0:00:02 > 0:00:05One of the nicest things about walking is that you can go
0:00:05 > 0:00:09at your own pace - to explore, stop and see places properly.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12To enjoy fresh air and fresh coffee.
0:00:17 > 0:00:21I love places with the countryside right on their doorstep,
0:00:21 > 0:00:24like Montgomery, one of Wales' hidden gems.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28Are you ready?
0:01:13 > 0:01:18In this programme, I've got another two fascinating walks,
0:01:18 > 0:01:22and one of them is bordering on being a bit of a march.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25And we'll be marching in the Welsh Marches,
0:01:25 > 0:01:27along the Wales-England border,
0:01:27 > 0:01:31following a section of the Offa's Dyke Path, ending in Montgomery.
0:01:33 > 0:01:38But our first walk is way out west, in North Pembrokeshire.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41This is the Pembrokeshire Coast Path,
0:01:41 > 0:01:45a long-distance trail established over 40 years ago.
0:01:45 > 0:01:50It's got beautiful beaches and stunning views along its whole length
0:01:50 > 0:01:54that make it the best walk in Britain, if not Europe.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02The Pembrokeshire Coast Path runs for 186 miles,
0:02:02 > 0:02:06from St Dogmaels in the north to Amroth in the south.
0:02:06 > 0:02:12It passes 58 beaches, 14 harbours and crosses 400 stiles.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16If you're feeling fit and want to do the whole thing in one go,
0:02:16 > 0:02:18it should take you between ten and 15 days,
0:02:18 > 0:02:23but we're going to do one section, starting here in Trefin.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26I need a guide to help show me the way.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30Gwenno Dafydd spent her teenage years in this area,
0:02:30 > 0:02:34before moving away to college and becoming an all-round performer.
0:02:34 > 0:02:40Actress, singer, comedian, radio and TV presenter - you name it, Gwenno's done it.
0:02:40 > 0:02:45Everything, that is, apart from walking with a weatherman - until today.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47- Shw' mae, Gwenno?- Derek!
0:02:47 > 0:02:51- How are you? Are you ready for this.- Come on!
0:02:51 > 0:02:53- Are you ready for it? - You're bonkers!
0:02:53 > 0:02:55Ha-ha! Let's go!
0:02:56 > 0:02:58We're kicking off in Trefin,
0:02:58 > 0:03:02about halfway between Fishguard and St Davids.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04Just out of the village,
0:03:04 > 0:03:07we pass a ruined old flour mill, before heading for Abercastle.
0:03:07 > 0:03:12From Abermawr Beach we take a short detour to Melin Tregwynt,
0:03:12 > 0:03:13a working woollen mill,
0:03:13 > 0:03:17then back to the coastal path, ending at Pwll Deri youth hostel.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20Ten and a half miles - time it right
0:03:20 > 0:03:23and you can catch the coastal bus back to the start.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31'I do like a good ruin, me. They've usually got a good story to tell.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34'This old mill gave its name to Aberfelin Bay.
0:03:34 > 0:03:40'They say it was in use for 500 years, before it finally closed in 1918.'
0:03:44 > 0:03:46A poem written almost 100 years ago about this old mill,
0:03:46 > 0:03:48by the arch druid Crwys,
0:03:48 > 0:03:52is one of the most famous poems in the Welsh language.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56The first two lines are quite well-known in the Welsh language
0:03:56 > 0:03:57and they go,
0:03:57 > 0:04:00"Nid yw'r felin heno'n malu Yn Nhrefin ym min y mor"
0:04:00 > 0:04:01Translated to English it means,
0:04:01 > 0:04:05"The mill is no longer working in Trefin by the side of the sea."
0:04:05 > 0:04:08- Sounds much better in Welsh than English.- Of course.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12The mill has been closed for many years, but the poetry lives on.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15- In my heart, at least. - Let's get going.- Come on, then.
0:04:25 > 0:04:30- Just look at this, Gwenno. It's fantastic, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34We've only just come a few yards from the mill and the village and,
0:04:34 > 0:04:35already, wonderful views.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42'If we were walking the entire length of the coastal path,
0:04:42 > 0:04:44'they say all the ups and downs
0:04:44 > 0:04:47'would be equivalent to hiking up and down Everest.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50- 'I can see what they mean.' - Burning up the calories, Derek.
0:04:50 > 0:04:55- Burning up the calories. - Just look how clear the water is.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57It's totally translucent, isn't it?
0:04:57 > 0:05:01The craggy cliffs are nowhere as dramatic as they are on this wild
0:05:01 > 0:05:05and unspoilt section of the path, between Trefin and Strumble Head,
0:05:05 > 0:05:07across the bay.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09We're going to take a little detour now.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12- We're going to go and see Carreg something.- Samson's Rock.
0:05:12 > 0:05:13That's the one.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17Apparently, Samson was a local saint, who actually lifted the rock
0:05:17 > 0:05:22with his little finger and his little finger is buried over there, apparently.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25- What happened to the rest of him? - God knows.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29I've seen something like this before in North Wales.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33- A burial chamber - a cromlech. - Yes, absolutely.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37This one is a neolithic burial chamber, 5,000 years old.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40It's 15 foot long and nine foot across.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42It's just amazing.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45It is amazing. Just look at the size of these stones.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48Try lifting that with your little finger. See how far you get.
0:05:48 > 0:05:53- I think it's moving, just a little bit.- Ooh, Derek!
0:05:53 > 0:05:56He must have been a strong man, Mr Samson.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01The way it stands in splendid isolation overlooking the bay
0:06:01 > 0:06:04makes Samson's Rock one of the most magnificent
0:06:04 > 0:06:07megalithic tombs in Wales.
0:06:07 > 0:06:08Well worth a visit, I'd say.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18Tourism and farming are what pay the wages round here these days,
0:06:18 > 0:06:20but the village of Abercastle has reminders
0:06:20 > 0:06:24of important industries of the past.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27- This is gorgeous, Gwenno. - Yes, isn't it?
0:06:27 > 0:06:29There's loads of little bays like this
0:06:29 > 0:06:33around the North Pembrokeshire coast.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36This little inlet here is called Abercastle
0:06:36 > 0:06:40and it used to be used for shipping grain and also lime.
0:06:40 > 0:06:45Up there, you'll see it's an old grain storehouse or granary.
0:06:46 > 0:06:51Both fishing and lime production were important here for centuries.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54Limestone was brought by ship from South Pembrokeshire and then
0:06:54 > 0:06:57processed locally in lime kilns like this one,
0:06:57 > 0:06:59right next to the path.
0:06:59 > 0:07:04They baked the lime until it cooked and it was a nice, fine powder
0:07:04 > 0:07:07and then they spread the powder on the fields
0:07:07 > 0:07:08as a sort of soil improver.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13Another thing they used to do was make paint out of it
0:07:13 > 0:07:15and paint the houses, as well.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18They're quite prolific around North Pembrokeshire.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20There's lots of lime kilns everywhere.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36This has got to be one of the best, best views ever. Look at that.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40- What do you think? - That's amazing, isn't it? Lovely.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53Come over here.
0:07:54 > 0:07:55I know it doesn't look like much,
0:07:55 > 0:08:00but this is actually an iron age promontory fort
0:08:00 > 0:08:02and it's called Castell Coch
0:08:02 > 0:08:04and you've got two ditches, two embankments
0:08:04 > 0:08:06and then you get to the centre of the fort
0:08:06 > 0:08:08and there's a zig-zag entrance,
0:08:08 > 0:08:11so it's quite complex and difficult to get into.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14You'd easily miss it, wouldn't you, just walking past here,
0:08:14 > 0:08:16because it's overgrown with bracken?
0:08:16 > 0:08:18It doesn't look like anything, really, does it?
0:08:18 > 0:08:22This here, this vista in front of us, that's where I grew up,
0:08:22 > 0:08:24really, in that area there.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31As we head off towards the pebbly beach of Abermawr, it's difficult
0:08:31 > 0:08:35to imagine how different this view might have been had a certain
0:08:35 > 0:08:38Victorian engineer gone ahead with his ambitious plans for the place.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43You know, here could have been so different,
0:08:43 > 0:08:47because Isembard Kingdom Brunel wanted to make this
0:08:47 > 0:08:49the terminus for the Great Western Railway
0:08:49 > 0:08:53and for all the transatlantic liners
0:08:53 > 0:08:56to come from here to go over to America.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00But...they ran out of money and it never happened.
0:09:00 > 0:09:05Thank goodness, because otherwise they would have spoiled this.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09It's absolutely beautiful. A peaceful haven for walkers.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23It seems a shame to tear ourselves away from the coast,
0:09:23 > 0:09:27but we're off for a brief detour inland to see a woollen mill
0:09:27 > 0:09:32which has reinvented Welsh woollens for 21st-Century fashion.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35Here we are, Melin Tregwynt - Tregwynt Woollen Mill.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38I worked here as an 11-year-old child in the shop.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41We used to have loads of American tourists coming here
0:09:41 > 0:09:45and they'd be sitting on the grass here and eating their ice creams.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49'There's been a mill here since the 17th century,
0:09:49 > 0:09:53'when local farmers brought their fleeces to be spun into yarn
0:09:53 > 0:09:56'and woven into fine Welsh wool blankets.'
0:09:56 > 0:09:58Come and have a look in here.
0:10:01 > 0:10:02I wasn't expecting this.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06What were you expecting, little old ladies with spindles?
0:10:06 > 0:10:09Yeah, working away on their spinning machines.
0:10:09 > 0:10:10I'm not quite that old,
0:10:10 > 0:10:13but I'm going to say this was exactly the same then.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16- It hasn't changed much? - It hasn't changed at all.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18The machines are exactly the same.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20This is how I learned to talk and to speak, you see.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24- Talk over the noise of the machines. - That's why I'm so loud!
0:10:24 > 0:10:28The 1980s recession saw many of the Welsh mills close,
0:10:28 > 0:10:31but Melin Tregwynt was lucky.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33New designs have kept the mill busy,
0:10:33 > 0:10:36supplying customers all over the world.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40They did a great cup of coffee, didn't they? Fair play.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42Yeah, lovely Welsh cakes, as well.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46Yeah, back on track now - Abermawr back to Aberbach.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48Back to the coastal path,
0:10:48 > 0:10:52and it wouldn't be a proper seaside stroll
0:10:52 > 0:10:54without a tall tale of the sea.
0:10:54 > 0:10:59There's a well-known story about a mermaid that was washed ashore.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01She was caught by a local farmer,
0:11:01 > 0:11:05who took her up to a farm over that ridge, called Tresysyllt.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09And, basically, she said, "Please, let me go free, because otherwise
0:11:09 > 0:11:13"I will put a curse on this farm and no-one will be born here."
0:11:13 > 0:11:16And he kept her and, apparently,
0:11:16 > 0:11:18no child was born there for hundreds of years.
0:11:18 > 0:11:20Sounds a bit fishy to me.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22- Come on.- Uch!
0:11:29 > 0:11:31I love the sound of just boots on stones.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34It's a nice sound, isn't it?
0:11:34 > 0:11:37And the sound of the ocean just crashing against those pebbles
0:11:37 > 0:11:39is wonderful, isn't it?
0:11:39 > 0:11:41I bet you can come here on a fine, hot summer's day
0:11:41 > 0:11:44and there's nobody else here.
0:11:44 > 0:11:45No, nobody.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47You've got the whole beach to yourself.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53'It's in these quieter,
0:11:53 > 0:11:57'remote and wild places that you really sense the spell of old
0:11:57 > 0:12:01'Pembrokeshire, described in the Welsh folk tales, the Mabinogion,
0:12:01 > 0:12:07'as "gwlad hyd a lledrith", the ancient land of mystery and enchantment.'
0:12:17 > 0:12:19'We now head up our final climb of the day,
0:12:19 > 0:12:23'onto the windswept top of Pen Bwlch Du headland.'
0:12:29 > 0:12:30From the summit,
0:12:30 > 0:12:34you can see the stunning location of Pwllderi Youth Hostel,
0:12:34 > 0:12:36which will be the end of our walk.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41Well, this is quite a magical place for me, really.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45Beyond that chapel, over there, is Ty Harmwni,
0:12:45 > 0:12:47where my parents still live.
0:12:47 > 0:12:48That's a lovely name.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50Yeah, it means, house of harmony.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52This is where I used to come running.
0:12:52 > 0:12:53I used to go spud picking.
0:12:53 > 0:12:58The gypsies used to come over, specifically, from Ireland
0:12:58 > 0:13:00to pick potatoes.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04If I was lucky, I could maybe pick 40 bags a day.
0:13:04 > 0:13:05And they would pick 100 bags a day.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08They were extremely hard-working people.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11So, many fond memories from this area?
0:13:11 > 0:13:14Oh, absolutely, it's...my special place.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19Come on, nearly there.
0:13:19 > 0:13:20On the home straight, now, are we?
0:13:20 > 0:13:23Yeah, there's a little bit up the road here.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32So, what's this stone memorial here?
0:13:32 > 0:13:36Well, this is a monument to Dewi Emrys, who was a local poet.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40Dewi Emrys wrote a huge, extensive poem
0:13:40 > 0:13:43about all the inhabitants of Pencaer,
0:13:43 > 0:13:45which is this area, and it was in the local dialect.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47These are the first two lines, here.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50"A thina'r meddilie sy'n dwad i chi,
0:13:50 > 0:13:53"pan fo chi'n ishte uwchben Pwllderi."
0:13:53 > 0:13:54What does that mean?
0:13:54 > 0:13:56"These are the thoughts that come to you
0:13:56 > 0:13:58"when you're actually sitting above Pwllderi."
0:13:58 > 0:14:01He was encapsulating all the news about the local inhabitants
0:14:01 > 0:14:03and what they used to get up to.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05But, he had a bit of a problem with alcohol
0:14:05 > 0:14:06and he sold his crown,
0:14:06 > 0:14:09the one he won in Swansea in the Eisteddfod,
0:14:09 > 0:14:11for alcohol, which is very sad, really.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14It is a bit sad, but he was a very good poet.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17He was a brilliant poet and a minister.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24Well, Derek, we've got to the end of our journey.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28Here we are in Pwllderi and this is where I got married.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30- Really?- Yeah.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33I always said when I was growing up that this place meant so much to me
0:14:33 > 0:14:35that I would never get married
0:14:35 > 0:14:37unless I could get married in Pwllderi.
0:14:37 > 0:14:42I made enquiries about coming here, and we were very lucky,
0:14:42 > 0:14:44they allowed us to get a licence
0:14:44 > 0:14:48and we were the first people to get married here.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51It was... Oh, a magical day.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54- You couldn't have chosen a better place?- No, no.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00Well, this is the end of our walk,
0:15:00 > 0:15:02and thanks to Gwenno,
0:15:02 > 0:15:04I've been reminded of the wild and rugged beauty
0:15:04 > 0:15:06of the North Pembrokeshire coast.
0:15:06 > 0:15:11This really is the place to switch off, escape the crowds
0:15:11 > 0:15:12and get away from it all.
0:15:17 > 0:15:22If you fancy trying one of the walks from the series, go to
0:15:22 > 0:15:28bbc.co.uk/weathermanwalking and take a look at our interactive website.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30It has everything you need,
0:15:30 > 0:15:33from detailed route information for each walk,
0:15:33 > 0:15:36as well as photographs we took along the way,
0:15:36 > 0:15:40and walking maps for you to print off and follow.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43For the next walk in this programme,
0:15:43 > 0:15:47we head to the border country for a hike on the dyke.
0:15:51 > 0:15:56Apparently, some crazy, fit people manage it in just four days.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59More sensible folk take about two weeks,
0:15:59 > 0:16:02but most do it in short sections, in day trips,
0:16:02 > 0:16:05taking months, if not years, to tick off the whole thing.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09I'm talking about the 40-year-old Offa's Dyke Path.
0:16:09 > 0:16:14177 miles in length, this long-distance footpath
0:16:14 > 0:16:18crosses the Welsh English border more than 20 times,
0:16:18 > 0:16:21from the banks of the Severn near Chepstow, to Prestatyn,
0:16:21 > 0:16:23on the shores of the Irish Sea.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28As a taster, we'll be doing the bit in the middle,
0:16:28 > 0:16:30a linear, eight-mile chunk of the path,
0:16:30 > 0:16:35starting in the Shropshire hills at the tiny hamlet of Churchtown.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38A few steep ups and downs over the rolling hills takes us
0:16:38 > 0:16:42to the arable low lands, along the English-Welsh border.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44Through the Lymore Estate,
0:16:44 > 0:16:47ending in the picturesque town of Montgomery.
0:16:47 > 0:16:51And all I need now is a guide to show me the way.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57Writer and photographer Jim Saunders, who comes from Knighton,
0:16:57 > 0:17:01the halfway point on the path, spent 12 years as the Path Officer.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09He's published a book of his photographs of the path
0:17:09 > 0:17:12and is still closely involved, as a volunteer
0:17:12 > 0:17:16and official photographer for the Offa's Dyke Association.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20- Morning, Jim.- Hello, Derek.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23- Lovely day.- It's not bad, is it going to stay like this?
0:17:23 > 0:17:25Hopefully, fingers crossed.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27- Which way is the start of the walk? - Just up here.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37So, we're on the Offa's Dyke Path, Jim,
0:17:37 > 0:17:40what makes it so special, what's it's appeal, do think?
0:17:40 > 0:17:45Well, one part of its appeal, you can see just by looking around you here,
0:17:45 > 0:17:47is the fantastic countryside.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49The whole way along, 177 miles,
0:17:49 > 0:17:51only really goes through two substantial towns
0:17:51 > 0:17:53and they're at the end.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56In between, it's just fantastic countryside.
0:17:56 > 0:17:57But the key feature that it's got
0:17:57 > 0:18:01that only Hadrian's Wall can compete with, is the Dyke, of course.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06So, in places today, not only will we be walking through history,
0:18:06 > 0:18:08but we'll be walking right on top of it.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11A great, big, earthwork embankment,
0:18:11 > 0:18:15Britain's biggest archaeological monument,
0:18:15 > 0:18:18built in the 8th century by King Offa.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20We've just come off the path for a moment here,
0:18:20 > 0:18:23so we can look at a really good section of the Dyke.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27You can see the classic profile, like this,
0:18:27 > 0:18:31a bank of earth, with a ditch on this side.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34We're looking north, now, the ditch is on the West,
0:18:34 > 0:18:36or if you like, the Welsh side.
0:18:36 > 0:18:42Some archaeologists argue that because the ditch is on that side,
0:18:42 > 0:18:44it was a defensive earthwork.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46Imagine Mercians standing on top of the dyke,
0:18:46 > 0:18:48Welshmen coming from over here and scrambling up,
0:18:48 > 0:18:50while the Mercians are throwing stones at them.
0:18:50 > 0:18:51The ditch makes it more difficult.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54It would have been much bigger when it was first built.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58The ditch would have been much deeper and the bank higher.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01But, even so, for 1,200 years old, it's not looking bad, is it?
0:19:05 > 0:19:07As we huff and puff up this steep climb,
0:19:07 > 0:19:08across the valley
0:19:08 > 0:19:12we can clearly see the line of the Dyke between the trees.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15It doesn't go around the hills, it goes straight over them,
0:19:15 > 0:19:16and so do we.
0:19:16 > 0:19:20Well, it's a bit flatter now, Jim, and, uh, wonderful views.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24Yes, we're getting up high enough to really get the views,
0:19:24 > 0:19:26and I think we'll get even better shortly.
0:19:29 > 0:19:33There's a nice bit of late May Blossom, here.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35Most of it's over, but just look at that.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37This is the hawthorn tree.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40Hawthorn tree, May Blossom, the fruit is the haw.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45There's a good piece of Dyke in the next field
0:19:45 > 0:19:47that we can see ahead of us, now.
0:19:47 > 0:19:48Oh, yeah.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50You can see the profile quite clearly.
0:19:50 > 0:19:51It's not the Great Wall of China,
0:19:51 > 0:19:55but it's still really quite impressive, isn't it?
0:19:55 > 0:19:59The key thing you have to remember is that there's 80 miles of this.
0:19:59 > 0:20:00It's only when you walk the path
0:20:00 > 0:20:03you get the feel of the length and size of the whole thing.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07It is quite amazing how it plunges like a rollercoaster,
0:20:07 > 0:20:10straight down and back up these steep, rolling hills.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14As something dug and built by hand 1,200 years ago,
0:20:14 > 0:20:20I'm beginning to appreciate that it is a remarkable feat of engineering,
0:20:20 > 0:20:22and must have been jolly hard work to build.
0:20:22 > 0:20:26So, this King Offa, who built this huge mound, which goes
0:20:26 > 0:20:30on for miles, tell me a bit about him, who was he exactly?
0:20:30 > 0:20:34Right, Offa is the Saxon King of the Kingdom of Mercia,
0:20:34 > 0:20:37which was roughly over there, what's now the Midlands of England.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41Of course, the mere fact that he could build something like this
0:20:41 > 0:20:44tells you that he was a powerful bloke with lots of resources.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47King Offa built this dyke to keep the Welsh out
0:20:47 > 0:20:48or the other way round?
0:20:48 > 0:20:51Maybe to keep the Welsh out, or certainly, at the very least,
0:20:51 > 0:20:53to mark the edge of his kingdom.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57So that everybody knew, "This is my patch, I'm in charge around here."
0:20:57 > 0:21:01So, it's goodbye, England and hello, Wales, croeso i Gymru.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03Yes, this is the border, Wales that way,
0:21:03 > 0:21:05we've just come out of England.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07This is actually the Kerry Ridgeway.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10Certainly hundreds of years old, possibly thousands,
0:21:10 > 0:21:13an old drovers road, so they would have bought livestock here
0:21:13 > 0:21:15into England, to the markets.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17- Cattle and sheep, that kind of thing?- Yes, that's right.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20We're going to continue north now, along Offa's Dyke,
0:21:20 > 0:21:21further into Wales.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29Lovely view, Jim, we can see for miles.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32Yeah, yeah, and that's the way we're going, as well,
0:21:32 > 0:21:34down into the valley of the Severn.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37But it is a beautiful day, a beautiful, clear day.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41And here we've got a badger sett. See this pile of spoil here?
0:21:41 > 0:21:42That's freshly dug out.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44They've been here for a while,
0:21:44 > 0:21:46there's several holes.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48They wreak havoc with the dyke, I'm afraid.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51It's very difficult to do anything about it,
0:21:51 > 0:21:53because although the monument is protected,
0:21:53 > 0:21:55the badgers are also protected.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58So, you've got a conflict of legislation there.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00I mean, I've got nothing against them, as such,
0:22:00 > 0:22:02but they do cause problems.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04Right, shall we carry on?
0:22:04 > 0:22:06We'll have to keep going, yes, got a way to go yet.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14Well, the view just gets better and better, Jim. Just look at that!
0:22:14 > 0:22:17Yes, this is beautiful, isn't it?
0:22:17 > 0:22:20So, what are we looking at here? What hill is that?
0:22:20 > 0:22:21That's Corndon Hill,
0:22:21 > 0:22:23and to the right of that you've got the Stiperstones,
0:22:23 > 0:22:27with the little lumps on top, which is a national nature reserve
0:22:27 > 0:22:28and an area of heather moorland.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31One of those lumps is called the Devil's Chair.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33It's so nice, Jim, I've got to take a photograph.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36That's a good idea. I think I will, as well. You first.
0:22:36 > 0:22:40You never know, this might end up on the website or even on Wales Today.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42Oh, yes, well, let's hope so.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02We've had a lot of visual experiences today,
0:23:02 > 0:23:04here's a smelly one for you, just have a smell of that.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06What is it, honeysuckle?
0:23:06 > 0:23:07Wild honeysuckle, yeah.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09It's one of my favourite plants.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11Mmm, smells lovely.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13You'll have to take my word for that.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17WELSH MALE VOICE CHOIR SING
0:23:18 > 0:23:22Cwm Chapel here, is a reminder that we are still, indeed, in Wales.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25But, like many other Welsh chapels these days,
0:23:25 > 0:23:27it's been converted into a house.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31So, there's no chance of popping in for some hymns and arias.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38Look, Jim, walkers welcome. Shall we take a look?
0:23:38 > 0:23:39Oh, right, yes.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44A rather imposing, Gothic-style country house,
0:23:44 > 0:23:46Mellington Hall is now a hotel.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49It's claim to fame is that the beautiful gardens here
0:23:49 > 0:23:53were originally designed by landscape gardener and architect
0:23:53 > 0:23:56Joseph Paxton, best known for designing the Crystal Palace.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58Well, I wasn't expecting this, Jim.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02It's very grand, more than a cafe for walkers.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06It is, it's rather splendid, isn't it?
0:24:06 > 0:24:09And a very impressive bit of Victorian architecture.
0:24:09 > 0:24:10I'm a bit of a fan of Victorian,
0:24:10 > 0:24:13but 30 to 40 years ago, this would have been deeply unfashionable,
0:24:13 > 0:24:16and some people would have described it as ugly,
0:24:16 > 0:24:19but it's been well restored and it's in a fantastic location.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21It would be nice to pop in for a cup of tea,
0:24:21 > 0:24:24but we've got to get to Montgomery before sunset.
0:24:24 > 0:24:25We must press on.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28I think that's where I'll stay when we come here next.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30Aah.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33As we leave the estate,
0:24:33 > 0:24:36it strikes me how different this area feels
0:24:36 > 0:24:38to other places I've visited in Wales.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41As the border criss-crosses our route,
0:24:41 > 0:24:44it weaves together the past and the present,
0:24:44 > 0:24:47giving this place a unique character.
0:24:47 > 0:24:48And as we pass old mills
0:24:48 > 0:24:51and a motte-and-bailey castle just over the hedge,
0:24:51 > 0:24:55I'm left wondering what might be around the next corner.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58Well, there's an old petrol station here, Jim.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01I bet they don't sell super unleaded.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04No, whatever they do sell it's four shillings and threepence.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07And there's a pub and hotel here, the Blue Bell.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10Yes, it's a bit of a traditional stopping off point, this,
0:25:10 > 0:25:13the Blue Bell at Brompton crossroads is one of the staging posts,
0:25:13 > 0:25:15if you like, along the Offa's Dyke Path.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19Now, I can see how the the pub got it's name,
0:25:19 > 0:25:23but I've no idea why they want freedom for Brompton.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27Having left the hills behind, the path now takes us right alongside
0:25:27 > 0:25:33a part of the dyke that's also the present day Welsh-English border.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36Ah, now, there's our destination over there,
0:25:36 > 0:25:39you can see Montgomery Castle in the patch of sun,
0:25:39 > 0:25:41which is where we're going to finish up.
0:25:41 > 0:25:42Not too far to go, then?
0:25:42 > 0:25:44No, it's not too far.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47Looks like a bit of parkland here, Jim.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49Yes, there's some nice specimen trees,
0:25:49 > 0:25:51a couple of beeches over there.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53This is the Lymore Estate.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56This walk has a bit of everything, doesn't it?
0:25:56 > 0:26:00You know, up and down, we've passed some lovely farm land,
0:26:00 > 0:26:02now, look at this, beautiful parkland.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06That's one of the things people who've walked the path say,
0:26:06 > 0:26:08that it's beautiful scenery, but also a great variety of it.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11- Bit a history, as well. - Plenty of history, yes.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13"TEST MATCH SPECIAL" THEME
0:26:13 > 0:26:16Lymore Estate may no longer have its stately home,
0:26:16 > 0:26:20the half-timbered mansion was demolished in 1931,
0:26:20 > 0:26:22but it does have a historic cricket ground,
0:26:22 > 0:26:28where the youngsters of Montgomery Cricket Club swing the willow today.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30There was a bit of a fashion in the 19th century
0:26:30 > 0:26:32for big landowners to have a private cricket club,
0:26:32 > 0:26:33where their friends could come and play.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35But this is quite a special one,
0:26:35 > 0:26:38firstly, because it goes back to the 1840s,
0:26:38 > 0:26:41there are records of matches that far back,
0:26:41 > 0:26:45but also cos in 1882, England actually came here to play Montgomery.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48An England XI played a Montgomery 22.
0:26:48 > 0:26:5222, how on earth did they get away with so many players?
0:26:52 > 0:26:55I don't know how, but they did win, so...
0:26:55 > 0:26:57Well, I'm not surprised.
0:26:57 > 0:26:58The cunning Welsh did it again.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00Yes.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08Montgomery, at last, and what a lovely place it is.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11Lots of beautiful old buildings.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13So, why aren't there more tourists here?
0:27:13 > 0:27:15Jim, I've been to Welshpool before,
0:27:15 > 0:27:19but this is the first time I've been to Montgomery
0:27:19 > 0:27:22and I suspect a lot of people haven't come here, have they?
0:27:22 > 0:27:24No, it's, it's quite a well-kept secret, really,
0:27:24 > 0:27:26or maybe not anymore,
0:27:26 > 0:27:28but it's a beautiful, quiet, little country town.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30Exquisitely preserved,
0:27:30 > 0:27:32partly because, in the Industrial Revolution,
0:27:32 > 0:27:35the canal and the railway went to Welshpool and Newtown.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37So, they bypassed Montgomery
0:27:37 > 0:27:41and it's been in a bit of a time capsule ever since, really.
0:27:41 > 0:27:43Looks a bit steep up there.
0:27:43 > 0:27:47It is, but then again, that's why the castle's up there.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49Actually, the name of the town, Montgomery,
0:27:49 > 0:27:51doesn't sound very Welsh, does it?
0:27:51 > 0:27:52It doesn't, no.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55The reason for that is that it's actually French.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58The first Norman Earl was Roger de Montgomerie,
0:27:58 > 0:28:02and he named it after his home town, which was Montgomerie in France.
0:28:02 > 0:28:06So, maybe we should be pronouncing the town in a French accent,
0:28:06 > 0:28:07Montgomerie!
0:28:08 > 0:28:10Mmm, yeah.
0:28:10 > 0:28:14'This must have been a great place for a defensive fortress,
0:28:14 > 0:28:16'perched on a high crag above the enemy.
0:28:16 > 0:28:20'I'm glad to say that, today, it's a peaceful and tranquil retreat,
0:28:20 > 0:28:23'with stunning views north towards the River Severn
0:28:23 > 0:28:26'and a fitting climax to our walk.'
0:28:27 > 0:28:30Jim, I wasn't expecting a view as special as this.
0:28:30 > 0:28:32It's awesome!
0:28:32 > 0:28:33It's not bad, is it?
0:28:33 > 0:28:35It's a bit better than that.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37I think I may have to take a photograph.
0:28:37 > 0:28:38I think you should.
0:28:38 > 0:28:43'Well, if the other 169 miles are as varied and interesting
0:28:43 > 0:28:45'as the eight miles we've just walked,
0:28:45 > 0:28:50'I can't wait to get to grips with some more of the Offa's Dyke path.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53'Now, where was that nice coffee shop?'
0:28:56 > 0:28:59Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:28:59 > 0:29:02E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk