I woke up in the dark and straight away noticed the cold. Opening up the inner tent I could see the twinkling of frost on the outer tent. I opened the flap to see a clear sky with stars shining bright, Orion constellation standing tall. A bright star to its left I did not recognise so using the excellent google stars app I was able to ascertain it was Jupiter.
I was not cold but put my hat on anyway while I lay in mt sleeping bag cooking the porridge.
Jay woke to stating he was chilled so I suggested he sleep in his clothes like I do.
We packed up a frosted tent and at 8.30 walked on icy ground with low raising sun clad in winter gear, gloves soon and thermal hats.
It was the a lovely day, with chilly breeze on our backs as we trudged south.
The route was refreshing undulating gently. No major climbs, just easy steady hills. When we stopped two hours later between Herrock and Rushock Hills only briefly due to chill.
We ,or should I say I ,mucked
up the route down to Kington and ended up skirting. BRADNOR Hill golf course, the highest in uk at 391 metres ,then I missed the path and took the less direct road.
We walked passed the Kington youth hostel and onto the main street.Ot had a nice feel, old and interesting. Again chips filled our bellies as we found a bench in the sun.
We did not hang around ,walking out via the steady Ridgebourne Road up to an old racecourse.
Views of the Black Mountains ahead. The top along Hergest Ridge was again easy going along dieing bracken and horse grazed heath. J wore a head scarf I bought him from Knighton. He wanted something to keep his hair out of his eyes. He looked like an aging rocker but it did its job.
We descended to Gladestry and had hoped to get a drink from the pub but at 3.10 it had just closed. There were a lack of streams on the gentle hills so thirst was an issue. It woyld of been harder mid summer.
Two and a half miles on we were able to use a stand pipe which was marked on the map, it tasted of creosote so we did not drink much.
More heathland was passed to Newchurch regreting not asking a friendly woman at a farm for a pitch. It was five, abit early to stop but started soon after trying to ask for a pitch.
Farm after farm appeared empty, again we walked on. It was getting dark, luckily the moon shone bright.we asked at a house with camper van. Luckily they were friendly interested folk and put us in their orchard,it was gone 6.30.
We soon had tent up, coffee on. Relief to stop. My feet were sore, J's hip ached and I had taken some weight off him.
I did three days blogging, J finished off the chilli sauce and rice - what a mess!
We listened to a play- Dracula during which the house dog discovered us and yapped endlessly until dragged in. Will be a cold night!
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