Distance: 14 miles
Ascent: 800m
Weather: warm and humid, cloudy, spots of rain early afternoon turned to drizzle. Windy.
Critters: heard cuckoos and skylarks, buzzard having a fight with a crow, fox, squirrels, damselfly.
New flowers: tormantil, mouse-ear hawkweed.
Today we met up again with Offa's Dyke, for the first time since Highbury Wood, 55 miles back. According to the audio info box we passed, King Offa was quite friendly with the people of south Wales so didn't see the need to build the bigger defences that were needed against the more northern tribes. As a result there's not been much evidence of it for the last couple of days, but it was quite impressively deep today near Burfa. I couldn't really get a good picture as the embankment was covered in trees, and rabbit and badger holes. And sheep. There were a lot of sheep, and even more sheep poo.
Leaving Kington we crossed Bradnor Hill, which has what is said to be the highest golf course in Europe, where they have put up a sign welcoming walkers into the club house for refreshments, and on descending into Knighton we passed through another golf course, where there is a sign telling you to stay on the path without a please or thank you. Quite a contrast.
It was raining lightly as we got to Knighton, we had a pot of tea and slices of Bara Brith (Welsh teabread) and coffee & walnut cake at the Tower Gallery, and then visited the Offa's Dyke visitor centre, for all your Offa's Dyke souvenir needs, if you don't mind carrying them. No pottery for us.
We are staying tonight at the George and Dragon, which has very nice rooms, a cosy lounge (with a fire in the stove), good food and enjoying a pint of 'Ow Do.
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