Author Topic: Glyndwrs Way  (Read 4073 times)

jea_p

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Glyndwrs Way
« on: 11:12:49, 26/07/17 »
Hi all,


Haven't logged on for ages but have kept abreast of interesting topics on the forum. Hoping you're all managing to get out and about in this variable weather.


I'm starting the Glyndwrs Way this Saturday and hoping to finish in 8 days, although a serious lack of (meaning no) preparation will make it more challenging. Did Offa's Dyke last year so won't be making it a circular as I've done the Knighton border stretch too recently. Will be starting in Welshpool and am cheating by using my parents house as a base (they live so close to most points of the walk that it seems silly to spend money on B&Bs or carry extra weight). Anyways fingers crossed for good weather and give us a wave if you're out and about on the path.


Cheers,

 
Jea_p   

glovepuppet

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Re: Glyndwrs Way
« Reply #1 on: 11:46:04, 26/07/17 »
Good luck! Let us know how you get on.  O0

gunwharfman

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Re: Glyndwrs Way
« Reply #2 on: 13:31:54, 26/07/17 »
Yes, please let us know. I'm thinking of doing this hike in the next couple of weeks, is it ok for campsites and even more important is it ok for pubs and food?

Doddy

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Re: Glyndwrs Way
« Reply #3 on: 13:11:15, 01/08/17 »
 Glyndwrs Way
Sorry for the delay in replying, I have finished the North Downs Way since then. It went well I had great weather. I did wild camp as well.
Ask farmer for site *Lower Bailey Farm, Llangunlo; Greyhound pub is open in village; Campsite at Cefn Suran is open; *Brandy House campsite, Felindre*; Lunch one time at Radnorshire Arms Bugeildy; *Campsite with shower and pitch at the Abbey, Abbey-cwm-hir; Campsite at Esgair Fochnant is open;* Campsite at Doll Lys, Llandidloe; * White Lion Machyllyneth; *Wynnstay Pub BnB at Llanbrynmair. Pub was closed at Meiford, please check.
*I did use these

Ridge

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Re: Glyndwrs Way
« Reply #4 on: 13:43:21, 01/08/17 »
I'm confused Doddy, are you and jea_p an item?

Doddy

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Re: Glyndwrs Way
« Reply #5 on: 14:17:02, 01/08/17 »
No.Puzzled why you should ask, unless it is because it is while since we both posted..  

Doddy

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Re: Glyndwrs Way
« Reply #6 on: 14:18:30, 01/08/17 »

No.Puzzled why you should ask, unless it is because it is a while since we both posted.

Ridge

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Re: Glyndwrs Way
« Reply #7 on: 14:30:27, 01/08/17 »
Hi and welcome back.


When I read your post it felt like a continuation of jea_p's one
Glyndwrs Way
Sorry for the delay in replying, I have finished the North Downs Way since then. It went well I had great weather.
So I was wondering if you had walked together or you had an alter-ego.

gunwharfman

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Re: Glyndwrs Way
« Reply #8 on: 16:40:54, 02/08/17 »
If the present weather eases up I think I will train it to Knighton and start hiling next Monday or Tuesday. I am now free for the whole of August and I've got to do something! So glad I didn't book a trip by plane to Europe, the queues look dreadful!

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2017/08/02/daily-mail-front-page-eu-airport-queues_n_17654232.html?utm_hp_ref=uk

This gives me food for thought about one way of feeding us with the news!

bricam2096

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Re: Glyndwrs Way
« Reply #9 on: 20:00:52, 02/08/17 »


When I read your post it felt like a continuation of jea_p's oneSo I was wondering if you had walked together or you had an alter-ego.

I think the confusion has arisen because Doddy had made a separate thread about this walk... http://www.walkingforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=34401.msg496487#msg496487

The OP will probably still be on the trail if they started on Saturday  O0
LDWs done - 32 in total including 16 National Trails and 3 C2C

Wainwrights 176
www.brians-walks.co.uk

Doddy

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Re: Glyndwrs Way
« Reply #10 on: 11:19:37, 03/08/17 »
I understand now.Well spotted.
Some walk to remember, some walk to forget.] :)








gunwharfman

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Re: Glyndwrs Way
« Reply #11 on: 11:57:37, 09/08/17 »
After a flurry of work related matters, I delayed and delayed, until today! I've just booked my train fare to Knighton (via Bristol) and will arrive there about 15.50hrs tomorrow. I'll camp somewhere near the town that night and start the Glyndwrs Way first thing Friday morning. Anyone in the area, to hike or to have a pint with?

I'm going to use my Zephyros One tent, not my favourite, but needs must. My best liked tent a Marmot Pulsar 1P is out of action, 4 short poles broken whilst hiking the Pennine Journey a few weeks ago and I have been unable to find replacements. Tried Marmot USA, Marmot UK a Scottish company but no luck. Costing me a fortune in sending the broken poles to guide them! I might buy a new tent soon but definitely not a Marmot! They do not seem to be interested in offering a spares service, Marmot UK looked for 'spares that might be in their warehouse' there was none, but they were happy to sell me a new tent! NO!

When I finish at Welshpool I then have two choices, to catch a train home, via London, or to carry on walking back to Knighton via Offas Dyke and then return via Bristol again. I'll decide later.

jea_p

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Re: Glyndwrs Way
« Reply #12 on: 12:34:29, 11/08/17 »
Hi all,


Apologies for the delay in replying. Glyndwrs Way went well - finished last Saturday and managed to avoid the worst of the weather, although I lost count of the amount of times I put on and took off the waterproofs. All in all I enjoyed the walk except for the fact that there's quite a lot of road walking involved. The trail was relatively well signposted and only went wrong a couple of times where posts had been knocked over or there was some ambiguity with the arrow pointing direction. I had the luxury of a car picking me up and dropping me off so didn't have to worry about accommodation, but my route was as follows: -


Day 1


Started in Welshpool on the Saturday - lots of places to stay / eat with good travel connections. It's quite a nice walk out of town and you follow the direction of a steam railway, so more then once was jolted from my reverie by loud blasts of the whistle. I ended up stopping in Dolanog, which has nothing of note (didn't see a pub and travel connections looked very rare - has got toilets though) but the walk along the river to get there was very pleasant. Length was about 18.5 miles.


Day 2


Left Dolanog and headed into more remote territory. Bad weather this day so didn't hang around but remember crossing a fair few upland marshy areas. Good signage though so was able to pick myself across, without having to refer to the map in the rain. Stop point for the day was a place called Dolwen, which is on a narrow road and very difficult to find for cars (no clear indication other than a farm name called Dolwen). Again not much here but I'm sure I saw camping possibilities around. Length to here was approx 19 miles


Day 3


Don't remember much of this day other than you pass through a couple of villages, one of which is Abercegir which I was originally going to stop at but pushed on to Penergoes - campsites galore and maybe a pub or two. You're not that far from Machynlleth at this point so a taxi / bus probably wouldn't be a problem. Length was approx 20 miles


Day 4

Nice parts of the trail on this day - you go through Machynlleth and up the other side of the town so plenty of good photo opportunities. I stopped at a place called Llwynygog which is pretty rural but there is a village called Staylittle not that far from here, which possibly had accommodation in. Someone has fenced over the path and one of the gates falls on top of you when you open it (both reported to trail officer).   Length was approx 20 miles


Day 5

Worst day for me not due to trail but felt drained of energy for large parts of it - probably as a result of zero training for the walk and front loading the miles to the first four days. I stopped at a place called Newchapel, pretty sure I saw camping signs but not much here. You pass through Llanidloes to get here so good place to stop if you're not getting picked up. I think this was the day I walked around Clywedog reservoir, which was nice. Length was approx 14.5 miles


Day 6

 
Another day that I don't remember featuring anything out of the ordinary. Length was approx 15.5 miles


Day 7


I think this was one of favorite days of the walk - plenty of off roading and some slopes to slog up. Length was approx 14.5 miles
         


Day 8

Left on path 2 miles from Beguildy and crossed mainly farmland. There was a rally car track halfway along the route, which rather spoiled the quiet and solitary plodding I was enjoying and the path here needs some trimming of vegetation. Fairly easier romp to the end with plenty of downhill sections along gravelly tracks. You follow the ridge above knighton for a mile or two which is nice, but I ended up losing the path when in the town. Ended up at the Offa's Dyke Centre, but the Clocktower endpoint isn't far from there. Plenty of shops, pubs and transport links here, and as gunwharfman mentions you can walk back to Welshpool along the Dyke route. Incidentally I did Offa's Dyke last year and you can see the route into Knighton from walking along the ridge of Glyndwrs Way into town. Definitely a more popular path. Length was approx 14 miles.


Note that there are shed loads of cattle along the route, with most herds with calves. Some were more inquisitive then others but it wasn't a good time to go if you have a fear of walking through the beasts. Additionally, the path has a number of diversion routes from the original trail, but these are well signposted to no real concern.


Hoping you're enjoying the trip gunwharfman and the weather is being kind to you.


Cheers,


Jea_p

fernman

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Re: Glyndwrs Way
« Reply #13 on: 15:57:39, 11/08/17 »
An interesting read, jea_p, thanks for posting.

gunwharfman

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Re: Glyndwrs Way
« Reply #14 on: 15:59:49, 19/08/17 »
I just got back from the Glyndwrs Way. I really enjoyed it, it made a real change from the Pennine Way type routes, well worn paths, other hikers, no real brain power demands to know which way to go and the population en-route have not yet got used to lots of hikers. The route was fairly easy, it was well marked but there were many twists and turns so I had to keep my eyes open and on the ball! It was also more than hilly enough to make me break into a sweat, to make my legs ache and to feel isoloted on so many days. In fact I did not one single hiker anywhere, either coming towards me or overtaking!

One or two interesting matters though. Easy for me to get to Knighton by train and only £27 single. I liked Knighton and also noticed how cheap the property is there compared to where I live. I'm not thinking about moving!

The route was very scenic, more than enough hills to satisfy anyone other than die hard mountaineer types. I think the best guide that I read was by 'ramblingman.org' so I will not try to match him in any way. One or two places deserve a mention. At the end of my first day I camped at Brandy House farm, Felindre and the owner was so hospitable! He let me camp on his lawn, he bought me a large piece of Victoria Sponge and a pot of tea as I was putting my tent up, he booked me a place at a nearby pub so I could eat and get in a couple of pints, he also drove me there and collected me when I finished. A real gent! When I settled my bill he said £10! I tried to give him more but he refused. Ramblingman writes about the same experience!

The next night was at Abbeycwmhir, a small hamlet and I camped at Home Farm. I had a huge field all to myself, when I tried to pay the owner insisted that it was free! The one pub did not open until 8.00pm and did not serve food.

I eventually wandered into Llanidloes (a nice ordinary camp site nearby, £7.50) and in the morning I wandered into the small town again and had breakfast in a small cafe. I was soon joined by four older local people (about my age or a bit more, 72) who sat and moaned that their only bank was soon to close. They had always worked in cash or had written cheques and with great pride said they did not have the internet, had never used a card and  would never do so! Its the devils work!

I became part of that conversation and felt obliged to point out they will have to drag themselves a bit into my world, to at least get a card and use the hole in the wall machine otherwise they could really fall on hard times. None of them knew how the difference between a cash card, a debit card or a credit card either. They were still coughing, spluttering and protesting about it all as I left!

I also want to mention Machynlleth. I walked into the town, nice coffee and cake shop there and saw signgs to the Tourist Information office. Only one problem, it had closed two years ago so I was told. I went to the local council office and they recommended a camp site that had only opened this year and it was in the direction of the Glyndwrs Way. Off I strolled and then it started to rain hard! In 1.5 miles along a main road I found the site, Penrhosmawr, just off it. It was a farmhouse and a couple of mobile home. I thought I would be camping almost next to the house but no! The owner said to jump in his car and he drove me for about half a mile or more up and along a muddy farm track. It was still raining very hard!

Soon we came to the end of the track. Directly ahead of me was a single gate with a clear sign saying Glyndwrs Way straight on. To my left was some derelict building with a brand new toilet/shower block, with hot water, attached. The owner pointed around and said that I could camp anywhere I liked. I looked and saw 'thousands' of sheep and a large field straddling the farm track but just to the right of the gate was a very nice flat grassed area, sheltered by the field boundry hedge and partly taken up by three white Glamping tents, all empty. I asked how much for one night? £15 said he!!!

I was not amused and commented that seems a bit steep, he shrugged his shoulders! The rain was still coming down in torrents, it was 3pm, I was a bit damp, cold, I was captured! I paid up. Ok, I would have been happy to part with £5 or even £7.50 but the £15 really wound me up! The owner then left.

I dumped my gear in the shower block (very nice) and had a look around. This was not a camp site by my definition, this was a large sloping field of [censored] sheep and when I decided where I would pitch my tent (on a flat bit) I had to kick away loads of it to clear a space for my groundsheet.

I pitched my tent, got in and had to stay there until dawn the following day. The rain never stopped until about 5am, waves and waves of it pounded my tent all night! I stayed dry!

The next morning I packed strolled through the gate and was on my way again.

If I had known better I could have followed the Glyndwrs out of Machynlleth through Forge and I would have then been walking up the farm track that the owner had driven me. If I had done this I would never have guessed that this was a so called 'camp site', I'm not even sure if I would have noticed the toilet/shower block. I am sure that I would have noticed the flat area for a wild camp, just where I had already pitched my tent, it would have glared at me, Camp Here!, Camp Here! and by walking from Forge I wouldn't have had to pay. Grrr!

Yes, for me a really good hike and hard to believe that in the UK their is still some large areas of small population in such a large land area. One thing though, because of rain and dew I had to walk through loads of long grass fields, damp woods and heather moorland. I'm glad I've gone back to leather boots, my outer boots seemed to be forever wet, but my feet stayed completely DRY!
 


 

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