Start : Chepstow Castle car park. OS Grid Ref ST535941 OL14
(S/E) From Chepstow Castle car park, turn left out of Chepstow Castle car park and walk down Bridge Street to and over the old bridge spanning the Wye. (A)
(1) At the end of the bridge, cross the road to join The Gloucestershire Way. Continue up this walled lane until you reach the road (Castleford Hill). Cross the road and follow the Offa’s Dyke Path along the lane (Mopla Road) and then turn left (North) through a kissing gate into a field signposted Offa’s Dyke Path. Walking uphill, head towards the top right hand corner of the field.
(2) You pass a ruined lookout tower or windmill on your right, thought to have been converted into a folly in the early 19th century. Look out for evergreen oaks along this section of the walk. In the far corner of the field is a metal kissing gate, which you go through keeping the stone wall to your left for about 150 m.
Where the wall meets a higher wall is another kissing gate. Go through, between a fence and a walled garden on your right. At the driveway turn sharp right along the wall and very soon left through a kissing gate. Follow the grassy path straight across the fields towards the kissing gate opposite.
(3) Turn right (East) at the kissing gate and continue to the road (B4228). Turn left to cross the road and walk uphill for a short distance. Cross the road again at the ‘Offa’s Dyke’ sign (on the left) and follow Offa’s Dyke Path uphill. Keep following Offa’s Dyke Path signs at the junction, from where there are good views of the old Severn Bridge (B).
(4) Keep straight on under the footbridge and through a kissing gate. At the road (B4228) turn left (North) and cross the road, walking along the roadside for a short distance. To avoid the road keep on the grass path and cut the corner off at Fox Hollies.
Turn left at the ‘Lancaut ¾’ sign and continue along this road, passing ‘Spital Meend’ on your right and soon after the peregrine sculpture and car park on the left.
Walk downhill, ignoring sign for Laucaut church on left, passing Ban y gor Nature Reserve (5) on the right, where a Roman oil lamp from North Africa, dating from the 5th century was found. Cross the cattle grid.
(6) At the junction, turn sharp left through the first gate into the field. Walk downhill diagonally to the right of the veteran oak tree where you can enjoy the lovely views of the cliffs surrounding the isolated Lancaut Peninsular. Continue in the same direction downhill to the far right hand corner of the field. There are some leveled patches and bumps in this field which are probably the remains of the lost medieval village of Lancaut. Go through the small wooden gate downhill to visit the ruined 12th century church.
(7) Leave the churchyard and walk down to the river passing the ruins of ‘Fish House Cottage’ on the left below the churchyard wall. Go through the gate and continue beside the river and up some steps. (C)
(8) Fallen scree now makes the old fisherman’s path back to Chepstow dangerous, so retrace your route back to the church (7) (D)
Continue uphill through a kissing gate and keep climbing. At a T-junction, turn right passing old lime kilns and, just after them on the left, evidence of where the lime burnt in the kilns was quarried. Continue up to a road and turn right to reach (9).
(9) Stop at the metal gate on the left and look to the left to see the earth banks and ramparts of an Iron Age promontory hillfort. Continue back to Chepstow Castle car park. Alternatively, retrace your route back to Chepstow. Don’t miss a last look at the view from Wintour’s Leap (10). (E) (S/E)
