Offas Dyke Day 11 Llanymynech to Bronygarth

Day 11 pictures

The night was hot and the noise from the street too loud to allow an open window, so sleep was intermittent.

I don’t think any of us slept that well.
The day ahead was to be hot with a local forecast of 25⁰C.
Records had almost been broken the previous day for the UK. Today of course was a new month, so new records were there for the taking.
We set off at our usual time, about 8.45AM, with a climb immediately in the offing, up Llanymynech Hill. On the way we passed the cutting where Charles Darwin learned to use an inclinometer.
Such were his skills he was chosen for the Beagle trip.

I am sure the view is great

The on the climb we became geographically bemused, thinking we had missed a turn off. That righted, the track contoured around the hill to a vantage point where the views would have been stunning had it not been for the haze.
The heat haze plagues us when we want good pictures.
A second geographical incident occurred when Eve and I missed a turn and lost Margaret. She took the turn and we took some time to realise that.
Reunited, now having come off the hill and down quite a steep incline we were greeted by a herd of cows, some fifty or so, all crowding the fence to see these odd people.

Inquisitive cows!

Soon after we hit another herd all crowding the stile. Judicious banging of our walking poles, had them move just out of the way, with Eve wide-eyed giving them as much a wide birth as the fence would allow.
Some road walking whiled away the time until another hill raised its head, this time through a very pleasant wood called Jones Rough.
Here we had morning tea, Eve’s birthday cake and other delights.
Not much further on we came to another of those great view spots with 360⁰ views, again spoiled by the haze. I did take a picture of the diagrammatic that showed us what we would have seen on a clear day so that will have to do!
Then of course another descent and we know what that means, now don’t we children?
Yes, you’re right another bloody hill.
This hill, whilst proving some initial steep parts, soon started contouring round in nice cool shade, and as lunch approached we were on the lookout for a place to park our butts.
An ideal spot presented itself, so we all took our appointed seats and had our usual repast.

Three wise .....

Unfortunately, the lunch spot was not at the peak of the hill as intended and so started the rumblings of dissent that continued all day, as the heat and distance increased .
It was about this time our old friend, the Dyke rejoined us, and we followed it for much of the remainder of the day, past an old horse racing track and its ruined grandstand onto a long road section.
Whilst this was pretty ordinary, especially with the heat, it lead to a farm, Careg-y-big that offered coffee, cool drinks and toilets, but not necessarily in that order.
Whilst partaking the cool drink we met the owner of the farm, nice bloke who gave Eve advice on how to make bulls scared of her.
I hope to have pictures of her utilising his advice, along with the outcome. This could be ugly!!
We were now on the home run, yet there was some more geographical uncertainly thrown in just to keep us on our toes, when we misinterpreted a fingerboard’s direction and headed at 45⁰ off course.
That corrected, and more time lost and more mutterings about complaints to management we hit our last hill, or so we thought. There always seems to be that short, sharp, hard hill that slips through the contour lines, and so it was again.

Management

The promised final stile of the day proved to be false, though there were a couple that had open gates, or better still no fence attached, yet there was always one more until we finally crossed the River Ceiriog at Bronygarth where Sue awaited with the car.
We were well over an hour late, the heat had taken its toll and we had slowed considerable after lunch.
Eve sucked up the last of her water as she got into the car and investigation of my Camelback proved it to be empty also.
Our accommodation at Chirk, The Hand Inn, came good with some beers, good cold lagers.
Our rooms are hot, but at least they are at the back of the hotel and we have a fan, but no sheet, just the bloody thick doona.
It was a hot day and broke records all over the UK. The hottest day EVER recorded for October.
Tomorrow a shorter day, though the good weather is predicted to follow us to the end.