Ray
New member
Wales: a hike in the Black Mountains (good ales too)
During a recent visit to the UK I had the wonderful opportunity for a hike in the Black Mountains of Wales. These mountains are located in the Welsh Midlands and skirt the border of Wales and England just north of the famous resort town of Abergavenny. To the east lies the Golden Valley and the English city of Hereford (where I visited it's famous cathedral) and to the west the bucolic Welsh Valley of the Wye River. Believe me this is a gorgeous setting for hiking and an area literally filled with history.
A cooler front had moved in the day before and provided us with extraordinarily clear conditions for the hike. Although the range itself is not particularly high (elevations seem to reach about 2700 feet) the views on a clear day are unique and spectacular. We chose to hike up Hay Bluff which lies in the northern part of the range. You reach the trailhead by driving up the famous Gospel Path which eventually leads down to the ruins of a 12th century Augustinian Priory in the nearby village of Llanthony. One caveat: sheep rule in the valleys and mountains of Wales and, although this is not really a problem, you do have to keep a sharp eye out for their larger droppings.
At the summit of Hay Bluff the hiking path reaches a junction with the famous King Offa's Dyke. King Offa was a powerful 8th century Anglo Saxon king who built the dyke as a line of defense. The remains of the dyke now form a hiking path which is about 150 miles long and is one of the twelve designated National Hiking Trails in the UK. We paused at the top to take in the spectacular storybook views of the Welsh valleys, breath in the clear air and to admire the neighboring peak quaintly called Lord Hereford's Knob.
After hiking in the Black Mountains a real treat awaits. One simply proceeds to the Augustinian Priory itself in order to quaff a few pints of delicious ale in the little pub which is now built into the Priory's cellers, probably in the same location where the monks may have brewed it 900 years ago.
I very much enjoyed my trip and hope that many others will have the opportunity to share this experience with me.
Pictures at: http://community.webshots.com/user/Brady54
Ray
During a recent visit to the UK I had the wonderful opportunity for a hike in the Black Mountains of Wales. These mountains are located in the Welsh Midlands and skirt the border of Wales and England just north of the famous resort town of Abergavenny. To the east lies the Golden Valley and the English city of Hereford (where I visited it's famous cathedral) and to the west the bucolic Welsh Valley of the Wye River. Believe me this is a gorgeous setting for hiking and an area literally filled with history.
A cooler front had moved in the day before and provided us with extraordinarily clear conditions for the hike. Although the range itself is not particularly high (elevations seem to reach about 2700 feet) the views on a clear day are unique and spectacular. We chose to hike up Hay Bluff which lies in the northern part of the range. You reach the trailhead by driving up the famous Gospel Path which eventually leads down to the ruins of a 12th century Augustinian Priory in the nearby village of Llanthony. One caveat: sheep rule in the valleys and mountains of Wales and, although this is not really a problem, you do have to keep a sharp eye out for their larger droppings.
At the summit of Hay Bluff the hiking path reaches a junction with the famous King Offa's Dyke. King Offa was a powerful 8th century Anglo Saxon king who built the dyke as a line of defense. The remains of the dyke now form a hiking path which is about 150 miles long and is one of the twelve designated National Hiking Trails in the UK. We paused at the top to take in the spectacular storybook views of the Welsh valleys, breath in the clear air and to admire the neighboring peak quaintly called Lord Hereford's Knob.
After hiking in the Black Mountains a real treat awaits. One simply proceeds to the Augustinian Priory itself in order to quaff a few pints of delicious ale in the little pub which is now built into the Priory's cellers, probably in the same location where the monks may have brewed it 900 years ago.
I very much enjoyed my trip and hope that many others will have the opportunity to share this experience with me.
Pictures at: http://community.webshots.com/user/Brady54
Ray
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