Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal - day 3

The Coach and Horses Inn (Llangynidr) to Brecon - Monday 12th August

Camping at a pub has one drawback. In the morning I, like most people, have lavatorial requirements,, and this morning was no exception. My brother and wife live in Hereford and I had arranged to travel there by the 1:25 pm bus from Brecon so I wanted an early start to cover the ten or so miles without having a panic situation with the bus.

Pub camping also entails setting off without breakfast, which others seem to cope with, but not me, so I have to grin and bear it. I trudged up the canal hungry and wrestling with the lavatorial problem which I knew would require unpleasant compromise to resolve.

Five hundred yards up the canal there was a lock with keeper's cottage and adjacent buildings... could there be a PC? Yes, but it was locked, and for use of canal boaters only. I then remembered buying a British Waterways key at a marina miles away on The Cheshire Ring Canal walk several weeks ago. With characteristic pessimism I said to myself there's no way this will work. I scrabbled in the depths of my waist bag, and wow, I was in! These facilities are spacious and comprehensively equipped with a w.c., shower, hot water, and pristinely maintained, but they are few and far between, so the chance of finding such when in desperate need is remote.

That key cost £7, and I reckon it's the best money I have spent for a long time.

The final ten miles are attractive with the canal elevated above the country to the right, and hills above on the left, largely lined with trees permitting early morning light to dapple through onto the water, and giving window pictures of the Brecon hills and the lush blueish green Welsh countryside, and I was taken back to warm memories of my walk round the Welsh border and a caravan holiday at Brecon with daughter, High Horse, and Springer Spaniel, Jake several years ago.

Although the walking was pleasurable I knew for certain I would be able to get a bacon butty and tea in Brecon, and that occupied my thoughts most of the way. After four and a half hours I was there by 11:30 am at bridge number 167 and hunger was satiated.