DAY 3 - Llangatock to Hay
Monday 16th May 1983
23 miles/11 hours

I slept reasonably well and woke to a dry morning. Away at 8:15 - went to see 12th century inn but found it disappointing - the exterior anyway. I entered the tiny church - very pleasant. Some isolated box pews and the remains - the top beam - of what must have been an extraordinarily beautiful screen. Then set off again across the fields to Pandy (SO 338 220) where I hoped to get Gaz. All my efforts failed and a heavy downpour arrived but lasted only half an hour. I did get a pint of milk and some chocolate. I climbed on to the Black Mountains and at 1500feet the track along the Hatterrall Ridge looked good with magnificent views in all directions. The ridge path is about 9 miles long and, after that lovely start, rapidly deteriorates necessitating more and more frequent and wider and wider detours round patches of bog. Across on the Brecon Beacons I could see black storms breaking and early in the afternoon, they caught up with me. Huge hailstones hammered on by hood and back and then rain came down in torrents. The sky all round was black as ink except when split by vivid flashes of blue and white lightening. I plodded on regardless, and, fortunately, the track was so obvious as to need no route finding, but where the bad weather route diverged I did not see. At the highest point 2306feet or perhaps it was a mile before that at 2091feet where a large cairn stands, the slimy bog stretched uninterrupted for least half a mile in all directions - from ankle to knee deep and possibly more, with no visible way round. Appalling! The Walker is much too busy watching where he is putting his feet to be able adequately to admire the views and there comes a point where the sole objective is to get beyond all this awful black stench and back to firm ground again. What I had expected to do in two and a half hours took me five. Down to the road at last and after an abortive sally across country I took the advice of two ladies and returned to the road, to cover the last 3½ miles to Hay in just about an hour. Had a delicious pint at the Swan Inn, but they could not B&B me for a contractor had smashed the Hay gas main and they had not a whiff of gas. However, the Belmont Guest House took me in, gave me tea and a fine pile of ham sandwiches and a large bedroom with a colossal wardrobe, a washbasin and a 40W light in the middle of the room. The host was kind and friendly and the lady at the fish shop took great trouble to direct me, coming some way down the street although rain was beginning again. I booked in at 7:15 and then rang Marjorie. The news of Edna still not satisfactory. A very hard day on feet suffering a bit tonight, but legs have done unexpectedly well given no food between 7am and 7pm except milk, chocolate, oranges and glucose. Llangattock to Hay about 20 - 23 miles plus all the boggy diversions. I feel as if I never want to see the Black Mountains again. Not a very good night's sleep. The bed and pillows were too soft. When I opened the window traffic noise disturbed. Baths were 'strictly by request'. The lavatory seat was broken across and badly mended with Sellotape. Excellent breakfast at 8:15 and the bill was £8-50. A fellow lodger, a postman from Malsbury was on his first long distance walk starting from Knighton. And he will not go over the Hatterrall Ridge! I did some shopping and sent cards to Edna, Lou and Marg, John and Marjorie and posted home the only Ordnance Survey map I had carried. The guide book was adequate without them.
<Back  Next >