WALK DETAILS

SATURDAY APRIL 6 - Chepstow Walking Festival (A Children’s Walk)
Time: 10.30am to 12.30pm
Length: One and a half miles
Fee: Children FREE; Adults £5 pp

HORRIBLE HISTORIES - TRELLECH

Strolls ’n’ stories is pleased to sponsor Chepstow walking festival.

Meet Old Nell a good witch as she looks into her crystal ball and tells us of events in Trellechs past. See the old castle tump, the mysterious standing stones and the healing well. There will be lots of stories and fun for children and adults alike on this walk.

Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Please note Old Nell lived before cars were invented so adults need to ensure their children cross the road safely. !

Bookings via the Chepstow walking festival website.

SATURDAY MAY 4 - Talgarth Walking Festival
Time: 10.30am to 3.30pm
Length: 5 miles
Fee: £7 pp

Meet characters from Talgarth’s past, including the last witch to drown at the Witches’ Pool, a minister whose downfall was a woman and Annie, who should never have ended up in the old lunatic asylum. See stunning views of the Black Mountains, Castell Dinas and Mynydd Troed, before descending to Pwll-y-Wrach nature reserve and the waterfall. A beautiful walk and the waterfalls never fail to please.

Bookings are via the Talgarth Walking Festival website.

SATURDAY May 18 - Pontypool Park
Time: 10.30am to 3.30pm
Length: 4 miles, graded moderate
Fee: £15 pp

The higher you go the more history you get! The shell grotto, the folly, an old pub ,the American gardens and more.

A great walk with great stories……sometimes graded as easy, there is a steep incline to the folly which in Strollsnstories terms means we grade it as moderate. Well worth it for the stunning views, we take it slowly and anyone of average fitness can do it.

SATURDAY JUNE 1 - Woodlands and Llandegfedd Resevoir

What Lies Beneath… more info to follow.

Beautiful woods and views and a stop at Llandegfedd reservoir with its bird huts.

Hear of the Glascoed Uprisings, the homes under the reservoir and if we are lucky we can see the caves and geology that make Glascoed an area of special scientific interest.

SATURDAY JUNE 29 - Symmonds Yat (Love, Jealousy and Betrayal)
Time: 10.30am to 3.00pm
Length: 2 ½ miles (Red Dot event, one incline)
Fee: £15 pp

Walk along the River Wye, stroll up to Symonds Yat Rock for a stunning panoramic view of the area. We may even get a glimpse of a peregrine. River permitting, we cross the river on the little hand ferry and lunch at the old ferry inn. (Lunch not included.)

The Wye Valley holds the secrets of many famous people. Walk where Wordsworth walked, and listen to how he found peace here after his torrid love affair in France during the French revolution. Hear the story of the secretive crossings on the hand ferry from He Who Can Not Be Named. Listen to the myths and legends that arise from the geology of the area.

Please note, this walk is very dependent upon the level of the river on the day and could be shorter or longer depending on whether the hand ferry and river cruise are in operation. Always allow to finish half an hour earlier or later as the speed of the walk varies according to the pace of participants.

SATURDAY JULY 13 - Tintern To Brockweir (The Devils of the Wye)
Time: 10.30am to 3.00pm
Length: Circular stroll, 3 to 4 miles (Red Dot event)
Fee: £15 pp

MEET:

• One of the Devils.

• The doctor who called the Moravians in to deal with the excessive drinking and debauchery.

• Tewdric, the father of King Arthur who stands in the circle of power.

SEE:

• The beautiful River Wye with the famous Tintern Abbey.

• The remnants of Tintern’s industrial past and the mayhem it caused.

• The Moravian church at Brockweir and the ruined St Marys church at Tintern with its history of continual destruction

• The Old Station and its Circle of Power.

HEAR:

• What the Devil thinks of the Devils pulpit and the monks below.

• How in the past Brockweir was full of the devils of industrialisation.

• How Tewdric was pulled out of retirement to fight the Saxons one last time.

• How William Wordsworth got into trouble here.

REALISE: Tintern has a history that its current beauty belies.

SATURDAY JULY 27 - Brecon (Pride, Prejudice, Honour and Magic)
Time: 10.30am til 2.30pm
Length: Approx 3.5 miles (an easy climb)
Fee: £15 pp

A moderately gentle stroll up Pen y Crug (a 331m hill) for spectacular views of the Brecon Beacons, Black mountains and Brecon itself, and then a walk through Priory Grove with its trees, and flowing water.

See Maen Ddu Holy Well. A real treat of a bee hive well. Watch out for the Little folk from Ireland though. They have egos too!

See the flag from a Zulu war and hear how a soldier in the Welsh regiment lost the flag and his faith in the British Empire.

And there’s more!

SATURDAY AUGUST 10 - Abergavenny (Places of Change)
Time: 10.30am to 2.30/3.00pm
Length: 2miles max (Red Dot event)
Fee: £15 pp

A short stroll around some of Abergavenny’s green spaces, flowing waters and town.

You may know the town or parks but do you know its stories?

The Crawshays, the Gunters, the massacre at the Castle and Lady Llanover are well known, but what of Vulcana the strong woman and James Jones the bleacher for the Perry wig maker? The Infamous and less well known, all come to life on this walk.... as we explore points of change in people and the town.

Bring a picnic and maybe feel a change within yourself!

SATURDAY AUGUST 24 - Llangattock and the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal
Time: 10.30am to 2pm
Length: 3.5 miles (Red Dot event)
Fee: £15 pp

The Llangattock Escarpment at the top, the River Usk below. Our walk takes us in between along a section of the Brecon and Monmouthshire Canal. A beautiful sandwich filler!

Llangattock or Llangatwg dates back to neolithic times with a rich and interesting history.

SEE:

• The Ancient Burial Chamber site and St Catwygs historical church.

• There's the Lime Kilns and the Old Rectory, not to mention the quaint cottages of the older village itself.

• Then there's the special and majestic Giant Redwood Tree on the Canal...one of Jan's favourites.

• AS for people....St Catwyg, Sir Joseph Bailey Iron Master, Henry Vaughn poet and even the Marconi family and George Melly are said to have been here.

Come join us for wonderful scenery and fascinating stories! The old castle tump, the standing stones and the healing well.

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 7 - Hay on Wye
Time: 10.30am to 3.00pm (with stop at beach)
Length: 4 miles (Red Dot event, one short incline)
Fee: £15 pp

HAY ON WYE - A quaint town, beautiful countryside, a beach and stories of the book towns fascinating past. Watch out for the Hay poisoner, he'll be there, along with the Lady of Hay and maybe Richard Booth will pop up!

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 28 - Talybont and Waterfalls
Time: 10.30am to 3.00pm / 5.00pm
Length: 3-5 miles
Fee: £15 pp (Red Dot event)

Talybont-on-Usk and its mysterious Alchemy – Mystics, magic and truth.

Take in part of the Henry Vaughan walk along the river, lined with old trees and nestled in hills with beautiful views of the Brecon Beacons.

• SEE the countryside where the metaphysical poet Henry Vaughn spent most of his life.

• HEAR of his real life alchemist brother, Thomas Vaughn, who practised many types of magic with his wife.

• HEAR of their tragic deaths… when they enter realms beyond their control.

If you wish to walk a little longer, we go to the waterfalls by car and wonder at the stunning series of falls as we walk along the beautiful path.

And yes, Contact us if there if there is a walk you would like us to repeat or a new walk you would like us to consider. There is still room for pop ups in our schedule!