Day 8 Llanymynech to Chirk

A nice day’s walking with proper Goldilocks weather – not too hot, not too cold – just right!

I headed off from the Bradford Arms, who had welcomed me as a regular, just before 8.45. By 9.20 I had managed to put Llanymynech golf club a well struck 5 iron behind me.

I was looking out for the drainage with steps above as I was walking the dogs along the path eighteen months ago when they were installing it. They have done a cracking job.

The first real climb of the day was to the top of Moelydd with splendid views. I bumped into two walkers who were heading in the same direction as me. They headed off just before me and I spent the next hour to Trefonen basically 200 yards behind them with them doing all the navigation. It was ‘undulating’ from this point on without any real ascents.

Trefonen had installed a rather smart piece of public art showing where you were on the walk. They also had a post office but it was too early for the pub to be open so I pushed on.

If the Llanymynech Hill and golf course part of the walk had been familiar then most of the rest of the walk to Chirk was well known to me from previous walks and dog walks. The horses head sculpture from Oswestry Racecourse will be familiar to many Salopians.

I walked for the next hour with a veterinary nurse from Hay on Wye. She was good company and walked at a similar pace. She mentioned a helicopter that had flown over her the previous day and we agreed it was probably part of the filming I had bumped into earlier in the week.

We went our separate ways at Bronygarth where I headed for Chirk Station and the train home. Back there tomorrow morning to join up with the Mountain Goat to walk to Llanarmon, where we will be joined by Kev, who will be walking with us for the last two days.