help others. I volunteer at Littlehampton RNLI shop and often meet families of those who’ve had first hand experience of their loved ones being saved from the sea. Having sailed for years I can say thankfully we’ve never had to call on the RNLI's services but it’s amazing what it does to know they are there
https://www.justgiving.com/
David, I've been one of your biggest fans but did have trouble with the comments after a few days. Just to let you know, I was able to get in using my laptop -- but still can't using my phone. Sharing this in case it helps you diagnose the issue.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks Mike. That's really helpful. I have a few ideas but similarly can't do anything from my phone. Sally is going to have a look at the set up on my laptop when she gets back next Wedn/Thursday so hopefully, things might get resolved. Love to you both. PS, get on that plane and come and join me or perhaps we'll plan a future escapade!
DeleteNow that that is out of the way, let me pose a few questions that other loyal followers may have as well: (1) Have you hit a major milestone yet, such as having completed 1/4 of the walk?; (2) How do you handle lodgings? Are they done in advance? If not, are you at risk of having to rough it?; (3) Can everyone really be so nice? (Except for the driver of the white van that evening.). Have you met disagreeable people too? Keep up the marvelous work -- I love tuning in every day.
ReplyDeleteAh well! 1) Day 36 is probably about 1/3 of my route.and it's going by FAR too quickly.2) much/most booked in advance. I'd initially looked into carrying a bivvy but just listening to the rain teeming down outside tonight (Cross Foxes) , I'm really glad I binned that idea. Holidaying in the UK became very much more popular because of the pandemic and accommodation started getting booked up very early even in out-of-the-way places so I decided to bite the bullet. 3) It may be self selecting, it may be the kind of people who are prepared to get out of their cars, it may be the kind of people who want to hear the birdsong and smell the flowers ...when walking everyone I've met has a story.
DeleteThere are many, many less fortunate. D