18 May 2010 - Chepstow to Monmouth
Distance - 16.7 miles
Weather - Sunny
We stayed at - Bistro Prego, 7 Church Street, Monmouth, Monmouthshire, NP25 3BX Cost - £60.00
The next morning when we went to check out of the Castle View Hotel we found that the manager had not added our evening meal and drinks onto our bill. Being honest we pointed this out to the member of staff on duty, who took my card number and said they would look into it. When we got home we found a copy of the card transaction waiting for us, without so much as a thank you written on it!
Feeling a bit more refreshed than last night, we took a little time to look round the outside of Chepstow Castle before heading on our way over an old bridge over the River Wye. We were going to be close to the River Wye all day today. I must confess to loving the countryside around the Wye Valley and the Forest of Dean and found it really difficult to choose a single path through all this lovely scenery when I was planning our LEJOG. We decided in the end though, to simply follow the Offa's Dyke for the next few days up to Knighton. We used the National Trail Guide, Offa's Dyke Path South - Chepstow to Knighton for this part of the journey.
The first place of note we reached was the lovely Wintour's Leap, which is named after the Royalist Sir John Wintour, who was meant to have leapt off the cliff to escape Parliamentary forces and after landing safely in the Wye, swam to Chepstow Castle. He sounds like a medieval James Bond and the plot is just as believable!
The first place of note we reached was the lovely Wintour's Leap, which is named after the Royalist Sir John Wintour, who was meant to have leapt off the cliff to escape Parliamentary forces and after landing safely in the Wye, swam to Chepstow Castle. He sounds like a medieval James Bond and the plot is just as believable! 
The Offa's Dyke path continued through woodland and passed by the Devil's Pulpit, a large rock, which the Prince of Darkness used to preach from to try and corrupt the monks at nearby Tintern Abbey. I could see why he chose this spot, as there was a great view down to the abbey from here. After Brockweir and some refreshments, there was a choice of paths to follow, as it was a gorgeous day we took the longer, riverside walk up to Bigsweir Bridge. There we left the River Wye and headed into some heavily perfumed bluebell woods by a place called The Fence.
We gradually ascended quite a way until we reached Highbury Hill Farm with its curious battlemented buildings. There was a spectacular view of an old railway bridge near Redbrook, before a really steep descent through two fields and a further sixty-seven steps down to the village. We were meant to follow the Offa's Dyke path up to the Naval Temple and the Kymin, but we missed the turning and entered Monmouth by another route. Bistro Prego was a real find. We enjoyed a lovely meal, then just had to walk upstairs to bed!
We gradually ascended quite a way until we reached Highbury Hill Farm with its curious battlemented buildings. There was a spectacular view of an old railway bridge near Redbrook, before a really steep descent through two fields and a further sixty-seven steps down to the village. We were meant to follow the Offa's Dyke path up to the Naval Temple and the Kymin, but we missed the turning and entered Monmouth by another route. Bistro Prego was a real find. We enjoyed a lovely meal, then just had to walk upstairs to bed!
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