Been out and about

So it has been a month since my last post  - work (exam season is here) and DIY tasks have been set (and completed by the Better Half). Gaming, making and painting stuff has been non existent .... I need to get play some games as the painting mojo, which normally feeds the "I need" this new model itch has worn off at the moment. Probably just as well take I can't make UK Games Expo at the weekend with the rest of the collective.

So what have I been up to - well this week I have visited Wales .... well the marcher land to be more precise. The better half and I have had a couple of days around Chepstow. I liked Chepstow - it is a bit quiet in the evening (like I'm late night party animal?), but it has a Castle!

It is obviously a ruined Castle, but it a one you can have a good wander about it - with some great views of the Wye and England (I do have lots of pictures, but I have chosen to spare you the slide show). It was one of the first Castle's that the Norman put up after the conquest - added to for a good 400 years or so - before the English Civil War did for it. Well worth the visit. After the Castle we had a few drinks and planned the next day ....

Which was .....Raining! Typical as we had planned a walk to Tintern Abbey - Along Offa's Dyke! Actually started raining when we started the walk. Yet more military fortifications to look at during the day! Good times.

To be honest the 6 mile or so stretch that we walked from Chepstow didn't have a vast amount of Dyke - first bit was at least a mile in, but a cracking walk to Tintern.

Tintern Abbey is another spectacular ruin - this one down to Henry VIII and worth a visit - we did stop for a coffee to get out the the rain. Due to the rain we headed back to Chepstow on the Wye Valley Walk, through some amazing woodlands (there are apparently some great views, but we didn't see them because of the rain).

The walk back was another 6 or so miles - In total around 12 miles (should do this in km as it is a much better system of measurement - so about 19 km) with a total of around 450 m of ascent from Chepstow to Tintern to Chepstow. Better weather would have make the walk easier as we would have had more breaks for views and stuff to eat - I think the better half felt it was a route march. 

For the final day in Wales we headed up to Raglan Castle (also to get VFM out of the 3 day pass for the Welsh Monuments we picked up at Chepstow).

Raglan is another impressive ruin - again due to the Civil War. Again plenty to wander around and see. It does boggle my mind how they built these structures - the Castles just shout out power and money and Offa's Dyke - 150 or so miles of earthworks, so for shear size just a bit mind blowing - especially as they are still here a visible after 1200-500 years! Will the Millennium Dome - sorry the O2 still be around or will that go the same way as the Crystal Palace?
Anyway Raglan well worth the visit - not bad 3 sets of Military fortifications in 3 days. I'd done well there. After Raglan we visited Monmouth - a nice little town (with a Castle which we didn't visit .... this time).

In summary well worth visiting Chepstow and the Wye Valley, as we had a cracking mini-break there. Perhaps some MTB in the Forest of Dean next time.

Morts


For more info on Chepstow, Tintern and Raglan - visit Wikipedia, their websites or the places themselves.