03/04/24 - Father Ted Geocaching from the Lion Inn, Trellech

 The first of 2024's goals ticked off

You may think a single Geocaching round is unworthy to be on a goal-list that includes other challenges such as achieve 1050 Good Beer Guide Ticks and walk 1000 miles. But there is more to this than meets the eye.

The 25 caches presented are "Mystery Caches" that require solving.  Here's an example;

So, that's 25 episodes of Father Ted that needed to be watched to get the clues.

As one of the best comedies of all time, this was no hardship. Although sobering to see that I now have nine years on Dermot Morgan unlucky innings.

Over a couple of months, all the information was gathered. A spare Sunday earmarked to head down to Trellech, South Wales, with no consideration to the conditions.

Oh no.... the Geocacher's Nemesis.

Snow in South Wales

Mrs M tag's along. 7 miles of Tupperware hunting in the woods is not her idea of fun, but a Sunday Lunch out is promised. She's under the strict instructions not to moan, which she is keen to remind me off when I kick off. Digging boxes out of snow and ice - when you are lucky enough to spot the Geocaching hint - is not necessarily conducive to a happy day out.

So we give up, and concentrate on a fine walk. Trellech Common more a forest than my definition of common land, but fine tracks under blue skies.  Where's that meme of Kolo Toure saying "there is no need to be upset"?

.

Caches in them, thar woods.... usually under stumps.

Onto the village - and the pub.

Trellech - a fascinating village filled with history from the ancients to the Normans. I've visited twice before and been subject to the panel of dubious ticks, as both times the Lion Inn has been closed.

Not today, we have a table booked in this Good Beer Guide stalwart.

Fitting Finale

It's popular, packed and thankfully with more than enough staff running around providing quick service. A two roomer, with roaring fire in each and the Sunday lunch was perfect.  Its always going to score highly when cauliflower cheese is part of the base deal and not a five pound surcharge.

Walk Details

Distance - 7 Miles

Geoaches - 25 available, 11 found.  Blame the Snow

First Cache

27/12/22 - Monmouth - Struggling for post walk refreshment

Distance - 6.5 Miles

Walk Inspiration - Country Walking Magazine, October 2018, Walk 21

Geocaches - 4 and an Adventure Lab Cache

You would think it would be easy. Finish a walk in a historically important market town. Have a pint.

My suspicions were aroused by the lack of current recommendation in the Good Beer Guide, but with plenty of pubs on Google Maps, I remained naively optimistic. 

Walking the Wye Valley has been an annual Christmas Tradition for 15+years and there are still discoveries to be made. Today, I am heading north along the river, aiming for St Peters Church at Dixton. This is the sort of landscape where the church was already described as old in the C8th Century.

Heading North along the River Wye

Whitewashed walls of St Peters Church

Right on the river bank, the church often floods. Inside, are markers showing the height of the flood water. Global Warming conspiracy theorists would point out that the worst floods were in 1947. Global Warming activists would point out the frequency of the floods in the last 20 years.

1947 marker higher than 6ft

Manson's Lane takes me up and over a hill to Monmouth's other river - the Monnow - and back into town.

River Monnow, before it joins the Wye

An Adventure Lab Cache to show me the historical sights.. which includes the only fortified medieval bridge in Great Britain.

Through the arch in search of a pint

Stage 3 of the cache is the Robin Hood Pub - a C15th Century building with a very C21st sign detailing problems with logistics.

I would have gone in

But that's it for the 27th Dec

At this point, I am not concerned, but keen to get the best experience for the Mappiman dollar.  There is a mighty fine looking JDW and indeed, I walked in but seeing only the core triptych of Ruddles, Abbot and Doom Bar, thought I could do better.

Should have stuck at the Kings Head

I couldn't get the bar tender off her phone to serve me in the Punch House opposite and walking to the former GBG Tick of the Old Nag's Head proved fruitless.  A 4pm opener. The equally historic Queens Head looked permanently closed, with no sign of life at all - but all seems good on their web site. The shortest day recently celebrated.  Ironically, my quest for a pint is turning into the longest day.

And then I think I find pay dirt. A bass sign, on the outside of the Griffin.

Looks like my sort of place

The bass sign may well be former advertising but the little black sign proclaims "Craft Beer", so I should be OK.

In through the door and I am not sure what I have entered. It appeared to be an antique shop.  Further research indicates its a vintage bicycle repair shop.  Flustered, I answer by own question by saying "Oh, this is not a pub".

I wasn't corrected or indeed offered the chance to purchase craft beer. But drinking in such an environment would have been too weird, even for me.  See if you can work out what they are aiming at on their website.

A disappointingly dry walk. And a promise for 2023. 

I will not be going into a KFC again.

01/01/2022 - Chepstow Park Wood Geocaching and the Lion Inn, Trellech

Distance - 4 Miles

Geocaches - 25

First Cache

Heading down to the Wye Valley - a journey I've made every year since 2005 - I chicane through the timeless village of Trellech.  Impressive church and pub opposite, where I am sure I notice the sky blue flash of the 2022 Good Beer Guide sticker proudly displayed on the front door.

Something to investigate post walk.

First the context.  I like traditions to frame the year and in 2005, I did one of my first serious rambles from Tintern to Chepstow and back.  I've followed it up with a visit every year, never repeating the same route.  This year, I had planned to head to Eagle's Nest but when looking at the available geocaches, I spotted a new Geocache trail of Geoart mystery caches in Chepstow Park Wood.  Solving the riddles gave me something to do in the quiet week before the festivities began in earnest.

On the warmest New Years Day ever, I head on down for a 15 degree walk.  In stark contrast to the last time I was geocaching in this area in 2010.  Ice flows coming down the Wye.  Caches that needed digging out the snow.

Chepstow Park Wood - Entry

The trail is completely contained within the woodland.  A popular dog walking area and they are nosier than most.  On dipping back from a hide, a woman shouts at me from some distance behind "what are you looking for?".  She becomes that engrossed in my explanation of Geocaching that she loses one of her dogs.  A chance for me to escape and continue my nefarious activities undisturbed.

Any other problems?  My post Xmas belly has become too big for my always tight fitting softshell.  The pen was squeezed out the pocket by about cache 5, meaning the rest of the finds had to be recorded by photo logs.  I have 15 photos, mainly like this.

Finding Filmpots in the Woods

The woodland provides a very decent and not too muddy ramble.  Unusually, I find all the caches, resulting in some perfect geoart on my caching map.  Many thanks to ChepstowRomans for a good day.

Geoaching - A inspiration source for a good walk

Resulting in perfect Geoart - and a couple of outliers from 11 years ago

To Trellech and the an investigation of the pub.

I pull into the car park, where a couple of families are getting booted and suited for their own ramble.

A couple of obligatory photos before rattling the door.

An unexpected first tick of the 2022?

Its a solid looking Country Inn

A Little Lion Decal on the Porch Roof

Except the door doesn't open.  I check with the families to ask if they know what the situation is.  They say they are hoping to use the pub after their walk.

At least the pub are keeping social media up-to-date.

I don't have the heart to break the bad news to them.  My first GBG tick of 2022 is going to the dubious ticks committee. 

Looking at the time of the post, they must have seen the car park users

26/12/19 - Tintern Wye Valley Hotel to Devils Pulpit

Distance - 6 Miles
Walk Inspiration - Country Walking Magazine - Jan 2017
Geocaches - 1


14th annual Xmas walk in Tintern.   A quick check of the 2020 Good Beer Guide reveals that the sole entry in these parts is the Wye Valley Hotel.   As this establishment is at the very edge of town, far away from the Abbey, I've never visited it.

Time for that to be corrected, even if it means a good 1/2 mile along the road until the real walking action is picked up at the old footbridge.

And like every walk this winter, its very muddy action.

Poor Conditions, but better than watching Bond films on ITV4

The aim is to get up onto Offa's Dyke Path, eat turkey sandwiches at Devils Pulpit and then come back along the former railway line running next to the River Wye.    The paths cut through the woodland, where everything's gone green and occasional views are offered over the Severn Estuary and across the water to the ruined abbey.

Its a lovely, atmospheric walk.

Heading up to Offas Dyke

After attempting to convert the monks, Turkey Sandwiches

The Abbey, from the other side of the Water

The 1/2 mile back to the Wye Valley Hotel passes two pubs.   The Anchor always serves a decent pint of Otter and the Rose and Crown positively encourages me to enter - claiming a warm welcome awaits muddy dogs and their owners.

I shun them, having a tick to get.  A tick that remains ungot.

2pm on a Boxing Day afternoon and the place is locked and bottled.   The sign next to the door offers no indication - just the menu.   Signs of life inside, but even with my dog whispering skills, I am not going to be able to convince a greyhound to unscrape the bolt through the power of mime.

How very strange.    Nothing for it, I'm back at the anchor to meet an otter.

I inquire about what fate has befell the Wye Valley Hotel, wondering if its gone the way of the much revered Cherry Tree Inn in the village.   A 35 year ever present in the bible was not enough to save that place from conversion to houses.

They tell me that it has gone bankrupt.   Twitter indicates it won a 5 star hygiene award only two days ago.

Either the information is hot off the press or the greyhound's owners simply fancied a bank holiday off.

I'll check again in Xmas 2020