Losing the plot near Monmouth

One of the Facebook groups I follow is Old Industry and History of the Forest of Dean. Being a relative newcomer, I don't expect to contribute anything meaningful, but I do learn a lot about the area that is now my home. A few weeks ago someone posted a photo of "The MASSIVE Monmouth viaduct, closed down in 1959." That sounded rather interesting, so last Monday I set out to investigate.

To make a pleasant 6 mile walk of it I parked in Redbrook with the intention of following the red route that I've marked on this map – up the east bank of the Wye, over an old railway bridge in Monmouth, then back over the hill of Troypark Wood, through the 'hidden' village of Penallt and back to Redbrook.

The River Wye above Redbrook was looking lovely in the late morning sunshine. Here the valley is quite narrow and the path (The Wye Valley Walk) runs close to the road, but trees obscure the traffic and help to make the place feel peaceful. 

Approaching Monmouth the valley broadens considerably, then into view comes what was once two railway bridges, carrying lines towards Monmouth Troy Station. Sadly, the first is no more but the second survives. I rather like this shot, with the spire of St Mary's Church in the background

Here's the view from the second bridge, and my first sight of the viaduct that drew me here.

The old structure is in a parlous state, with safety fencing around its pillars to guard against falling masonry. According to the post in Old Industry and History of the Forest of Dean, there's talk of demolishing it, which would be a great shame. With what high hopes it was built!

My route took me through the site of the station (now an attractive housing development) then past Troy House. My book Wye Valley - 40 Hill and Riverside Walks informed me that it was built in the 1680s by the first Duke of Beaufort as a second home for his son, once he married. I hope the son and his new wife didn't find it too small!  For much of the last century an order of nuns ran it as a school for errant girls.

The 'red route' (on the map at the start of this post) runs beside the hedge in the centre of this photo. I really should have gone that way but instead took leave of my senses. Feeling that 6 miles was a little short for a Monday Ramble, I noticed a footpath running across this field and into Troypark Wood a bit further southwest. If I'd studied the map a little more carefully I'd have seen that it would take me a long, long way from Penallt and involve a lot of road walking to get back on course, but I contented myself with the bit of map visible on my smartphone. So, blissfully ignorant, off I hiked on the 'blue route'.

Soon I had good reason to regret my choice for the path was not well maintained and in places was totally obscured by undergrowth. Finally, though, I extracted myself from the woodland and took the long, but thankfully quiet, lane to Penallt. 

Anglican churches are almost always dedicated to Saint Somebody or to Christ himself, but this one is just 'Penallt Church'. Perhaps Penallt is so well hidden, high above the Wye, that no wandering saint made it their home.

According to my Wye Valley Walks book, this royal coat of arms of Queen Ann originally hung facing the congregation, "an imposing reminder of the political power of the monarch."

From Penallt it was an easy walk along lanes and footpaths, back to Redbrook, where I crossed the Wye on this old railway bridge.  By now the light was failing and the bridge was in shadow, so to end here are a couple of photos from July 2014; one of the bridge and the other looking upstream.

With my crazy deviation, I'd walked 8½ miles, though with all that bracken and undergrowth around Troypark Wood it felt more like 10.  Next time I'll stick to that 'red' route.