Base Camp Journal - Bracelands and Monmouthshire

It has been almost exactly a year since I made a short visit to Bracelands, in the Forest of Dean. Robby and I returned there for our first trip of the year. We didn’t want to travel too far, as Bertha had been sitting at the depot since October.

We’re having a problem again with Bertha’s drainage valve, which I managed to close with some difficulty. If the valve is left closed during winter, the undrained water is liable to freeze and cause ~£1,000 of damage. A replacement valve costs £60+, but it should be possible to swap it with something cheap from B&Q, or seal the outlet with a cork.

The Bracelands caravan site isn’t affiliated with the CMC now, probably because it’s lacking certain facilities, but we like it anyway. The site is relatively deep in the woodlands, about a kilometre from a main road. It’s a good place from which to explore the forest itself. Most the pitches were occupied while we were there, but there wasn’t much activity. We installed Bertha on a pitch overlooking the area of evergreens further downhill, between the site and Staunton.

Deer are very common in this region. They can sometimes be seen on the country roads around Monmouth, during the early hours. They’re timid, but a large herd of them came very close to our pitch one evening, when it was out quiet.

Apparently there are wild boar roaming the forest, so the warning signs tell us, but I’ve never seen one.

Exploring the Forest

There are two forest trails I know of that are accessible from the site. They eventually lead to Symonds Yat.

I had intended to try both while here, but Robby had other plans. We tabbed more than 10 miles, in my estimation, entering the forest in the direction of Staunton, following a long path to the suspension bridge, and from there to Symonds Yat Rock before returning to the site along the route we took last year.

‘There’s something eerie about this place, as if something terrible happened here a long time ago. I didn’t like coming down here on my own last year.’ Robby said, as we were walking the long section of forest between the site and the suspension bridge.

I noticed the trees hadn’t produced leaves. Most the grass was dead. There was no sign of birds or wildlife. There definitely was an eeriness about the place.

‘Maybe there is a lot of history here. I believe ‘Symonds Yat’ is Viking for Simon’s Gate’, so maybe there were Vikings passing through, and God knows what, nearby.’ I remarked.

We commented on the grottoes we encountered in the large sections of rock that had been pushed up around 20 million years ago, and wondered who might have sheltered under them over the centuries.

Eventually we reached a path along the river that was frequented by many hikers. This part of the river marks the border between England and Wales, so technically one is crossing that border into Wales by walking across the suspension bridge.

From the bridge, it’s about a mile to lower Symonds Yat. We stopped at a pub there, and had our usual, while admiring the view. Robby decided on taking the familiar route from Symonds Yat Rock back to the site. There was just one problem: Symonds Yat Rock was pretty high above us, at the top of the gorge. How to get there? 

A friendly guy suggested continuing further on, and taking a road that almost doubles back. After walking 1.5 miles to the junction, we discovered that it wasn’t such a good idea, as there was no way we could walk up a narrow, single lane road with vehicles coming and going. We needed to walk all the way back, to the point where we could climb up to the rock. It was only four miles from there back to the site. 

Tintern Abbey and Chepstow

The weather was good enough on the Monday to go exploring Tintern Abbey, which is something I’d been wanting to do for a while.

The part of the Abbey that’s visible from a distance is the huge, imposing structure towering over what was once a sprawling complex that might have been a self-contained town. Even as a ruin, it’s hard to describe how awe-inspiring it is. The giant windows must have framed giant sections of stained glass, and I can’t imagine what supported the weight or how it withstood bad weather. God only knows how the builders managed to construct something of stone that high. It really must have been an impressive feat of engineering.

There isn’t much left of the complex, but one can see its layout, from what remains of the walls, and there are markers telling us the function of some of the rooms.

There was a surprisingly small kitchen, with a servery, cut into the stone wall, between that and a surprisingly small dining chamber.

The area was occupied by a community of Cistercian monks, between ~1100 and ~1540. It was around 1540 that religious communities were abolished and disposessed of their properties by Henry VIII and his enforcers. Tintern Abbey fell into disrepair over the centuries thereafter.

Apparently the Cistercians were a stricter order than the Benedictines, which is hard to imagine. I spent a while at Downside Abbey, and the Benedictines there lived their vow of poverty as a self-sufficient collective. There was a time when I seriously considered joining such a community, to dedicate my life to God and to seeking some kind of deeper insight into His creation, as abstract as it might be, through science and philosophy.

Next to the abbey there was a small village, or grouping of buildings. One of them, probably one of the original buildings, houses a bar and restaurant. It appears they milled grain there, using the river to drive the mills and/or transport the grain.

There were all kinds of Tudor-themed trinkets in the gift shop. One can also find some nice tapestry works selling for £250 or so, and the usual Celtic style jewelry. I bought bottles of Brecon Special Reserve Gin and Silver Circle Wye Valley Gin - two brands I hadn’t tried before.

We discovered (the hard way, after getting stuck in the narrow country lanes) that the best route to Tintern Abbey and back is through Chepstow, so we stopped in that town for a couple of hours.  Most the pubs were closed, but we visited the Coach and Horses Inn, which is a small, independent establishment. The food and service there are exceptional.

Drinkers’ Digest

The following are the gins I acquired while in Monmouth.

Silver Circle’s Wye Valley Gin: Quite a strong, but fragrant, gin, at 42%. I can taste a mixture of  pepper, citrus and berry in this one. This would make an okay summer drink, I reckon.

Brecon Special Reserve Gin: This didn’t strike me as special, though it’s noticeably clean and of a high-quality.

Masons of Yorkshire: The plain version gin has a less refined taste by itself, but when mixed with tonic water, there’s an immediate and pleasant hint of aniseed. This is better than the plum+peppercorn and orange+lime varieties, which are passable.