Day 11 - Kington to Hay-on-Wye

After a couple of shorter days, this was a longer walk. The first half climbed a hill to Hergest Ridge, a long, flat grassy hill busy with dog walkers atop which sits the site of an old Victorian horse racing course and a small grove of monkey puzzle trees. There were great views from the top and especially the end of the ridge which ends in a viewpoint overlooking the village of Gladestry.

Passing through Gladestry, which contains little except another pub called The Royal Oak, I crossed some fields before climbing Disgwylfa Hill, another expanse of flat moorland.

Down the other side lay Newchurch, where Kate, Lindsay and the collies were meeting me for lunch. We sat on a grassy spot in the churchyard abs envied a delicious picnic that they had brought, washed down with tea and coffee which we made the happy discovery were on offer in the form of an honesty cafe set up on a table in the church.

After a hearty repast, they joined me for a short part of the walk to get me going then said goodbye, for the last time during this trip, and waved me off to continue my travels

And on I went, another 7 or so miles their gentle rolling hills and farmland until at last I reached the river Wye, where a group of canoeists were paddling along.

Crossing the bridge I entered the town of Hay-on-Wye which was awash with throngs of visitors here for the book festival, but I didn't hang around long as this was the bank holiday weekend for the queen’s diamond jubilee and all the while I’d been walking today, my Mum had been driving down from Edinburgh with my partner Sophie and daughter Isabelle in the car to join me for the weekend…