Whitebrook Ramble

Nine years after moving to the Forest of Dean, it's become something of a challenge to find new walks close to home.  Thankfully, a few weeks ago an elderly friend, whose rambling days are sadly over, gave me several books of local walks, including one called Lower Wye Rambles, produced by members of the Ramblers Association. 

I like the book's short Forward by Janet Street-Porter.  She makes the important point that these locally produced walking guides can really bring our countryside to life.  Large glossy walking books are better suited to life on a coffee table, rather than stuffed into a rucksack.

Our chosen walk from the book began at Bigsweir Bridge – one of the few crossing points on this section of the River Wye. 

When Bigsweir Bridge opened in 1827 one had to pay at this toll house to cross.  Now, in common with its big cousins that span the River Severn, we may all pass freely between England and Wales. The traffic lights are necessary as the bridge is only wide enough for one vehicle. 

The first part of the walk followed the course of an old railway line that once ran between Monmouth and Chepstow.

Here's a sure sign that the line was once part of the mighty Great Western Railway. I've doubtless blogged about similar bits of ironwork before, but I do find these relics of a bygone age fascinating... and I like to show off a bit.

This U-shaped Bridge Rail was used by I.K.Brunel on his famous broad-gauge railway lines. Unlike modern lines, the sleepers ran longitudinally beneath the rail. When the Great Western eventually opted for more conventional track, they were left with huge quantities of bridge rail, some of which ended its days as fence posts. 

Bridge Rail near Didcot

Enough of this irrelevant rambling!  I'm supposed to be describing a walk along the banks of the beautiful River Wye. 

Spring sunshine made for pleasant walking. Before long, off came my coat, which I rolled up and stuffed in my rucksack. Thoughts then turned to picnic lunch, which we spent here.  According to Google, the building on the opposite bank is the Florence Tea Shop (temporarily closed). 

Until looking at this photo, I thought I was doing quite well at losing weight and regaining my former elegant profile (8lb lost since January). Now I'm not so sure.

The path climbed steeply out of the Wye valley, then descended to White Brook, which we followed for  almost ¾ mile. I walked this section in March 2018 and was especially interested in the ruins of an old paper mill, since I once worked for a company that supplied china clay to the paper industry. (Click this link to see the post, which includes a photo of a slimmer Angie.) 

Here I am, looking confused in the middle of White Brook.  For reasons that are not easy to explain, I was expecting a bridge. 

After crossing White Brook the path climbs steeply again, this time through Margaret Wood Nature Reserve. The Gwent Wildlife Trust's website has this to say about Margaret Wood:

"Sitting within the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Beauty, these atmospheric woods feel old and weathered. Dense green mosses and lichens blanket the gnarled branches and ferns sprout from the thick leaf litter.

"Spring is a great time to visit when a mass of native wild daffodils carpet the open slopes below the woodland. The Wye Valley is a stronghold for this species, absent from most other areas of Wales."

 

More daffodils, this time beside a lane that descends towards Whitebrook. 

Having descended, we crossed another brook, then climbed again. Here's the view from the top, looking back towards our picnic spot. 

This circuit was only 5 miles long but, thanks to those three climbs, felt somewhat longer.  It was a great walk, though, and one to which I will doubtless return.