BIKING BIRDER I April 2nd 2010 Tintern Abbey

 

2^nd April 

 

                                   

The weather was awful, pouring rain. I joined a tour of the castle - Youth Hostel and saw the 'Oubliette'; a large hole beneath a dormitory where in medieval times they used to throw down miscreants and 'forget' about them. If they were lucky, they broke a limb and developed gangrene from which they would have died reasonably quickly. If they did not, well it was a long drawn out, starvation death. This is the end, beautiful friend!

If you want to see a ghost then stay here. Over seven different ones have been seen or heard here. Unfortunately, I did not see or hear one. My bedroom, the Guard Room was supposed to have a ghost that strangles pushes you according to how he likes you. I left late in the morning not having been pushed or strangled but having fixed the broken back brakes.

          Cycled down to Bigsweir on the Wye. The last time I had been here was when I was a teenager and a school organised canoe trip down the Wye. How did we get out of our canoes at this place? The river's tidal here and the banks are immense and muddy.
          

          Tintern Abbey next and the rain stopped as I arrived. Paid a smaller fee than usual because of my English Heritage membership. 

          The ruin explored and the many Wall Rue and Maidenhair Ferns seen and photographed, I left to head south.

 A brilliant viewpoint was found after a long climb was the next stop. Views over the River Wye, the town of Chepstow and then on towards both bridges over the River Severn. I just wondered why they do not make the place a little more visitor friendly with a panoramic viewpoint terrace and a cafe. It would be a great place for one.

          More heavy showers but at least these were accompanied by superb rainbows, mostly doubles and one was at my feet whilst I sheltered. Where was a pneumatic drill, for the pot of gold was beneath the tarmac path?
          I got to Newport Wetlands Nature reserve extremely late in the evening, just as it was getting dark and rain was falling. I set up my tent against a bench, underneath a shelter beside the door into the RSPB visitor’s Centre; the guide ropes were tied to the fencing. An ad hoc affair of course but least I was out of the rain.