Start of Offa's Dyke path

Saturday: After breakfasting in Chepstow caught a bus the couple of miles to near the start of Offa's Dyke path. Felt strange using my Wales bus pass to board a bus that was driving through Gloucestershire, England a few minutes after boarding. A lot of citizens of senior years boarded the same bus at Tesco Chepstow, Monmouthshire to their homes in Gloucestershire. Can they only use their bus passes in one direction I wonder?

700 yards from the bus stop, along a path through woodland then meadow is start of the Offa's Dyke path atop Sudbury Cliffs. The start is marked by a single large boulder inset with a cast metal sign. Rather less grand than the Wales Coast path start point in Chepstow. I learned from this sign the path is 168 miles. I had guessed at it being about 300 miles, same as Cambrian Way, so it was a pleasant surprise to learn that it will have 10 - 12 days fewer walking than I thought. This is the second of the 4 left turns I will make on my walk around Wales, this time northwards.

After returning along the path I arrived on, I crossed over the road and down through a field to arrive in residential Sudbury. About a mile passed houses in Sudbury then Tutshill I was back by the old Chepstow Bridge. I wasn't sure how far it was to my next campsite and only had Pepperarmi's for lunch so diverted left into Chepstow for provisions.

A Chepstow shopkeeper estimated the distance to Tintern as about 4 - 6 miles. It was 14:30 so I reckoned latest I would be there to be 18:00 so off I went. Spurred on by the knowledge they had a laundry, the first since I started my walk.

Lots of ascents in contrast to the level sea wall route of the Wales Coast path. Much of it was through woodland so not many views. Also along top edges of quarries (eek!), park land, arable land and some roads. Very tired by the time I reached Beeches farm campsite but the laundry was welcome.Lue lisää