July 15, Bishop's Castle ciruclar walk

Today we took a bummer walk.  It looked great on the map, and was just the right distance, about 12 miles, but a lot of it was on the road, a whole lot.  That it rained some of the time was not a terrible problem because it did not pour, it just rained!  And not too much!  It was the damn road walking, which is so insanely boring.  The destination was Sunny Hill, Bury Ditches, famous for having been an iron age fort.  I guess that is one of those things you just have to accept as true...or not!  (I think I walked up there when Alex and Alex and I were in Clun; it was a whole different walk from that direction.)

Here is Max perusing the mappy sort of thing at the SITE, which I have to say is the most anticlimactic destination ever! 

   

I could not for the life of me tell you what building is referred to here, but your dog should not poop there anyway:

Max pushing through the barley:

This structure was so long, I could not get it into the frame.  Can you guess what it is for?

(I am quite sure you cannot.)

We actually were not supposed to be there—we had taken a too soon turn-off, but before we were shooed away, I asked the guy, "What is this building for?"  "Chickens."  "Chickens?  They are awfully quiet."  "They are arriving today!"  That structure could hold thousands and thousands of chickens.

After a few false starts, we headed off the correct way:

By and by we came upon a phone booth.  Would you believe that phone booths are marked on Ordnance Survey maps?  It had not phone, but it did have a no smoking sign.

It was a real shame—there not being a phone, because there is Max, inside, trying to call Suzie to wish her Happy Birthday!

How much fun it is to try to get out of the way when this behemoth lumbers by!

This sign is totally confusing.  Are those kids running to the no footway?  Good luck to them!

I never did see moo-ers with horns like these:

     They don't even match!   

I must say something about the dining opportunities in Bishops Castle.  First, there is the Six Bells.  It serves food on Thursday-Sunday only not always on Sunday even if their sign outside says that they are, in fact, bar-b-qing.  In any case, Monday-Wednesday you are out of luck, and don't forget about Sunday.  The Three Tuns is closed.  The Happy Bap, serving sandwiches, is closed Sunday and Monday; other days open until 3:30.  Reviews of the take out fish and chips, kebab and pizza place warn that you could get food poisoning there.  The high spot in town, the Castle Hotel, turned us away for not having made a reservation.  Fortunately, the owner of Bank House, where we were staying, let us use her kitchen, and no wonder I drag along emergency supplies for just in case!