Day 4: Chepstow to Ludlow (64 miles)

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We started the day with a fried breakfast at the "First Class Cafe" at Chepstow station, after which we crossed the River Wye back into England on our way towards the Forest of Dean.

We were in Wales for about 14 hours - long enough for me to discover that "parcio beiclau" was Welsh for "cycle parking".

Today, our fourth day, was the day when our legs eventually realised what we had been doing with them for the previous three days. As a result we all found our progress up the B4228 towards Ross on Wye rather harder work than we expected. First of all we had a long climb away from the Severn estuary (with fine views of the old Severn Bridge behind us). Then we had a series of ups and downs through the Forest of Dean which meant that by the time we reached Coleford, 12 miles from Chepstow, we were ready for an early coffee stop.

After leaving Coleford things became easier as we dropped down to the River Wye on our way to Ross.

From Ross on Wye we followed tiny country lanes along the Wye towards Hereford. Somewhere beyond the hamlet of Hole in the Wall we stopped for a picnic lunch, in an idyllic meadow beside the river. As we sat and ate we watched a series of people paddle canoes past carrying large barrels. They were on a management training course, presumably...

When we reached Hereford we stopped at Ian's mum's for tea and cake before pressing on along minor roads to Leominster and then Ludlow.


At Ludlow we're staying in the very pretty Church Inn, which could hardly be more central in a quaint location near the church.

Weather: the forecast was "light showers" but in fact it stayed dry, cool and breezy, with warm sunshine later in the afternoon.

Vital statistics: Distance: 64 miles. Average speed: 12.6 mph. Maximum speed 34.8 mph. Total distance from Land's End: 300 miles!

Tomorrow: Day 5 Ludlow to Northwich