Wales again, and again and again.........

Bromsgrove, Kidderminster, Bewley, Cleobury Mortimer, Ludlow, Knighton…….., the last 6 week, every Saturday, I have driven through these towns en route to Wales to walk. The walks completed are:- 8/9 starting the Glyndwr Way from Knighton to Llangunllo 15/9 Glyndwr Way from Llangunllo to Felindre 21/9 final leg of the Birmingham to Aberystwyth Walk (well overdue!!) from Devil’s Bridge to Aberystwyth 29/9 final leg of the Wye Valley Walk from Llangurig 5/10 Glyndwr Way from Felindre to Llanbadarn Fynydd 12/10 Glyndwr Way from Llanbadarn Fynydd to Abbeycwmhir From this you can see the Birmingham to Aberystwyth Walk has finally come to a conclusion, walking to the coastline having started the walk back in 2007 and walking out of Gas Street Basin in Birmingham some years ago. I have already posted a video of this walk. Additionally, I have also completed the Wye Valley Walk, having started this on earlier this year. I must say that I’ve loved this walk and it up in the top 5, if not at No.1. The only down side to this is the walk does not end at the source, (this is observed from a spur off the walk at a distance of about a mile away), but the walk ends along the Severn Way, which has its source in the same area. So to satisfy my need for closure a walk to its source is high up on my priorities. This will be completed via a walk to the summit of Plynlymon and its other two summits and continuing the walk over to the sources of both the Severn and Wye. The Glyndwr Way walk is going well, however, with the need to do the return leg on each walk, due to limited transportation in Wales, this has highlighted an issue on the last two walks. Firstly, the walk from Felindre, walked thro a farmyard with loose, aggressive dogs, which as I was returning had to be crossed a second time. Only the second time the farmer was seen to be watching from his window, once safe from the teeth of the dogs I certainly let him know what I thought of him not controlling his dogs. Then today’s walk I passed an area where local farmers where trying to flush out foxes with dogs, to shot them. The route, walked straight into the “kill zone”, an open area on the edge of the wood. As the dogs had not yet aroused any foxes I entered ensuring all around knew I was human and not “fox”. Having passed the area, with lots of barking within the woods, I though of my return where I would not be in a position to give advanced warning of my presence. Luckily, upon my return some 2 hours later all were gone. In between I hadn’t heard any gun fire so it looks like the foxes had outsmarted the shooters.