This Ordnance Survey Pathfinder Guide has been a good source of walks over the years. I bought my copy many years before moving to the Forest of Dean, so it doubtless played its part in my falling in love with the area and choosing to retire here in 2012.
One walk that I've done a couple of times in the past, but never blogged about, goes from Chepstow to the 'lost' village of Lancaut. Time to rectify that deficiency!
The walk begins in Chepstow, crossing the Old Wye Bridge into England. Until 1988 this bridge carried the main A48 road to Gloucester and was a notorious bottleneck. Now, thankfully, the A48 traffic speeds over a new bridge a little further downstream.
I didn't take a photo of the bridge this time but here's me, trying to look elegant in 2014, with the Old Bridge in the background.
The bridge's lamps were bought from Sheffield City Council and installed in 1969. I think they're rather lovely, though I'm surprised that permission was granted for them to be added to a Grade One listed structure. "Well done," whoever it was who was able to cut through the bureaucratic red tape.
Here are two views from the bridge, the first looking upstream with Chepstow Castle on the left, the second downstream with the new A48 bridge in the background.
After crossing the Old Bridge our route followed the Offa's Dyke path for a while. When I passed this way in 2021 this lookout tower was surrounded with scaffolding.
Depending on which website one consults, it's either of Anglo-Saxon origin or was built in the 16th century.
The path to Lancaut eventually leaves the Offa's Dyke path and descends to the River Wye through Lancaut Nature Reserve. For most of its length the walk through the Nature Reserve is easy-going, until one encounters this...
High above the path lies the disused Woodcroft Quarry, now a favourite haunt of rock climbers. In its active days, though, the quarry company chose to dispose some of its unwanted debris by rolling it over the cliff towards the river... and here is lies.
My OS Walks book assures me that the best route is marked by yellow painted arrows, but they have long since disappeared. However, I'm pleased to report that I made it safely to the other side, which I attribute to decades of practice, skipping over rocks on the beaches of Newquay.
The sheer cliff on the left is Wintor's Leap. According to local legend, during the Civil War Royalist Sir John Wintor was being hotly pursued by Parliamentary Forces. He escaped their grasp by leaping off this cliff, landing in the river below and swimming downstream to Chepstow Castle. The fate of his horse is unrecorded.
The little 12th century church of St James in Lancaut lost its roof and its box pews soon after its closure in 1865. Today it's well worth a visit, not least for the fine view of the river from its main door.
The village of Lancaut was never large, but by 1931 the population had dwindled to a mere 10 people. Today, apart from some farm buildings, little remains of the village, though I did find this old lime kiln as I walked up the steep path behind the old church.
Finally, here's the view from the top of Wintor's Leap. Near here we rejoined the Offa's Dyke path and returned to Chepstow.
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| 4½ miles |
This Ordnance Survey Pathfinder Guide has been a good source of walks over the years. I bought my copy many years before moving to the Forest of Dean, so it doubtless played its part in my falling in love with the area and choosing to retire here in 2012.
