Journal: |
There's nothing worse than needing to get up to go to the loo
when you're snug in your sleeping bag on a cold night in the woods.
Doesn't happen too often, but happened last night. Apart from
that I slept well and wasn't disturbed by anybody apart from the
sound of cars on the nearby road in the morning. Not much
breeze last night, so a fair bit of condensation inside the tent
when I packed up at 7:45am.
I left about 8:10am and, after a couple of kilometres at the
junction with a main road, passed a little store where I bought some
breakfast and sat at a picnic table outside watching the world go
by. Then, conscious that I had a long way to go, walked
steadily for the next two hours passing initially through some
pretty rural country and tiny old stone villages along country lanes
and footpaths. Then I emerged into civilization at
Easton-in-Gordano where there was a lot of settlement and industry
and I joined a bike path attached to the M5 Motorway to cross the
industrialised Avon.
After crossing the River, the route followed a pleasant path
along a thin park and woodland with suburbs either side. It
was easy walking on a lovely sunny day through woods and across
parkland. Lots of locals were out too. I passed Blaise
Castle, a folly built in 1766 by some noble and later briefly
visited Blaise Hamlet, a little group of historic thatched cottage
around a green designed by John Nash in 1809. They were like
something out of a fairy tale. I soldiered on, feet hurting,
following the route that crossed a number of low rural hills and
gave me my first view of the Severn Bridge that I was aiming for.
I reached the village of Easter Compton just before 2pm and ordered
some lunch (they stopped serving food at 2pm, so I was lucky).
After lunch the route was mostly flat and across farmland via
country lanes, bridleways and some difficult field paths. In
one paddock, I encountered some feisty young bulls who weren't
disposed to let me pass and, at one point, one of them began pawing
the ground with its head lowered. I did a lot of yelling and
waving of a trekking pole and escaped unscathed.
I eventually reached the Severn Bridge at 5pm and began the long
haul across. By this time my feet were very sore and it was a
bit of a trudge across the 3km span, although there were some
excellent views. At the end of the bridge I entered the outer
parts of Chepstow, having resolved to take the first lodging I could
find. Unfortunately, I didn't find anything for another few
kilometres, but then got a nice room at a pub serving cheap meals in
the heart of the old town and just 50m from the Post Office where I
collect my next set of maps and my on-mailed boots. I think I
will start wearing the latter again, but with two pairs of socks.
It seems my feet get more tired in the running shoes than they did
in the boots. Although it adds the the weight of my pack, I
think I'll carry both for a while. Occasional swapping may
also help the feet.
I'm now in Wales and tomorrow will start following the Offa's
Dyke Path north from Chepstow. If I had been able to book my
room for two nights here, I would have had a day off, but they're
fully booked tomorrow night.
|