The last part of this stage of our journey and into Wales. Today we should cross the border!
Another early start as we headed out to Welshpool. Finally, after initial confusion as to which car park we were using in Welshpool, appalling map reading in the car on the hop by yours truly and getting stuck for 15 minutes at roadworks, we finally made it back to Brockton to rejoin the route. So much for an early start!
The guide gives lots of instructions for this section, so clutching both the maps and instructions, we set off! You start by crossing a farmyard and going past a barn - hence the need for the directions to make sure you get the right one! All good and then across fields. The ground was really saturated, so in no time, ten ton boots again!
You drop down to the field edge to follow Brockton Brook, then come out into a lane, before crossing into Beechfield Dingle to follow the brook again on the opposite side. The Dingle is lovely and the guide promises bluebells and wild garlic in Spring! We did find the first showings of Snowdrops!
The path winds through the dingle, really soggy and boggy at the moment. We were all glad to use our walking poles! Eventually you drop out onto a track which bears round, re-crossing the brook, to head up towards the lane again.
Before you reach the lane, you head off across fields, travelling parallel to the lane. It helped to see this on a map as a rise in the centre of the field made it hard to pick up the next 'marker'. This was the 'wired up gate' which the guide promised would be rectified, but clearly hasn't been! The gate itself is fine, but about two feet in front of it is a fence of a single strand of barbed wire just below chest height. We limboed under and headed onward. At least the warning of a bull in the field was unfounded.
You then re-join the lane to head up Belan Bank towards Walton Hill. This is a climb! At least it was easy underfoot and the views would be stunning on a clearer day! Yet another grey, murky day but at least not raining though the damp in the air was curling the map edges! The lane gets really narrow - fortunately the tractor driver saw us and waited patiently for us to walk past - it was steep!
The lane just ends and at a gate you head across fields again still climbing but less steeply towards Walton Hill. You don't quite reach the crest, but drop down to pick up the Offa's Dyke footpath that takes you up to Beacon Ring. It is here that you finally cross into Wales.
Beacon Ring is an Iron Age hill fort which was planted with trees in 1953 to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II's coronation. We somehow managed to be on the wrong side of a hedge line but a quick scramble sorted that!
You skirt around the hill fort and continue to follow Offa's Dyke through conifers and then across fields to make the long, steep descent down into the valley of the River Severn.Again, following such a major route, you expect the way to be clear, but thick trees and sloping across ploughed fields can be distracting, but four pairs of eyes and a map kept us on track. It isn't until you come down that you realise just how high up we had been, but the route drops all the way into Buttington on the main road into Welshpool.
Unfortunately the pub was shut, so we stopped for lunch at the church, sheltering in the porch.
This is a very simple little church, which we've all passed many times and never really given it a thought. The Yew trees were really amazing.
From Buttington you cross the railway, and then join the main road at the iron bridge that crosses the River Severn.
You never really notice the bridge - you're too busy negotiating the bends when you're driving and its narrow!
There's no footpath here, so you have to pick your moment to cross the bridge!
Here you leave Offa's Dyke and follow the road towards Welshpool before heading off to pick up the Montgomery Canal. This is very well maintained, with an excellent towpath, and gives a really pleasant, interesting walk on onto Welshpool.
We'd made it - Welshpool before the end of January.
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