Trellech
Beacon
The circular route on Trellech Beacon
has stunning views to the Wye Valley, Forest of Dean, Malverns and the Cotswolds in the
distance. It is also a great place to view carpets of bluebells at this time of
year.
Trellech village
was, in the middle ages, one of the largest settlement in Wales. Part of
the route is stone lined and is reputed to be the way William Wordsworth
came when he walked in the Wye Valley in 1793 and was later inspired to write
his famous poem ‘Lines written a few miles above Tintern Abbey’. En route you
also pass Cleddon Falls and Cleddon Hall the birthplace of William Russell.
Tintern
Station
The Old
Station nestles beside the River Wye in the heart of the Wye Valley in Tintern.
There are three railway carriages on site. Two carriages contain a souvenir and gift shop, a Destination Wye Valley exhibition area with information about the heritage of the Wye Valley. Tintern railway station served the village of Tintern on the Wye Valley Railway. It was opened in 1876 and closed for passengers in 1959 and freight in 1964, when the line was closed completely. Now Monmouth’s nearest railway station is Chepstow.
Historic figures
from Monmouthshire's ancient past have been depicted in wooden sculptures at
the Old Station picnic area.
Lower Hope
Garden
There are 7
acres of landscaped gardens surrounding the house in addition to large areas of
parkland and a wildlife pond. The gardens are open to the public approximately
five times a year, throughout the spring and summer, as part of the National
Gardens Scheme.
The gardens are facing South and West consisting of herbaceous borders, rose walks, laburnum tunnel, Mediterranean, bog and Italian Gardens and the recent addition of a Japanese Garden.
Conservatories and large glasshouses contain exotic species orchids, colourful butterflies and bougainvilleas. Visitors can also take a botanical stroll through the lime tree walk to the wildlife pond and landscaped with wild flowers.
Around the gardens can be found sculptured statues by Sydney Harpley, Brian Alabaster, Lloyd Le Blanc and Angela Munslow.
Then it was time for the traditional tea n cake to the dulcit tones of a local junior steel band.
Credenhill
Park Wood
Finishing off at the site
of a busy Iron Age tribal capital, Credenhill Park Wood has also been a Roman
army depot and a medieval deer park. Today, the wood is a peaceful place for a
walk and to enjoy amazing views.
It is a strenuous
walk uphill and slightly disappointing as one paper listed it as one of
Britains top ten bluebell woods but we found less than a handful hidden on the
downhill trail.
Still, all in all, great to be back in the sunny great outdoors. Long may this good weather last.
