Chepstow: Wye oh Wye

A bit of informal route research today round the Wye Valley. I’d come here intending to ride through the recently opened (2021) Tidenham Tunnel, the vital link in the lovely five-mile Wye Valley Greenway.

*No trick motorcycling here: Entrance to the Severn Bridge cycle path*

I started with a sortie across the (old) Severn Bridge and back, over its dramatic 1.6km cyclable crossing (including the Aust Viaduct, main Severn span, Beachley Viaduct and then Wye Bridge).

*A long way, however you look at it: Severn Bridge cycle path*

*Magnet for cyclists: Cycle path on the Severn Bridge*

It’s rather odd, cycling alongside a motorway. From a motorway services which has customer bike parking. Over a massive estuary and a major river.

*Cars, what cars? Quiet lane down to the Anghidi valley*

Back in Chepstow I carried northwest past the racecourse and up into the hills so I could whizz down the lane of the Anghidi Valley, a very pleasant (and untrafficked) freewheel most of the way.

*Streaming service: Not Netflix but the Anghidi*

That got me to Tintern, and a bridge which is apparently famous from ‘Sex Education’, which is apparently a ‘TV series’ on ‘Netflix’, popular with the young people, I’m told.

*Education, education, education: Famous bridge over the Wye at Tintern*

I was more interested in looking at the magnificent Abbey ruins – not paying to go inside and see them any closer, obviously – and perusing the menu of the cafe, which was full of cyclists who were cycling further and faster than me.

*Off my own bat: Tidenham Tunnel, home for flying mammals*

However, I did cross that bridge – a former railway – to do the Wye Valley Greenway back to Chepstow. I knew from my diligent research (Googling the night before) that I’d have a problem. The Tunnel is closed from 31 Oct to 1 Apr because of bats, and I was a few days too early.

That meant leaving the Greenway for a three-mile detour up a very steep forest track, though it was hardly rougher than the unsurfaced railtrail of the Greenway hitherto.

*Smooth operator: Wye Valley Greenway’s tarmac railtrail south of the Tidenham Tunnel*

I joined the main road to Chepstow but came off a side lane to scramble my way down to the southern bit of the railtrail – nicely tarmacked – that start from the (closed) south entrance of the Tunnel.

*So is this Wales or not? Wye Bridge at Chepstow*

Anyway, I hope the bats are happy with their home. What’s the most important thing about finding a place to live if you’re a bat? Echolocation, echolocation, echolocation.

And I got back to Chepstow via the splendid old bridge over the Wye. I started my Welsh End to End here in 2020. Curiously, on the east side it says WELCOME TO ENGLAND, but on the west side, just MONMOUTH.

All in all, a very nice loop. But rather more fun when the Tunnel’s open.