Sunday 15 May 2011

DAY 7 - Hereford to Bishops Castle


Simon Sez

Visited central Hereford and the cathedral and we eventually set off at 11:00 am with a new rear wheel on John’s bike.  This was a lovely day cycling through rural Herefordshire into Worcestershire and then Monmouthshire.  I had my fifth coffee of the morning in Letton and we had chicken and leek pie for £2.99 at the Royal George in Lyonshall.  We cycled through the most beautiful valleys I have ever seen, particularly in Monmouthshire which is a rural paradise. Wild flowers line every lane in great abundance and the county appears devoid of people. It is steep and hilly but the valleys above the river Monnow are breathtaking.




Into Bishops Castle at 6:30pm.  I have to say Bishops Castle is my sort of town.  It is remote, old, rustic and full of charm.  It has a large cattle market. Population circa 1600. A long steep hill forms the High Street.  It has two breweries and 6 pubs starting with the Six Bells (own brewery) at the bottom and progressing up the steep hill – The Kings Head, The Vaults, The Boar’s Head, The Castle and finally The Three Tuns at the top. At the Six Bells we had a pint of “Cloud Nine” and excellent French Onion Soup, Beef Lasagne and Rhubarb Crumble.  We progressed up the hill sampling the delights of each pub as we went.  We finally made it into the Three Tuns at the top. It as the oldest licensed brewery in the UK dating from 1642 and its bitter – “1642” – is a real ale treat.



We stay at a very pleasant guest house, The Claremont. It has to be said that the sanitary arrangements were peculiar to say the least. The bedroom had a closet in which there was a loo, washbasin and shower unit in the closest possible proximity.  If you shut the closet doors when facing inwards your bottom is trapped. If you shut the doors when facing outwards you are in serious trouble.  When you shut the shower cubicle door your nose is pressed hard against it. John said he could’nt turn around in the shower. I could, just about, but only 1 arm at a time.



I could murder a cigar!



John's Note:   It sould be added that our hosts at the Claremont, Geoffrey & Amanda Price very generously took £5.00 each off our bill towards our respective charities.

We have now completed some 350 miles in our first week and are more or less on our original schedule.  Still a long way to go to Scotland.  It could be Independent before we get there!

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