The 88km/53 mile first day of the Monmouth to Mersey cycle trip.
Route: leaving the Waterloo Hotel (with a near view of the Transporter Bridge) and heading north through morning traffic before turning east and then north east on quiet roads to Usk for coffee and cake at the Sprockwoggles Coffee House. Afterwards, heading north east on Sustrans Route 423 to Raglan (fine views of the castle) and then above the River Trophy undulating to Monmouth for a beer on the pavement outside the Punch House in bright hot sun. Then climbing past ‘A Haberdashers School for Girls – nurturing timeless values’, turning left onto a minor road and climbing further with views westwards before briefly joining the A466 and peeling off north descending and ascending to Peterstow and heading into Ross on Wye for (generous) creams teas at the Royal Hotel. Then again on hilly minor roads past Brampton Abbots, Crow Hill, Kempley, Dymock and then more quickly on the B4216 to Ledbury.Conditions: cool initially but glorious sun all day.
Pubs: (at lunchtime) the Punch House, Monmouth, for Oakham Citra, Rev James Gold and Bootleg Fool’s Gold; (on arrival) the Lion micropub for Ludlow Brewing Company Best and Wye Valley Brewery HPA.
