View all the photos from day 6 | View the interactive map for day 6

After the wonderful evening the night before with Jude and her family, a fantastic cooked breakfast (the best black pudding ever!), and a leisurely start to the morning, Alex and I were in high spirits ready for the day ahead. It looked to be another warm and sunny day, my feet seemed much better, and Alex was even quite happy despite losing the coin toss (again)!

The first part of the day was mainly sheep fields and tiny country lanes, but we were eventually rewarded(?) with a steep climb up to the top of Llanymynech Hill. The hill has a golf course on its flat top, and we followed Offa’s Dyke around the edge watching the golfers.

The hill was the site of a battleground for Caractacus in AD 50, in his quest to rid the country of Romans, and the gold course straddles the English-Welsh border [Source - Wikipedia]. The south side of the hill has some picturesque cliffs, caused by lime mining in the area, where we met the support team who had bravely climbed part of the hill to escort us down to Llanyomynech village and lunch!

This stretch of Offa’s Dyke is renowned for being “the dull bit” – to be fair it is probably a nice little stretch in it’s own right, following the Montgomery Canal and the River Severn, but it is definitely the least interesting part of Offa’s Dyke path overall. The problems with my feet had also started to reappear, and without anything interesting to take my mind off the pain, every step became a struggle.

During the afternoon, we encountered several obstacles. The first obstacle was crossing a, fortunately not that busy, lorry park – the footpath, which cut straight through the park, was bordered by yellow lines which really did not leave you feeling very protected from the lorries all around you.

Almost immediately we hit the second obstacle as we tried to pass the edge of a cow farm – at first the ground seemed to just be dried mud, but when the dog sunk to her waist we realised in horror that it was actually deep moist cow excrement that had crusted over! The dog was completely covered in the stuff! We just about managed to negotiate the obstacle by jumping across floating hay bails, scaling walls and clambering on gates to keep off the ground.

To add insult to injury, once we had struggled through the excrement, we discovered that the Offa’s Dyke path had (sensibly) been routed around the farm – obvious if you were coming from the South, but impossible to see from the North! The dog was thrown into the next available river to clean off (but not before licking some equally unpleasant liquid being injected into a field we were crossing).

The remainder of the day was spent walking the Severn embankment, a flood defense built on top of Offa’s Dyke – it really wasn’t the same, and my aching feet made the last few miles pass very slowly.

It was with great relief when we finally made it to The Powis Arms in Pool Quay, where Alex’s mum was waiting for us – it took several beers and a huge plate of food before my feet started feeling slightly better! The food was great, and the owners of the pub are quite happy to let walkers on Offa’s Dyke camp in the beer garden (although they also have some bnb rooms for the less adventurous)!

Day 6 was tough – but nothing would prepare me for my struggles on Day 7… to be continued…

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View all the photos from Day 5 | View the interactive map for Day 5

After a light breakfast we climbed back up the hill to rejoin the official route. Alex summarised our morning routine (quite accurately!): “Settled into morning routine,get up,wash,dress,breakfast,lose the coin toss,carry the heavy bag.Set off.”

This leg consists of a significant amount of tarmac, initially following the picturesque high road above Llangollen before dropping down to Telford’s Pont Cysyllte canal aqueduct. The weather was cloudy but warm, and it was safe to say neither of us felt particularly inspired – we just kept on trudging to eat up the miles!

As we approached the aquaduct we decided to take the alternative route which takes us over the aquaduct, fortuitously this also meant we came across a tea shop – which meant a relaxing break in the sunshine drinking tea.

The aquaduct is the longest and highest one in Britain – a grade I listed building and a World Heritage Site (source – Wikpedia). To be honest I am not sure we thought about crossing it all the way through – there we were with big rucksacks (in my case with a big roll mat sticking out) and a dog which looks scary to children and is overly “friendly” to other dogs, trying to walk down a metre wide tow path (water one side and a big drop the other) filled with tourists, children and their dogs. We made it to the other side, but it was possibly the most stressful experience of my life!

After a few more miles of trudging along canal tow path (interestingly at one point we were 50m from a layby we broke down in the year before on the way to a training weekend in Snowdonia) we came upon Pete (@Pete_Knight on Twitter) who was walking with us for the rest of the day. Pete is a veteran of Offa’s Dyke, having walked the path the previous year. We found Pete very knowledgeable and personable – and we were very grateful to have him along on what had so far been a day of trudging.

Another motivational pick me up was our first encounter with the actual Offa’s Dyke (thus far we had been following the Offa’s Dyke route with no sign of the Dyke!). It does not look like much at this point – but it put us back in touch with the history of the route we are following!

After several more miles of hard earth and tarmac, we took the permissive route to Chirk Castle to meet up with the support team. At this point I was starting to really suffer from sore and painful feet – so a break was much needed.

Chirk Castle, now managed by The National Trust, was built in1295 as part of King Edward I’s chain of fortresses across the North of Wales (source: Wikipedia). A permissive route on Offa’s Dyke is open April to September which takes you through the grounds and right past the castle itself.

From Chirk Castle, and a fairly steep climb, the route rejoins Offa’s Dyke which it follows for several miles.

To be honest the rest of the day was a bit of blur – my feet were absolutely agony and all I could do was focus on keeping going. There was a lot more roads and the remains of the Oswestry Racecourse. By the time we reached the pub in Trefonen (which is also the location of the Offa’s Dyke brewery) I could barely walk and my feet felt like they were on fire. After a quick pint, we bid farewell to Pete – I was very grateful for his company, as his conversation kept me distracted from the pain in my feet!

We had struggled to find a campsite anywhere near Trefonen, but thanks to the wonders of Twitter, we had arranged to camp in the garden of Jude (@JabberingJude) who lived nearby. I came across Jude after doing a local search and asked her for recommendations of local campsites – without hesitation she had offered us space in her garden!

Alex and I had a thoroughly top evening with Jude, her husband Gary, and their lovely children – and we were spoiled rotten: home cooked dinner, fresh flapjack, beer, and a cooked breakfast in the morning (with possibly the best black pudding we have ever had). We had a lot of fun – and it was definitely our latest night to bed of the whole trip!

Jude is a fantastic artist, and you can see some of her work on her website: http://www.artbyjude.co.uk/

Gary runs his own business GWR Fasteners – http://www.gwr-fasteners.co.uk/

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In April 2010, Alex and I (and my dog) undertook an epic adventure to walk the Offa’s Dyke National Trail in aid of  MS Society. This is my account of leg 1, The Clywdian Range – Prestatyn to Llangollen (5th April to 8th April 2010).

Day 1 – Prestatyn to Rhuallt (9 miles)

View all the photos from day 1 | View the interactive map for day 1

Prestatyn has few positive reviews from other walkers of Offa’s Dyke, so we made the decision to travel up (from Northampton) and make a start on our adventure on the first afternoon to get us out of town and into the Welsh countryside.

My dog, who could tell something exciting was happening, was very grateful when my parents, who were acting as our support team for the whole trip, turned up at 7.30am – the car was quickly loaded, and we were off! By 12.30pm, we were at the start and ready to go – the dog, whose excitement had reached mega-levels, was to be honest a bit of a nightmare with all the other dogs around, so, after a few quick photos, we headed off (sadly neglecting to wade into the sea or collect any pebbles).

The first few miles are straight through the fairly dull town center, but being fresh and eager we quickly left the town behind us and climbed up to the Prestatyn Hillside Nature Reserve. We past a couple of people just finishing Offa’s Dyke who, quite alarmingly, looked exhausted!

It was cloudy and windy, but the sun was straining through, and there was no sign of rain. There were amazing views across the valley to Snowdonia – and the snowy peaks of Snowdon were just about visible! The last few miles were through farm land, with fields filled with lots of baby lambs. Just as we had got into our stride, we left Offa’s Dyke to head to our campsite – Penisar Mynydd Caravan Park.

The campsite was the most expensive of our entire trip – partially this was due to an incorrect booking on my part, but even with the £5 donation they gave towards The MS Society (they couldn’t do a refund), it was still expensive. The facilities were pretty good, but compared to cheaper better campsites later in the trip, it was a disappointment.

After a dinner of Wayfarers Chicken Tikka and flavoured rice, we settled down for the night. We were sleeping in a 3 man Vango Banshee 300 tent (review to follow) – we could just about fit both of us, the dog (who had the most space of course!) and our two backpacks, but it was certainly cosy (although comfortable). It’s a good job we are good friends!

Day 2 – Rhuallt to Bodfari (9 miles)

View all the photos from day 2 | View the interactive map for day 2

Sleeping in a tent with my dog is a pain. At the end of a day’s walking, she will curl up and fall asleep straight after her tea – but this lulls you into a false sense of security. Her recovery time seems much quicker than ours, and once it gets light (any time after about 4am), she interprets any movement as a sign that something exciting is about to happen. This involves her leaping to her feet and trying to lick the face of the person who stirred (she has long ago perfected the art of getting her snout into the tiny opening of a sleeping bag) – the other person has the pleasure (?) of her big hairy tail whipping them in her excitement! On the morning of Day 2 we both agreed that the dog needs to be more tired!

Whilst Alex was in the shower I recorded an Audioboo – I had hoped to do this everyday, but to be honest I hate the sound of my own voice (and apparently sound unexcited), so this was the only daily update I did. Here it is:

We had quite a relaxed start, and left the campsite about 10am – in the evening we had arranged to camp in the garden of Elizabeth (@gwenoldy) who had walked Offa’s Dyke in 2009, so again we had quite a short day ahead of us.

The terrain was fairly hilly, but with some amazing views showing The Clywdian Range in the distance – we would be walking them properly the following day! The weather was mainly dull (occasionally the sun shone through) – but the rain seemed to be keeping away!

The “highlight” of the day was relating to snacks. At our first stop, Alex pulls out a solitary Crème Egg – I was a little disappointed that there was only one, so I unveiled a solitary Pepparami Hot – which I deem a far superior snack. A brief debate followed on Twitter as to which was the best snack, which Alex won (although subsequent discussions have shown that the people are with me on this!)

For the last few miles we could see the hilltop radio mast which marks our finish for the day. As we dropped down to Bodfari, we met another Offa’s Dyker – he was on his last day, and had to put up with snow, heavy rain and lots of mud during his walk, but had thoroughly enjoyed it. We both hoped the environmental conditions would fair better for us!

Sadly the pub was shut in Bodfari (so there goes our plan for a pub lunch), however we discovered the local shop did some excellent homemade pies, so we stocked up ready for the following day. As we trudged up the hill from Bodfari, the rain began (fortunately quite light) and we were met by Elizabeth – who escorted us to her lovely sixteenth century farmhouse on the hillside with stunning views across the valley. To see how wonderful it is, have a look at her blog: http://welshhillsagain.blogspot.com (they also have a holiday cottage available for hire).

There are several fantastic advantages to camping in people’s gardens: firstly, it is wonderful to meet people who you have been chatting with during the months of preparations (especially someone who has walked Offa’s Dyke before!), secondly, you have somewhere to dry out, and thirdly (and possibly the most important)….. tea and cake after a day of walking. Elizabeth had baked some fantastic lemon drizzle cake which we devoured for a few mugs of tea!

In the evening, Elizabeth’s husband drove us to the local pub, where we sheltered from the now quite heavy rain, had a lovely dinner and a few pints of “Wainwright” – indeed it is beer worth walking for! The pub, despite a no dog policy, very kindly let us come in with my dog as long as she was quiet and well behaved!

Day 3 – Bodfari to Gweryd Lakes (14 miles)

View all the photos from day 3 | View the interactive map for day 3

It rained throughout the night (the only time on the whole trip), but by morning the rain had stopped to be replaced by a bit of drizzle and a mist that clung to the hills around us.

After a wonderful breakfast – Elizabeth’s homemade damson jam was particularly delicious – we were given a lift back to where we left Offa’s Dyke the day before. It was a miserable morning – the stunning views from the hills we had hoped to see were replaced by an ere gloom. As our first proper day, we were keen to not push ourselves too much, so the plan was to get as far as Gweryd Lakes camp site, just North of Llandegla – about 14 miles of going up and down hills! Our muscles were feeling a little tight but, fueled by the breakfast, we headed into the mist.

It took a few hours, but eventually the mist began to clear, the sun appeared (admittedly accompanied by the wind) and the views around us started opening up – and wow…. the views were truly amazing. To the West we could see right across the plain to the peaks of Snowdonia in the distance – we could even make out the snow still on top of Snowdon!

After munching down our left over pies from the previous day, and a slice of Elizabeth’s left over lemon drizzle cake each, we headed up to the Jubilee Tower. The Jubilee Tower was built to commemorate the golden jubilee of George III in 1810. The tower was never finished, and a storm in 1862 blew the incomplete tower down. To make it safe, the tower was demolished down to the unsheltered base. See more on Wikipedia about Jubilee Tower and Moel Famau.

From the Jubilee Tower we followed the gently descending path down the hill – this was definitely the busiest part of the entire Offa’s Dyke, especially in half term with parents dragging their kids up to see the tower. As we descended, we met the support team, who accompanied us down to the car park to resupply us with water and flapjack – we have met them everyday so far to resupply dog food, but this was the first time they joined us for part of the walk.

For the rest of the day, the weather continued to improve – we actually even had a chance to sunbath during a break just off the A494 – there was supposed to be a restaurant, but sadly it wasn’t due to open for another two weeks (again our plans for a pint lay in tatters).

After a few more miles of sauntering along the edge of hills with wonderful views back the way we had come (even as far as the coast), we once again left Offa’s Dyke to drop down to Gweryd Lakes (review to follow), a campsite on the edge of a fishing lake tucked away in the middle of nowhere. By early evening the temperature started to drop quite suddenly, so after our boil in the bag dinner, we headed to bed.

Day 4 – Gweryd Lakes to Llangollen (13 miles)

View all the photos from day 4 | View the interactive map for day 4

Both Alex and I are in agreement that Day 4 was definitely the best day of the whole of Offa’s Dyke. Throughout the day there was such an amazing variety of landscapes, the weather was amazing, the distance just right and there was not too much climbing to do.

After a full cooked breakfast at the campsite cafe, we headed back to rejoin the Dyke. The first few miles were painful – my body had obviously started rejecting the punishment I was giving it, and my hips were bruised and my calfs were very stiff. A few miles in through, and all the aches and pains faded away!

To start the day, the terrain was moorland as we left the last of The Clywdian Range, but we quickly dropped down into lush farmland, following the course of the River Alun – the path weaving around trees and tributaries. As the temperature rose, I put the “fetch the pebble” trick to good use to encourage the dog to go for a swim to cool down.

At Llandegla (148 miles to go) we treated ourselves to an ice cream and a bottle of Lucozade, before heading up the hill towards Llandegla Forest – a wall of trees in front of us! Although just a conifer plantation, there was something very pleasant about the few miles spent in the Forest (forests always remind me of The Forest of Fangorn from Lord of The Rings). There was plenty of sunlight coming down through the trees, and the track gently meandered through the trees.

Suddenly, quite unexpectedly, we were out of the forest and in moorland following board walks over the bogs. Looking behind us, there was this amazing line of trees where the forest just stops.

We followed the path through the moorland, before meeting up with a single track road that drops down to Worlds End – here we met the support team who escorted us to the car park, their car, and more flapjack!

The final part of the day was truly stunning – from World’s End until we dropped down to our campsite on the outskirts of Llangollen, we were walking halfway up the hillside through the scree – there were wonderful views to the West, and imposing rocky crags above us.

As we approached Llangollen, we began to see the remains of, the presumably easily defendable, castle Dinas Bran (which means Castle of the City of Crows), towering over Llangollen. A castle has stood on the site since an iron age hill fort was built there in around 600BC. The visible remains are of the castle built in 1260 – it was destroyed by the Welsh in order to stop the English capturing it. Read more about Dinas Bran on Wikipedia.

After setting up camp at Tower Farm (review to follow), we headed down into the town for dinner and beers, at the very dog friendly Bridge End, to celebrate an awesome day!

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However, I am under no illusion that other parts are going to be truly horrid – strong winds, driving rain, exhaustion, aching limbs and monotonous views. At this point a hike becomes a “trudge” – every ache and pain is magnified tenfold in your mind – you just want it to end.

So how can you focus your mind whilst “trudging”?

This “trudging” happened on the training walk in the Black Mountains a few weeks ago. We (I was with @justinfleming) were walking along a ridge that seemed to go on forever, I ached from the previous day’s walk, my boots were rubbing, and there was a strong wind with annoyingly light rain. By the end of the walk (don’t tell anyone but we skipped the final peak – “to get home on time”).

I had to repeat “left-right left-right” in my head over and over again just to take my mind off the rubbing on my right hip from the backpack the pain of which seemed hammer into my mind at every step. And that was just the final walk of a two day training trip!

So, my plan to keep my mind focused, to distract myself for the aches and pains, and to pass the time during these bouts of “trudging” is….. audiobooks!

I have always been a big fan of audiobooks – a few years ago I drove from the UK to Morocco in a Land Rover. The longest day was 700 miles through Europe, and the only thing that could keep me focus, stimulated and that passed the time quickly were audiobooks.

The great thing about them is that, as spoken word,  they can keep your mind active and focused, whilst not becoming a distraction from the world around you (you can hear other people speaking to you for a start).

As soon as I got back from the Black Mountains I bought a SanDisk Sansa Clip+ 8GM Mp3 player – cheaper and better than an iPod Shuffle, and as an added bonus also has a radio!

And here are the audiobooks (all available from Audible) that I have loaded it up with:

• The Shadow of the Torturer: The Book of the New Sun, Book 1 by Gene Wolfe (12 hours 9 minutes)
• The Claw of the Conciliator: The Book of the New Sun, Book 2 by Gene Wolfe (11 hours 27 minutes)
• Ringworld by Larry Niven (11 hours 37 minutes)
• Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke (a whopping 32.5 hours – a last resort!)

That should keep my mind going for a few “trudges”!

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The one thing that has been lacking in my training regime (well it isn’t really a regime, more a panicked collection of walks) is big hills. I love walking across the rolling farmland of Northamptonshire, but it is a far cry from the ups and downs of Offa’s Dyke.

So for the final training trip before our challenge begins, I am off on a camping and hiking trip to the Brecon Beacons. Unfortunately my fellow Offa’s Dyke team member Alex (@WinkySmileyFace on Twitter) is unable to join me due to work commitments, but instead I will be joined by Justin (@JustinFleming on Twitter).

I am actually pretty excited about it! In my “youth” I regularly went to the Brecon Jazz Festival, as a good friend of mine lived in the town (and her dad makes amazing home brew!), but I have only walked on the Beacons once (this has perhaps something to do with the home brew!).

We will be doing two main walks whilst we are there (plus a smaller one on the first day as a warm up) – both walks have come from go4awalk.com.

Walk 1

The first walk starts in Nant Cwm Llwch (SO006245)  and climbs up to Pen Y Fan, and then follows the ridge to Cribyn and Fan y Big before returning (the long way) to Nant Cwm Llwch.

The hike (with full packs of course) is 10.5 miles, with a total ascent of 3526ft (a grade 7). This is the kind of ascent we will encounter on Offa’s Dyke (albeit with a bit more distance to spread it out), so it should be good practice.

Walk 2

The second walk starts in Capel-y-ffin (SO255315) and climbs up to the ridge, with a slight diversion to Chwarel y Fan, then across to Rhos Dirion and finally Lord Hereford’s Knob, before returning to Capel-y-ffin.

The hike is 10.25 miles, with a total ascent of 2093ft (a grade 6)

As well as the amusing name, this walk will give me my first glimpse of the part of the Offa’s Dyke I am most looking forward to – The Hatterrall Ridge, a ten mile ridge with apparently stunning views across the Black Mountains to the West, and England to the South.

Share the Trip

If you live in or around Brecon, it would be great if you want to pop around to whatever pub we end up in to say hi. As usually I will also be tweeting throughout the trip (we are in Brecon Tuesday to Thursday next week).

I will also be putting my Social Hiking 2.0 app through it’s paces (powered by viewranger) – the app lets you follow each walk live (it is updated every 15 minutes), and includes the route, related tweets, photos and now even audioboos.

@documentally has a lot to answer for!

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Equipment-wise we have done quite well – there are a few little tweaks, but in general we have everything we need. The one key learning point for me though is the importance of caring for your feet when hiking for multiple days in a row.

The Problem

In general I do not tend to suffer from blisters, which are caused by a combination of heat, sweat and friction. The main reason for this is that I have a comfortable, well worn in, pair of Brasher boots (who are now on Twitter – @BrasherBoot) – and all the advice on the internet is to choose a good pair of boots (see “Top 10 tips for buying walking boots”)

What I do suffer from however is generally very sore feet – as my feet sweat (clean, non-stinky, sweat I hasten to add), the skin wrinkles. As I continue walking these wrinkles get a pounding (especially carrying a full pack), leaving them sore and tender. After our 17 mile walk in Surrey, I was in complete agony, and I would not have been able to do a long walk the following day.

(on the plus side I didn’t really have any major problems with my shoulders, hips or body generally from carry the backpack, albeit without the tent and sleeping bag – a little stiff the next day perhaps, but nothing that would stop me continuing a hike)

The Solution

So I did a little research on the internet, and found a few really helpful posts, firstly “How to take care of your feet when hiking”. The key recommendations are:

• Choose the right hiking boots
• Trim your toenails
• Soften any tough skin (which are subject to hard to treat deep blisters)
• Rest feet when walking

Now my feet are generally in pretty good shape (too much information right?), but the idea of regularly taking off your boots and letting your feet rest and air seems very sound. I was in too minds about whether to take my Holeys with me , but I am now convinced it will be a good idea to give my feet a chance to breath in the evenings (and they are hardly very heavy)!

Another useful blog post, “Avoiding and treating foot blisters for hikers”, as well as giving some useful advice on how to treat blisters, highlights the importance of changing your (decent walking) socks when they get wet – it might sound a little ridiculous, but this is not something I usually do, instead suffering until the end of a walk!

I remember from my days of Duke of Edinburgh that we used to use talcum powder to help keep our feet dry. A few people I have spoken too didn’t think that would be a good idea, however a comment on the Guardian website reminded me of the advantages:

There are some skin protectors on the market, but the best and most successful thing to use is talcum powder in the socks. Not only does talc soak up the sweat (damp socks can cause blisters), but it acts as a lubricant between skin and sock. Use what seems to be an excessive amount of talc to prepare the inside of the sock and on the foot. An extra shot of talc can be put down the heel just before lacing up. Carry a small pot of talc in your rucksack for repairs en route.
Barbara Cross, Nottingham

So on my walk yesterday (over 15 miles across a very wet Northamptonshire with an almost full pack), I put these ideas into practice.

Testing It Out

Before setting off, I ensured my feet were well covered in talcum powder, with an extra few squirts in my socks (remembering to pack the talcum powder!).

For this walk I decided to retry my 1000 mile socks – initially I couldn’t remember why I stopped using them, as they are very comfy!

Every hour or so, when I stopped, I made sure I took my boots and socks off to let my feet dry and breath – and then reapply some talc before continuing the walk. The socks started getting quite damp (that clean, non-smelly sweat again!) but the talc certainly seemed to do the job in stopping it wrinkling my skin.

I foolishly decided against wearing my gaiters, which I quickly regretted due to sheer amount of water on the ground. No matter how careful I was, water ended up splashing (and eventually pouring) into the top of the boot. This made my socks completely waterlogged, however thanks to the talc and the rest breaks, it took a while for my feet to be too badly affected.

Eventually I swapped my socks for a clean dry pair – which felt absolutely amazing – and completed the walk. Despite the tough terrain (thick mud), the dampness and the full pack – my feet were in excellent condition by the end and I could have easily done another walk the following day.

Incidentally the reason I don’t use 1000 mile socks is that they are very difficult to dry – ideally you want socks that you can stick in your sleeping bag to dry over night!

My guide to foot care whilst hiking

1. Make sure you have a decent pair of boots
2. Take plenty of decent hiking socks
3. Change your socks when they get damp (if you do this as early as possible you have a fighting chance to dry them in your sleeping bag)
4. Regularly let your feet rest and breath
5. Regularly apply talc to your feet
6. If it is raining or very damp, wear gaiters to stop water getting into your boots

Do this and your feet, the most important hiking equipment you have, will thank you!

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Because dogs aren’t allowed on buses, I usually have to make do with circular routes when I walk locally, so it was a nice change to be able to get a lift (from my very understanding girlfriend) to do an “A to B” walk following part of the Northamptonshire Round (thanks to @TowcesterNews for the recommendation). This leg takes in the view up the huge drive to Castle Ashby, Yardley Chase, Salcey Forest and the villages of Yardley Hastings, Horton, Piddington, and Hartwell. Although there was a lot of road work, the route was very enjoyable.

Northamptonshire Round

The Northamptonshire Round is a 50-mile circular route set up by a bunch of “fellows” (their words) who formed the Ten Foot Club to give a walk or selection of walks to others in recompense for the pleasure they had gained from walks organized by others. It is designed to show people some of the delightful villages and sights around Northamptonshire.

Northamptonshire is a low-rolling and modest Midland county. Most ramblers, contemplating the map in search of a good walk, let their eyes drift briefly across the county before deciding on the Lakes, the Peaks or somewhere with a bit more elevation and glamour.

That’s why the Ten Foot Club has devised a 50-mile circular walk, the Northamptonshire Round, to lure walkers into discovering old deer parks, woods, farmlands, villages and other secrets and overlooked delights.

Telegraph

The Route

The route starts at the foot of the village of Cogenhoe (not pronounced how you might think), and quickly enters some lovely examples of Northamptonshire countryside – peaceful rolling hills, woods and farmland.

Castle Ashby

As you leave Cogenhoe behind you, and prepare to drop down (relatively) to the village of Yardley Hastings, you cross the impressive mile long drive to Castle Ashby. At the time the castle was just a blob on the horizon, but looking at the photos I took really show how big the drive is (it would be brilliant for cantering I am reliably informed!). The photo is towards Castle Ashby, taken about half way up the drive.

The Castle is the result of a licence obtained in 1306, for the Bishop of Coventry, to castellate his mansion in the village of Ashby. The present rebuilding of Castle Ashby was started by Lord Compton in 1574, and the house has been visited by Queen Elizabeth I, King James I, King William III, oh and Sir Elton John [source Wikipedia].

Yardley Hastings

I really liked Yardley Hastings. It seemed likely a perfect example of a middle England village – peaceful, friendly, and picturesque! I have heard of it before, but never visited.

What I liked a lot less is the next part of the route – a quiet country road into Yardley Chase that seems to go on for ever!

Whenever I am walking long stretches of road, I always have the first line of a song from Lord of The Rings rattling around in my head (best sung in the Radio 4 version) which @ydnab40 has kindly provided the rest of:

The road goes ever on and on,
down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the road has gone,
and I must follow if I can,
pursuing it with eager feet,
until it joins some larger way
where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then I cannot say.
Fellowship of the ring, a long expected party

Yardley Chase

Nothing brings you back to reality than the sound of automatic weapons! There I was, minding my own business, reading the various interpretation boards along the footpath (Yardley Chase is an Area of Special Scientific Interest) when suddenly I could hear the sound of rifle fire. Whilst the gunfire continued I passed a wire fence with a hard to view yellow warning sign (the zoomed in photo of which is above – click to enlarge (just like all photos on the site)), and looking at the map there certainly seems to be some suspicious huts marked with little moats – was this some kind of secret Army base?

Well, secret in the sense that it has it’s own Wikipedia page! The huts marked on the map are concrete and were used to store bombs until the 1990s, when the MOD shut them down due to their obvious ineffectiveness in a nuclear strike. The site is now used by the Army and Air cadets and the Territorial Army, which explains the weapon fire (blanks presumably!).  Judging by some of the forums I stumbled across the site, although fairly basic, is well liked by cadets.

The Northamptonshire Round leaves Yardley Chase and, after another long road, passes through the villages of Horton and Piddington (the field between Horton and Piddington was possibly the longest most horrible stretch of sticky mud I have ever walked through!) before turning South to head into Salcey Forest.

Salcey Forest

As it is right next to my village (Hartwell), I have walked a considerable amount of Salcey Forest – the official marked walks, the old (and in my opinion better) routes, the cycle route, the horse route and various other little tracks!

The Northamptonshire Round enters the forest in the North East corner and quickly joins the cycle route (going clockwise) – it was really nice to see so many families out walking on a Sunday afternoon! Just before you hit one of the roads that cross the forest, you turn off onto a darker, more mysterious track – one that I have never walked on before.

The route makes it way through the forest – after a bit of road you rejoin the cycle route briefly before continuing out towards the South West corner of the forest. At this point I turned off the Northamptonshire Round to cut back to Hartwell – my final destination.

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The Grafton Way is a 12.5 mile walk between Cosgrove (actually looking at the Ordnance Survey website, it seems to continue down the canal to Wolverton) and Greens Norton, passing past Towcester. The Grafton Way is joined to the North Buckinghamshire Way, The Grand Union Canal Walk, and Ouse Valley Way to the South, and turns into The Knighton Way at Greens Norton. The route is named after the Dukes of Grafton, who were large landowners throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Both @TowcesterNews and @moolife (both on Twitter) recommended this walk to me (as a training walk for Offa’s Dyke 4 Ms), but I was quite surprised to not be able to find a huge amount of information about it on the web – not even a route map. There are suggestions of a brochure available from the local council, but nothing available online. Fortunately the route is marked on the 1:25000 OS maps, so after marking it in Viewranger, I packed my rucksack, and begged a lift to Greens Norton from my parents to follow the The Graton Way.

Greens Norton

Greens Norton is to the North West of Towcester, and has been on a number walks I have done in the area. The pub, The Butchers Arms, is dog friendly and serves a good pub lunch, and has a good range of beers.

I have to admit to expecting a little more from the start of the route – alright in the grand scheme of things The Grafton Way is hardly a major long distance path, but after leaving the main road through the village, and passing through a housing estate, I did expect more than just a standard Northamptonshire footpath sign with the tiny words “Grafton Way”.

After cutting across a field, the path joins a minor (yet busy) road that heads towards Towcester. At this point I suffered a painful groin muscle twinge that almost had me ringing my parents to be rescued – fortunately, after some very embarrassing muscle stretching in public view, I was able to continue without further complications!

Towcester

Just as you approach Towcester, the route is slightly diverted from the marked path (on my maps certainly), towards the services on the busy A43 dual carriageway - this is so you can safely get across the road using the first horse road crossing I have ever come across (with horse shaped green/red lights!)

Once you have negotiated your way back onto the original route (it is well signposted), you follow along the edge of the field along the South West edge of Towcester. Sadly, like a lot of rural Northamptonshire (and probably elsewhere), this land is under serious threat of development. Public consultation is currently underway to build a horrifying 3000 new homes, 21 ha of employment facilities and a single lane bypass in this area – more information can be found here.

I do hope that should this development goes ahead, then consideration is taken to try and make the impact on The Grafton Way as small as possible, although ultimately you can never replace fields, woods and tranquillity.

As you leave Towcester behind you (the point you turn South is not well signposted),  there are a few fields (muddy at this time of year) to cross before you approach Pury End.

Pury End

Pury End caught me at a particularly good moment – the sun had just come out and the row of cottages look so picturesque – it seemed idyllic. Despite the fact I moan about the lack of stunning landscapes or large hill and mountain ranges in Northamptonshire, there is a kind of simplistic beauty to the rolling farmland and the rural villages and hamlets in the area. It is also quiet – I rarely encounter many walkers out of village bounds – and this level of peacefulness is hard to find anywhere else.

The route from Pury End is quite easy to follow, with some old and battered large while signs marking the route. As you approach Watling Street, originally a Roman road, you pass the site of an old Roman Villa (although admittedly I only know that by a Google search of the names on the map!).

After crossing Watling Street (a very busy road!)  The Grafton Way skirts around Pottersbury Lodge School – a Rudolf Steiner school specialising in children who are on the autism spectrum, including those with Asperger Syndrome.

Yardley Gobion and Pottersbury

Just before you get to Yardley Gobion, you pass the site of the Moor End Castle. Quite surprisingly (I would have expected the site to be historically irrelevant) this castle, which was built in 1347, was regularly visited by Edward III, who built a royal chamber, royal chapel, and rebuilt the gatehouse. All that remains now is the fragments of the original moat (now much altered).

From Moor End Castle, The Grafton Way touches the edge of Yardley Gobion and Pottersbury, before continuing towards Cosgrove, past the lost village of Furtho.

At this point I feel I should mention that Northamptonshire Council clearly don’t expect backpackers to walk along The Grafton Way (or in fact most other footpaths in the County) – the kissing gates are tiny and extremely difficult to navigate with a pack and roll matt! [rant over]

The Lost Village of Furtho

As I approached Furtho, a medieval village, I tried to guess why the village was deserted. I couldn’t decide between the plague (which I believe is why my village just to the North East moved location by two miles), or due to land enclosures.  The answer is land enclosures! Not much remains of the village other then Furtho Farm, a partly 14th century church and a dovecote.

I have to admit to completely missing the dovecote – I was so focused on the church and having a look at the site as marked on the map! It was only later did I come across details. Dovecotes were an important part of the manorial economy, and were a reliable source of meat and eggs – and it is likely, based on when the village was abandoned, that the dovecote would have belonged to the lord of the manor.

The church, which ceased to operate as a church in 1921, is owned by Churches Conservation Trust. On quite a few of the walks I have done recently, I have come across these lasting monuments to long forgotten communities that, for one reason or another, have ceased to exist.

Cosgrove

Finally The Grafton Way finishes at Cosgrove (you can continue on following the Grand Union Canal Walk towards Wolverton and Milton Keynes).

I thoroughly enjoyed the walk – the countryside was quiet and peaceful, with subtle remnants of the area’s historical past. The Grafton Way itself is quite easy, there aren’t any major climbs, and even carrying a full(ish) pack I wasn’t completely dead by the end – definately recommended for anyone looking for an enjoyable and interesting walk through historic Northamptonshire.

Of course, like all good walks, this one ended in the pub. The Barley Mow in Cosgrove is an Everards pub, so it sells my second (only to banana bread beer) favourite beer – Tiger. You simply cannot beat resting your feet in a pub garden (although it was a little cold) with your dog and pint of nice beer of an enjoyable walk!

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After the excesses of Christmas and spending a lot of time in bed with various bouts of illness (what is it about evolving colds that won’t go away this winter!) the Offa’s Dyke team (well everyone except Alex) decided to break in the new year  with a 13 mile walk around the Northamptonshire countryside South of Daventry.

I have to admit to starting to run out of local countryside near where I live to walk around – if I was more organised it would be quite easy to get up early and, within an hour or so, end up in gorgeous hilly countryside (Derbyshire, The Malverns, and the Chilterns are really not that far away), but once again I left it to the last minute, and had to rely on trusty Viewranger to knock together a local route.

The circular route I chose started in Everdon, just South of Daventry. From there we walked over Everdon Hill to Fawlsey Hall, a manor house as early as 7th Century – although now a luxury hotel, spa and conference centre. We then headed South, joining the Jurassic Way to Woodford Halse, passing the lost settlement of Church Charwelton (just the parish church of Charwelton remains, isolated from the village).

After my decision to walk Offa’s Dyke in April, I seem to have become more interested in these, seemingly random, long distance routes. The Jurassic Way follows the jurassic limestone ridge between Banbury and Stamford, although most of it’s 88 mile route is in Northamptonshire. The Explore Northamptonshire website has the loveliest description of the route – which probably shouldn’t surprise me considering it’s aim is to market the county.

From Church Charwelton, we then cut back East towards Farthingstone, and finally turning North to return to Everdon.

I do enjoy walking in rural Northamptonshire – we might not have stunning scenery and breath taking views, but we do have lots of rolling pastures,  small isolated woods and picturesque villages. There is also the added bonus that, outside the villages, you are unlikely to meet another walker (especially perhaps considering it was hovering around freezing for most of the day!).

With Offa’s Dyke now only months away, it was great to be joined by Karen and her daughter for their first official training walk. They were both testing out some equipment they got for Christmas, especially new walking boots and rucksacks, which held up really well (no blisters). They both had no problems with the walk, and we all remained in good spirits which, considering how cold it was at times, was no mean feat!

For my part, this my first walk carrying significant weight on my back. I loaded my new Berghaus C71 with as much equipment as I could find – other than the cooker and the tent, I think I probably wasn’t too far off the amount of equipment I am likely to be carrying – it weighed in at 30lbs!

Considering this was the first time I have walked with a heavy backpack for over 15 years (I used to be in the cadets in my youth, so had my fair share of carrying equipment over Dartmoor and Exmoor!) I didn’t do too badly. My feet were a little sore on the soles, although that faded a few hours after we finished, and my hips were bruised (the tenderness faded by lunchtime the next day). The backpack itself was brilliant – the Bioflex system really helped spread the weight and made life much easier when the dog does pull.

However with only just over two months remaining before we start, I really need to get out there walking more – this walk was after all only the equivalent to an easiest day on Offa’s Dyke!

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This is a beautiful, enjoyable and not too strenious (well moderate) circular walk from Beddgelert. The walk goes along the exciting Pass of Aberglaslyn, then up the hill overlooking Beddgelert, before droping down sharply to the lake Llyn Dinas, and finally making it’s way back to Beddgelert, via the Sygun Copper Mine.

This walk gives an excellent taster to Snowdonia -- part scenic gorge walk, part upland boggy moorland with glimpses of Wales’ mining heritage and with beautiful views across the valley to the mountains around Beddgelert. It is perfect to escape from the tourist trap of Beddgelert, or if you want to avoid the higher mountainous areas (due to weather or fatique!)

I have done this walk about six or so times now -- and I am still not bored of it. For some reason I always start from the main car park in Beddgelert (£3 for half a day or £5 for the day off the top of my head!), perhaps so I am sure of a pub at the end, but you can also start the walk from a car park near Nantmoor.

Beddgelert

Beddgelert (meaning Gelert’s grave) is, at peak,  jammed full of  tourists -- for good reason as it is picturesque, with a pretty bridge over the river Colywn, and there are plenty of pubs, cafes, and hotels. The Beddgelert tourism site claims that “Beddgelert is undoubtedly Snowdonia’s loveliest village” (something backed up by the Snowdonia Guide) -- and do you know what, I would probably agree.

There is a wonderful legend relating to Beddgelert -- something I was blissfully unaware of until a chatty old chap on the hilltop told me my dog was like Gelert. The legend is that Gelert was a dog, owned by Llywelyn the Great -- Prince of Gwynedd, who is supposed to be buried nearby (hence Gelert’s grave). This trip was the first time I have actually visited the grave, where there is a memorial plaque:

‘In the thirteenth century, Llywellyn, Prince of North Wales had a palace at Beddgelert. One day he went hunting without Gelert,’the faithful hound’, who was unaccountably absent. On Llywellyn’s return the truant, stained and smeared with blood, joyfully sprang to his master. The prince, alarmed, hastened to find his son and saw the infant’s cot empty, the bedclothes and floor covered with blood. The frantic father plunged his sword into the hound’s side, thinking it had killed his heir. The dog’s dying yelp was answered by the child’s cry. Llywellyn searched and discovered his boy unharmed, but nearby lay the body of a mighty wolf, which Gelert had slain. The prince filled with remorse, is said never to have smiled again. He buried Gelert here.’

What a wonderful story (I can just imagine my dog doing the same), but it is of course complete rubbish. The story has Celtic origins, and was embellished by an eighteenth century innkeeper of the Goat Hotel, David Pritchard, eager to foster the tourist trade and it was he who was responsible for the grave (the actual Gelert is likely to be a Celtic Saint). The Goat Hotel is still in Beddgelert and, for the record, serves a very nice pint of Guinness!

Pass of Aberglaslyn

Following the river downstream, you quickly leave the tourists behind. After crossing the newly rebuilt railway line, the river starts to narrow and you enter the ravine.

There are many gorgous places in Snowdonia, but this is quite possibly one of my favourites. The path starts quite sedately, but quickly becomes harder going as you have to navigate around and over rocks, along narrow ledges (there are hand holds!) and over small bridges with the waters churning just below you -- it is quite spectacular!

The first time I did this walk, in 2007, it was just after the huge floods across the country. The path had been closed off previously, as the river had flooded so badly that it had even partially destroyed the bridge at Nantmoor (no mean feat) -- the path had just reopened for my walk, but the river was still seething angrily down the ravine.

Hill Climb

At the Nantmoor bridge, the walk bears to the left, past a National Trust carpark, and starts climbing North East following a small valley and river upstream (it is marked on the map as Cwm Bychan, which means ‘’small valley’). As you come out of the trees, after an initial fairly steep climb -- there is a lovely spot next to a small waterfall to the right -- very tranquil!

The valley continues climbing steady (but not steeply) towards the top of the hill (it actually goes around the actual summit). Along the way there are various scattered remains of the hill’s mining past -- this whole area has been mined since the Roman times (rather than describe them, you can see them in the video below!)

At the top, there are some great views across the valley towards Moel Hebog (another, much more strenuous, enjoyable walk!). From here a steep path winds down the hillside to the shores of Llyn Dinas. snowdoniaguide.com sheds some light on the origins of the name:

The lake derives its name from the nearby hillfort of Dinas Emrys, the remains of medieval and Dark Age fortifications. The fort provided shelter for the British king Vortigern, who escaped into Wales from the invading Anglo-Saxons. After the demise of Vortigern, the fort became the property of Aurelius Ambrosius, known as Emrys Wledig or the Emperor, from which the present name of the fort derives

Legend states the lake to have been the site of a battle between Owein, one of Arthur’s greatest warriors, and a giant. According to legend, Vortigern is said to have hidden the throne of Britain beneath a great stone by Llyn Dinas.

The lake is certainly very picturesque! From the lake follow the river back towards Beddgelert via the Sygun Copper Mine. I have to admit that, despite having visited the area many times over the last few years, I have never visited the Copper Mine. I would love to one day, but I always have the problem of what to do with the dog!

Whilst finishing this post (several months after starting it!) I came across this brilliant video, filmed in 2008,  showing Beddgelert and some snippets from this walk -- it is well worth watching!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKaUSznjhyU

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