Did a 7 mile circular, yesterday, just west of
Four Crosses, Llandysilio. It must be over 10 years since we had walked in this area and the road improvements had altered things a bit, resulting in a quiet cul de sac to park in beside an underpass to cross the A483. We started walking south along the Montgomery Canal, but this does not link into other footpaths like normal canals, so a hairy barewire encounter was needed to access a bridge. It was some miles before we found a way marker, a farmer setting up a state of the art clay pidgeon thrower, pointed out the direction for Deuddwr correcting my pronunciation to Doowthar, surprisingly we stayed very close to the righteous way, quite unintentionally as the area is well blessed with them. It is that they are not marked or furnished and hedges appear to be allowed to grow over those places not provided with gates(plenty of these).
Altogether a lovely area to explore, got back on the canal near the Llanymynech aqueduct crossing the River Vyrnwy and my back just lasted out the last mile, a quiet sit down by last canal bridge eased of the damaged done by swinging over undulating barbed wire suspended by lively creeking posts.
Enjoyed a couple of pints of Black Sheep with a weekday Sunday roast in the Bradford Arms, Llanymynech, happily surprised that it was a bank holiday and we had not met another walker, except one lone trekker doing Offa's Dyke Trail on the canal footpath. (+ a few dogs accompanied)