20th August, 2021 - Hergest Ridge

 Another opportunity arose to add some miles to our challenge when our eldest daughter and grandson arrived for a vist! This is what is so great about this challenge, we're also involving our family which makes it more memorable too!

Hergest Ridge running from Kington to Gladestry is a lovely walk along the Offa's Dyke Path offering quite easy walking and super views. It was also the title of one of Mike Oldfield's Albums back in the '70's. He lived in Kington for quite a while and obviously found lots of musical inspiration here!

We did cheat a little by parking at the top of the road before setting off along the path.

The going is easy along a lovely sward like path. Around the top of the hill, there used to be a horse racing circuit in the early 1800's which you can still walk around. It must have been spectacular setting for a day at the races!

On the summit is a group of monkey puzzle trees, planted I believe to commemorate resettling in Patagonia in 1865 where apparently Welsh is still spoken.

Quite close to the trees is the erratic glacial boulder known as the Whetstone. Legend has it it is a sleeping giant who wakes in the middle of the night to go to the stream to drink. There are many legends about the stones throughout Wales, love it!

It was a perfect day for a walk, not too hot, not too breezy with great views across Hanter Hill to the Forest!

And there are always the wild ponies to admire up there, some young ones amongst them today too.

Longer views to the Black Mountains were a bit more hazy and threatening....

We soon dropped down to the little village of Gladestry. Its pub is open once again but not in time for a visit today. The food there is really good. A car dropped earlier ensured we didn't need to do the walk back again although that would also have been possible! Another 3 and a half miles so a total now of 93 miles!