It was mizzley this morning, but I was under 8km shy of 1600km for the
year, so Bertie and I went for an explore to cross the line whilst Sue and
Steph went to the supermarket. The idea was to trace a route on the old
railway line for a way then find a route over to Disserth and come back on the
route I had used when going over to Llandrindod Wells before.
We walked through the village and past the church, until we reached a green lane
heading towards the old railway line track. through a couple of gates and onto
the old track ... very overgrown, but we pushed on to the end which was
unfortunately blocked by a fence, despite what the guides say.
We retreated up the bank and followed a path through the woods on the river side
and returned back towards the village. However this was also blocked at the end
and we returned along the disused railway track to where we started. Back up on
the main road we continued down to the old road to Builth.
Along the back road and over the river Ithon, followed by a slow climb up the
hill. Near the top of the hill we took the footpath down to the A470 through a
field.
The other side of the A470 we found the gate which led into some scrub woodland,
however it had not been used for a long time and there was no obvious path on
the other side. After bashing around in the brambles and branches for a while we
gave up and went back alongside the road until we could get to a back road up to
where the path should have come out. On the other side of the road was a gate
leading into a field leading up to a farm. the exit from the field was into a
garden then farmyard (Rheol farm), which we navigated with trepidation until we
got into the fields beyond and some sign of a path.
We dropped down to a tree lined border and the stream it hid. The stream was
flowing rather deeper than boot high so I had to find some where to hop from
stone to stone. The far side climbed into yet another field this one with sheep
in it, up to a broken down barn.
Climbing up through several sheep fields - the last one had the sheep following
us rather than running away, presumably as they expected to be fed! On to some
farm track beyond that experience and past Bryn farm. Here a short chat with the
farmer pointed us in the right direction of the next leg - down the farm
drive.
We walked over a grass field and into a second which the map showed as a wood,
but now another grass field. Then over a stile into the remains of the wood. The
far side of the wood involved a broken stile on the bank of a stream - fun and
games lifting Bertie over it. Then a few easy fields to the church at
Disserth.
The path crossed into the church yard, and exited onto the caravan park road. Up
tot eh road to re-cross the river Ithon and now on familiar territory.
Picking up the path back to Newbridge, through the fled on the opposite bank to
the caravan park, and climbing up a long flight of steps in the wood beyond to
climb up to the skyline. Through the woods and out the other side into a sheep
field. More stiles to manhandle Bertie over and into the fields.
Over the hill and down to the farm track leading to Woodcastle farm.
From the farm it was simply back up the driveway to the a470 in Newbridge, close the point where we had our first turnaround. Then down the pavement back through the village to Steph's place.
A mixture of a day with several setbacks where I nearly turned back, however they just added more distance to the daily total and we surpassed our target.
