Martin's Mag.

A walk with Miles and Flo (and Lucy) around Burrington on the edge of the Mendips, ending with lunch at The Plume of Feathers in Rickford and watching the geese on the lake. Nice day.

Offa’s Dyke Path starts in England overlooking the Severn estuary which is designated as a Maritime Natural Area. The estuary has the second highest tidal range in the world caused by the 5 rivers that feed the estuary and its funnel shape. The Dyke itself is first met at the very start of the Trail, close to Sedbury Cliff. The Trail passes to the east of Chepstow with views of Chepstow Castle, the oldest surviving post Roman fortification in Britain. From here the Trail continues its journey north on the eastern side of the River Wye high on the tree lined escarpment with a number of classic viewpoints, one of the most iconic being the view of Tintern Abbey from Devil’s Pulpit. The Trail makes its first of many journeys across the border into Wales at Redbrook and continues on to the viewpoint at The Kymin, with its 17th century banqueting hall and naval temple. This section of the Trail finishes in Monmouth, a Welsh border town situated at the confluence of the Rivers Wye, Monnow and Trothy and perhaps best known as the birthplace of Henry V. One of the town’s best known landmarks is the 13th century Monnow Bridge, the only remaining Medieval fortified bridge in Great Britain, which the Trail passes under. [https://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/offas-dyke-path/routes]

Making the most of some record-breaking weather at the end of February we were joined on some of the journey by our friends, F&P.

We’ve decided, probably rashly, to walk Offa’s Dyke Path this year. And, I expect, next year too. We’ve made a start, going all the way from the Severn Estuary at the mouth of the River Wye, just east of Chepstow, to, er, Chepstow. Only 175 miles to go!

Risca, to the north-west of Newport in Wales, is not a tourist town by any means, but it is borded to the north by the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal, and to the south by the Ebbw River and the Sirhowy Valley, so it is easy to devise an interesting walk, in our case about eight miles.

We parked in a forest clearing in Bargain Wood, north of Tintern in Monmouthshire, and walked south on the Wye Valley Walk, crossing the river at Brockweir. Then back up the river to Bigsweir Bridge, up into Cuckoo Wood, around Llandogo and back to the car. About eight miles. Lucy still running her socks off right to the end.

What an embarrassing, unnecessary shambles this chaotic exercise has been. All to negotiate separate deals with countries with whom we already trade via the EU. And to “secure our borders”. Apart from our only land border, which we’re determined will be completely open.