Day 4 of 14 done and today was such a pleasure. I am between mountain ranges and very much appreciated the valley time today. Do not get me wrong, there were some doozy climbs but loads of rolling slopes too and these stems can eat those kilometers right up!

After a ride back up to Dinas Bras at 930am I started my day. A couple+ hours later than my preference but that is how B&Bs roll … if you want the breaky part of the B&B that is!

The day started with a lane walk but quickly shifted into fields and a lot of forest walking too – so quiet and so soft underground in the forest! Trevor Hall Forest was perfection!

From forest to canal! I was excited to walk along the canal for a while – seeing the very long passenger boats go by was so neat. Next time I think a canal ride between towns and then walking the rest of a day would be magic.

I chose the low path along the canal to get photos of the 126 foot high aqua-duct that the canal runs across (even the boats). The walk way on the aqua-duct is an alternative Offa’s Dyke Path route for those who like heights and we have established I do not!

After my canal time, it was field to lane to rocky trail again for the rest of the afternoon. The threat of rain hung in the air all day – but only torrential rained twice for a short time (less than 30mins) and immediately followed by sunny skies! Yahoo.

I did have a run in with some very stubborn milk cows .. these little jerks would not move so I could walk through. They just looked at me and kept eating grass. When I did a little arms wide ‘move on ladies’ they all stopped eating and looked at me.

That scared me a little, so I used the barb wire fence to try to gracefully cross a cow crap / bog swamp thing and well that failed miserably when I slipped off a stone into the ick and could feel my blister burst on impact. Ugh so sanitary.

Finally made my way across the poo bog and gave all the cows a wide berth to get across the field. But then they started following me. Ugh I double timed it big time! I am not drinking milk for a week – that will learn em!

(When I did Hadrian’s Wall Path in 2008 I was literally chased by a bull so I may be a little sensitive to the whole bovine thing.)

One of my big highlights today was meeting a fantastic couple on this bridge. They retired in Australia and are on a 3 month walking holiday, they have done a few Paths here I Uk have done (like Wes Highland Way) and a few I want to (like Coast to Coast) and … believe it or not .. they will be doing the Cotswold at the same time we are! Chess and Susie – hope to see you again but maybe let’s not stand about chatting for 30mins on the Path next time 😉 Pub would be better!

I finished up my day at 21km today and caught my transport into Oswestry – another fantastic little town to check out!

That last one there is my wee home for the night and my room has a Nespresso and a milk frother in it! I have not had a coffee since I left home – I may have done a little happy dance and forgave the cow jerks from earlier.

Tomorrow I am off to Welshpool which will be a 24km walk with more time on the canal – my foot is loving the easy walking. A good ‘rest’ as the next mountain days are looming.

Brandé