Itinerary:      
Day 1 Chepstow: Travel to start point. Reasonable connections from London via coach or train, around 2.5-3 hours. Or slightly slower ones from the midlands via Shrewsbury. If you arrive early enough you could start the walk  (which actually starts at  Sedbury Cliffs to the south of Chepstow) and save yourself 2 miles tomorrow.

 Day 2 Chepstow to Redbrook (14 miles / 22.5  km)  The  route starts from the mud flats  of the River Severn at  Sedbury. Join the Wye valley with great views of Chepstow with its Norman Castle. The way climbs high above the Wye Valley with views then down to Tintern  Abbey. You can really marvel at the meandering  river, the cliffs and the little  settlements. Eventually descend to Redbrook, a 19^th century industrial village with three pubs all with four letter names, all beginning with the letter “B”.

 Day 3 Redbrook to Llanvetherine  (16 miles / 26   km) climb up to “naval temple” for one of the best views of the entire route. Head down to Monmouth for a mid morning pint or a coffee, crossing the 13 th Century gate house bridge. Next climb through boggy King’s Wood and then crosse the Trothy River. The countryside becoming quite domesticated. The views to the north are dominated   by the shapes of Skirrid and Sugfarloaf Hills. Another pause and a pint might be worthwhile in Llantillo Crosseny village with its fine 13^th Century church. The village pub has features dating from the 15th Century.  The next stop is White Castle a 12^th Century Norman Castle built to protect the route from Monmouth into Wales. It is in a picturebook setting with intact walls and a little moat around it. Another mile brings you into Llanvetherine.

Day 4 Llanvetherine to Longtown (11 miles / 17 km) The trail continues via Llangattock-Lingoed and Pandy where we at last leave the lowland farms and rivers and climb up onto the Hatterrall Ridge and into the Black Mountains. The ridge in the main follows the border of England and Wales and the edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Spectacular views all around in good weather. After a few miles along the ridge you will need to drop down to your nice farm accommodation in the Olchon Valley.

Day 5 Olchon Cottage (Long town) to Hay on Wye  (11.5 miles / 18.50 kms. Morning steep ascent to regain the Hatterrall Ridge, and then  over the Cats Back and up to the  highest point to the path near Red Darren at  2306 feet (703m). The ridge ends at Hay Bluff, a great northerly viewpoint towards Hay and the Wye Valley, the Hills of Radnorshire and also the Black mountains to the west and parts of the Brecon Beacons. Next drop off the  ridge   stroll via  a set of  five  kissing gates into Hay on Wye, the capital of the second hand  book trade. The town  with its 12^th Century Keep was the  site of  the Anglo – Welsh  power struggles in the 13^th Century.

Day 6  Hay on Wye to  Kington (14.5 miles /23.5   kms) Crossing the River Wye, today’s walk rises into the Radnorshire Hills. The walking undulates past sites of Roman encampments until you reach Glades try maybe for a lunchtime pub break. Don’t drink too much though, for the  last few miles today you have  to climb up and walk along the  Hergest Ridge amongst Thyme, gorse and Welsh Ponies. Eventually drop down to Kington, actually situated in Herefordshire with 13^th Century Church and the parallel lanes and long back gardens that may preserve the pattern of the strips in the former open field system.

Day 7  Kington to Knighton (13 .5 miles/ 22 kms ) Some say this is the finest day’s walk of the whole path, with Offa’s Dyke as your constant Companion. First pass the highest Golf course in England on Bradnor Hill. The trail then undulates spectacularly, but is never too steep. Beautiful westward panoramas open up across the Radnor Valley.  On a clear day you get views of 30 miles in each direction, over both the Brecon Beacons and The Malverns. The route finally climbs over a hill called Ffridd, before descending very steeply to Knighton (town of the horsemen) or Tref y Clawdd in Welsh (Town on the Dyke) as the town is on The Shropshire / Powys border. It is a very busy little Market town. The market place has mainly 17^th century shops, and enough general entertainment to keep you amused for an evening

Day 8: End of tour! After breakfast, head off perhaps on the delightful Border Railway.

Accommodation - A modernised sixteenth century inn with an award winning restaurant five minutes walk from Chepstow station is your overnight stop before the walk commences. At Redbrook we stay in a bed & breakfast, dinner can be obtained from the pubs in the village. A fifteenth century working sheep and cattle farm is our third night’s stop. Whilst in the Olchon valley we stay in a converted barn that was once the home of film actor Robert Newton. At Hay-on-Wye we stay in a bed & breakfast specialising in a fully cooked Welsh breakfast. Night six is spent in Kington, a market town with good facilities for walkers, at a comfortable hotel in the centre. The last night is spent at Knighton in a sixteenth century former coaching inn with two restaurants and a bar serving snacks.

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