I will walk 500 miles challenge for Velindre

Another opportunity arose to walk along this beautiful ridge, quite close to home and this time with my friend and neighbour, Hazel. She was happy to help to make it to those 500 miles which still seem a long way to go..... It was a lovely sunny day as we set off from Gladestry with a promise from Chris to pick us up later in Kington to retrieve Hazel's car. We had views to the Black mountains and behind us a hazy Pen y Fan. Here towards the Black Mountains, the harvest gathered in. And just to prove where we were, here is an Offa's Dyke Path sign.... Didn't see any of the wild ponies today but the views to Radnor Forest over Hanter Hill are always lovely! A chance to see how warm it was with me like a beetroot. And another signpost, a little further along the ridge. Not too long before we were dropping down alongside Hergest Croft gardens and then passing the church and into our local town, Kington. We'd had a good old chat and managed to complete 4 and a half miles an...

We were trying to keep the miles going so when we visited our daughter and family in Surrey, here was another opportunity, not only to add some mileage, but also to have our family with us again! Julia and Richard completed the whole of the Greensand Way at 108 miles from Surrey into Kent a couple of years ago now which they really enjoyed so were happy to do a part of it, close to their then home, with us too! Off we set from one of the Hurtwood car parks having left the other car at the finish point near Leith Hill. Our youngest grandson, Alfred, seemed happy to be taking part too! The Hurtwood is a beautiful, mostly wooded area covering about 2,000 acres which was given the the local people almost 100 years ago and which is now a charitably funded open access area. There are spectacular views along its way both of the Weald and to the north, the North Downs which we were looking at here. The woodland just suddenly opens up to give massive panoramic views. At this viewpoint, an amazi...