Tintern is set in one of the most spectacular of the Wye gorges and, better still, the Abbey Hotel has a splendid view of the Cistercian ruins right over the road.

The rain was coming down in torrents when we arrived so ,during our get-together that evening, there was lots of wondering what the weather was going to do.

One guest who had no waterproof trousers even decided to get up at the crack of dawn to go to the Sunday market at Chepstow and buy a pair, so certain were we of rain.

But spirits were high and everyone enjoyed getting to know each other in the bar after dinner.

The following day, there seemed to be a glimmer of sunlight - surely not! Could it be that the weather was going to be kind?

We set off up behind the hotel to the ruined church of St. Mary and then over the brow of the hill through woods carpeted by wood anemones and full of the smell of wild garlic.

Then down into the Angidy Valley which had been a hive of industrial activity in Victorian times.

Various metal goods were made in the valley's ironworks, wireworks, and other forges, then taken down to the River Wye and on to the Bristol Channel.

We reached the Fountain Inn where the sun was shining and we enjoyed teas, coffees and some of the local brew in the garden. The landlady proudly showed us her pond full of coy carp.

We moved on up though the fields and at one point were joined by some gentle horses who followed us more in hope than expectation of lunch.

But we held on to our sandwiches and ate them in the lea of a wood, enjoying the lovely pastoral scene before us.

On the top of the hill, we walked a little while through typically deserted and very narrow Monmouthshire roads until we came to the wooded byway that leads back to Tintern.

Suddenly there was roar of engines and we were passed by some mud-splattered riders on trail bikes.

A notice on the byway sign stated that this was an official event and that they had permission to be there - so we didn't mind too much.

Halfway down, one of the friendly organisers suggested that we might want to make a detour. So we walked through the daffodill-bordered lane - not too much of a hardship!

And, at the bottom, there he was again - that Jack Russell terrier who is always in the cottage window waiting for someone to come home.

At the main road we took a teeny detour to the Parva Vineyard where we had tasted several of their wines white, rose and red and a fruit wine and also some local cheeses...... several rucksacks departed a little heavier.

Back in Tintern, some stopped off at the Abbey Craft Centre tea-shop and sampled their Welsh cakes or the local T-cake which is the size of a dinner plate - who couldn't eat all their dinner then?

Our luck was in! Still no rain!

Today we stayed in Wales again and walked up behind the hotel through the woods to Penterry Farm and on to the tiny Penterry church in the middle of a field.

Once upon a time it would have served the local farming community but now services are only held once a month.

Most of the women were intrigued by the little window at the back which was put in so that the poor lepers could watch the service without contaminating the rest of the congregation.

From the church, we walked to Gaer Hill where we could see the misty Severn Estuary in the far distance. In the near distance we could see the Wye joining the Severn at Chepstow.

Downhill then and on to our lunch stop on a hillside by some old lime kilns - the lime was once used for mortar, waterproofing, and agricultural use.

After enjoying the sunshine we took the Wye Valley Walk to the viewpoint from the cliffs that overlook the river.

We could very clearly see the horseshoe bend in the Wye just before Chepstow and wondered how many thousands of years it would be before it formed an ox-bow lake, the sort we'd once learnt about in geography lessons!

Back down through the woods to the hotel, sometimes a bit muddy and slippy over the rocks. One woman did a spectacular slide but managed amazingly to stay upright!

Our last day and the weather got even better.

Today we went into England and walked above the Wye to Brockweir and onto Offa's Dyke path for a short while.

Just above Brockweir is 'The Village Shop' - a delicatessen and general store run by volunteers from the local community.

It sells all sorts of interesting goodies, ranging from local cider to home-made greetings cards.

It also has an excellent tea shop where - of course - we stopped a while.

A gentle downhill all the way through fields and woodlands to our lunch stop in a field by the Wye where we revelled in the sunshine and watched the river meander by.

Next a short stroll into the village of Brockweir, which is the last place of the Wye that is tidal.

Brockweir was a bustling port in the middle of the 19th century and quite large sailing boats were built there.

These would trade up and down the Wye and into the Severn, taking manufactured goods to Bristol and beyond, then brining back supplies for the local population.

Beyond Brockweir goods were transferred to flat-bottomed barges and hauled up river to Hereford by teams of men.

We also called in to see the pretty little Moravian church built in 1833, probably to save sinners. At that time Brockweir was a den of iniquity - full of ale and cider houses where sailors, stevedores and boat builders got drunk on a regular basis.

Until 1906, the only way to reach Brockweir from the Welsh bank was via ferry, but they then built what became known as 'the ugly bridge'.

However, by that time the village was beginning to decline as a port because the railway was transporting goods far more swiftly.

Then the railway, too, declined and the branch line from Chepstow up to Tintern was closed in the 1960s thanks to Dr. Beeching.

The Old Station at Tintern is now as a cafe and visitor centre, and there is a sculpture park here.

This was our final stop for the day where we enjoyed teas and ice-creams before walking back along the river bank to Tintern village and saying our farewells.