Last night I made the short journey over the Severn Bridge to the Drill
Hall in Chepstow, where there was a party to celebrate the 40th
anniversary of the Offa’s Dyke Path. I was lucky enough to walk the path in
1982 (southern section) and 1984 (northern section) and so along I went with my
faded photographs and moth-eaten 1982 vintage T-shirt to share my memories with like-minded
souls.
It was a very pleasant evening. The food was great, the band
(Shootin’ the Crow) were excellent and there were interesting displays
celebrating not only Offa’s Dyke Path, but National Trails in general.
There was a table for people to spread out their own photos from when they
walked the walk and this proved to be the focal point for folks to get together
and swap tales.
One lady said to me that she’d heard someone claim that walking
a long-distance trail could be a life changing experience and that, on
reflection, she thought that was probably true. I would agree. Walking Offa’s
Dyke when I was only 18 certainly had a lasting impact on me, and the friends I
walked it with.
Hillfort at Pandy |
We were pretty much fresh out of school when we did the
southern half. None of us were really experienced walkers, we just liked doing
mad, crazy things. We didn’t have a lot of money, we didn’t even have a tent.
We slept in plastic bivvy bags! But the memories of the walk live on vividly
with me. Pretending, Pythonesque, to be knights on horseback for the “ride” to
White Castle; sleeping in an ancient hill fort above Pandy; crossing the Black
Mountains in wilting heat, and having to quench our thirst with wild berries,
after one of our group had poured all the water away because it was too heavy;
the Mike Oldfield inspired pilgrimage to Hergest Ridge; the fear of heights
kicking in on Llangollen aqueduct; the overwhelming sense of achievement on arrival
in Prestatyn that prompted us to walk straight into the sea. Memorable?
Clearly, but life changing? Well, yes.
Chirk Castle |
One of our group met his future wife in Monmouth on the walk
and courted her by regularly cycling up from Portsmouth to the Wye Valley to see
her. They later ran the pub in Llandogo.
Nearly 20 years later I bought a house in Redbrook and my children still live
there. I celebrated my 40th at Llanthony Priory – I couldn’t think
of anywhere I’d rather spend my birthday. I returned to Llanthony this Easter,
walking up from Pandy, and the view down the valley to the Priory was still as
breathtaking as ever. And walking the trail instilled in me a longing to walk
other trails, a longing which has taken me (on foot, of course) to some wonderful
places around the world, such as the Annapurnas, the Inca Trail and Albania’s
Pindos Mountains.
40th Birthday Celebrations at Llanthony |
The same lady also commented that you didn’t see many
youngsters walking our national trails these days. I find that sad. Walking
Offa’s Dyke was such an important part of growing up for me. It taught me about
looking out for my mates and about overcoming adversity. And it taught me to
appreciate how lucky we are to live in a country where such wonderful trails
are accessible to all.
Finally a mention for the people at National Trails who are
doing such a great job promoting Offa’s Dyke and the other National Trails,
including the newly launched All Wales Coast Path, which looks amazing, and
also a plug for the 38 Degrees “Save Our Countryside” petition, which I would
urge everyone to sign to prevent the government bringing in changes to the
planning system which could threaten our National Trails as well as the network
of local footpaths and other greenfield areas.
No comments:
Post a Comment