The Ham Nomads

2 May 2014. <GB-ENG> Goodrich, Heref —

Woke up after a good night's sleep in the layby — we've learned to ignore the sound of nearby traffic. There were houses by the road that were closer to the traffic than we were parked — and this is a feature we have noticed. Got ourselves moving, back towards the Sloop Inn. On the way, noticed a turnoff to Goodrich Castle, another English Heritage site. Decided to make the stop. Good call! This is a spectacular site, in spite of being a ruin. The castle, begun in the late 11th century, overlooks the River Wye and the Welsh "badlands". Its long history culminated when, in the Civil War, it was held successively by both sides. In 1646 the Royalists surrendered after a mortar barrage and the threat of undermining, and the Parliamentarians did further damage to the castle to prevent its refortification. "Big Meg", the mortar cast specifically to use for the barrage is now on display in the castle courtyard. Being cast iron, the thickness of the barrel walls is huge to provide the strength, and the projectiles themselves, which contained explosive charges, were not inconsiderable.

After spending 2½ hours wandering the Castle, listening to the audio tour (a free feature of most English Heritage sites), and being sung on our way by a robin, we decided to finally push on to Sloop Inn. This is an Inn in the village of Llandogo, on the Wye river, about halfway between Monmouth (Trefynwy) and Chepstow (Cas-Gwent). Beautiful part of the country, and the Inn is part of the Brit Stops organization. We pulled up at about lunch time, went in and partook of a home-cooked Chicken and Ham pie, washed down (for Warren) by a pint and a half of Guinness.

Needless to say, after this Warren needed an afternoon nap (also to give his foot a rest, as it still hasn't fully settled down), so Susie went off for a walk through the area. After about an hour she returned, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, having found a pathway that led down to the Wye, and having walked about three quarters of a mile up and down the river. A public footpath led through many people's back yards, so she was able to see the way people tend their own gardens. A couple of swans were doing a synchronised gliding display on the river, and she walked by a whole field of bluebells.

We then sat in the van planning our next few days, around Newport, Cardiff, and further west towards Swansea.

Susie went out for another walk in the opposite direction, still following the Wye. This time she saw black sheep nibbling the blossoms in an orchard. She's finding that she's a country girl at heart! found the local general store, and the school.

Back in the van, cooking tea on the stove. Then we'll settle down — listen to The Archers — and then maybe watch an episode or two of Doctor Who — after all, we'll soon be in Cardiff and the Doctor Who Experience!

Distance driven — today, 23 miles ( 37 km ); to date, 593 miles ( 955 km )