22nd OCT .2 MILES SOUTH OF FELINDRE TO GARBETT HALL nr KNIGHTON. (OFFAS DYKE)

We started walking about 8.30..It was very damp due to hill mist also making visibility very poor. I started with waterproof top as when we climbed up Black Mountain( more of a hill than a mountain). I took bearing as opposed to relying on gps. I did refer to it later on though. In a way I enjoy this type of walking,  great to practice navigation and more challenging than just following signposts. Most of the route was fairly direct with clear path which at time was mud track used by horses and mountain bikers. Some of the waymarkers had been defaced or shot at by air rifle,  reassuring that folk are in favour of this trail!
The yellowing and blackened bracken seemed to hold onto the moist air making our legs sopping as we brushed pass.
The Crown Estate, 4000 + acres, gave way to farmland which led us to Llangunllo village. We had hoped there was a community shop but on arrival there was nothing visible.  We sat in the bus shelter and on reading the board we discovered that the chap who ran the pub and shop had died.  For sometime there also was no pub so the locals sat in the bus shelter using that as the community pub. The pub itself seemed now to be up and running called The Greyhound. Shame the shop wasn't also . We continued having eaten a bag of noodles like crisps.
The route out of Llangunllo was a steep climb. As we gained the tops the low cloud mist seemed to get damper,  the air was like being sprayed by a plant mister.It was very damp/ wet. I advised J to put his waterproof on but as always he ignored me resulting in his top getting unnecessarily wet. We were not going to be in a hostel to dry out so it was important we stayed as dry and therefore warm as possible..
Six miles on we walked a little damp into Knighton .Half the shops seemed closed and limited. We were able to get meths,  and chips with curry sauce,  sitting on the steps of the clock tower. After eating we went into the bakery and had cakes and coffee. I sat trying to download my blogg and photos,  hard work as the signal was not perfect and kept rejecting them. Even now I am unsure what downloaded or not.Irritating. While I did that Josh sat moronically doing nothing until I dropped a hint that I still had food supplies to get.  He got the hint and before he went I said to use his head.
He returned with a kilo bag of porridge, sugar and two tins of soup and beans. Ok there was no smaller bags of sugar but the tins?!
I was fairly irritated by unable to download photos,  and doubly by J . That irritation continued for the rest of the afternoon. He has to learn that weight is a problem to us,  he had previously complained about his feet aching and his hip so you would think he would think. He was also carrying the tent as yesterday he said he found the walking easy,  I had said that I found it hard carrying the weight so gave him the tent to carry also. It brought our packs almost equal in weight.
We walked out of Knighton via the Offas Dyke Centre and joined the path north toward Welshpool 26/27 miles on.
The path had us crossing the River Teme and into Shropshire and England. The path climbed up steeply made all the more harder by slippery mud preventing traction and extra weight. Once on the top and again into damp mist/fog the walk was flatish however most of the path was chewed up by a few hundred sheep and cows.  It made the going up hard work especially when descending to Garbutt Hall , trying desparately to stay upright. We opted to ask at the Hall for a pitch site. Avoiding a rather dodgy looking yapping sheep dog we got our pitch site on reasonably flat and drained field shared with more bloody sheep. It was good to have climb into the tent. It was not cold except between J and I . We were damp around the edges , leaving my wet socks on to dry out alittle. I had the radio on as company during typing on my mobile the blogg. Josh got tea on when I dropped a subtle hint that wasn't he hungry.  Will relax later.  ...... I hope!