Sunday, 27 June 1943
Log of a Cycle Tour to North Wales, by Roy Spurgeon, with Leslie Lee. 26 June 28 June
After breakfast, we set off at 1000 hours for Chepstow (1900.3). We climbed steadily for about 3½ miles heading almost due north past Charmy Down airfield and then stopped for a cup of tea at Cold Ashton, having crossed from Somerset into Gloucestershire. Resuming our journey, we passed through Old Sodbury, quite a small place, and then Chipping Sodbury, much larger, built of grey bath stone and with a fine wide main street. At the latter place, at which we arrived at 1245 hours (1913.1), we began to look for lunch and after several disappointments, we had to be content with bread and rissole at a public house with the queer name of "Potters' Stores".
Then, leaving Chipping Sodbury at 1445 hours, we passed through Yate, Iron Acton, Tockington Manor and Alverton, a very flat, ride, until we arrived at the village of Aust at 1520 hours. We carried on to the Old Passage Ferry, at which we got our first real sight of the Severn. The tide was well out and the river was very muddy at this point. We had plenty of time to study it, as the diesel engined ferry boat was over on the opposite shore, however, having made the crossing finally (and got covered with smuts from the funnel in the process) we cycled straight up through Beachley to Chepstow running down a steep hill by the side of the Wye across the suspension bridge and into the town, thus crossing out of Gloucestershire into Monmouth. The view of Chepstow from the hill was splendid and gave us our first view of Chepstow castle and of the Wye itself.
Passing the castle, we climbed the very steep High Street (in our various ways) several times in a vain search for tea. Then, having been told that we stood very little chance of getting any tea in Chepstow, we set course up the side of the Severn to Lydney. Passing through a number of small villages including Tidenham, Woolaston, Alvington and Aylburton on the Gloucester road and keeping the Severn in view on our right nearly all the time, we covered about 10 miles of switchbacks - one of the hilliest roads I have ever encountered. Les and Jean gave it up as a bad job and turned back about half way there and Ernst and Grif gradually drew away from Pat, Norma and I until we lost them. When we arrived at Lydney, a fair-sized town with one cinema but not much else except a level crossing and a station (closed) in the main street, we scouted again without success for tea. Finally, after Pat and Norma had approached them almost in desperation, the local W. V. S. Forces Canteen took pity on us and let us have some cheese sandwiches and tea. We then turned round and rode back to Chepstow, reaching the hostel at 2015 hours (1953.2) to find that Les and Jean had prepared our supper - salmon, meat roll, lettuce and bread and butter. In the meantime, Grif and Ernst had ridden to Grif's home and refreshed themselves. They arrived at the hostel at 2130 hours, just as we were about to clean up their share of the supper.
The hostel at Chepstow is a small old house opposite the church in a side road off the High Street and is in fact very much larger than it looks.
Total cycling distance for the day 52.9 miles.
Next day: 28 June