We rode on Sustrans Route 42 from Abergavenny over Gospel Pass (550 metres) and down into Hay on Wye. On the way up to the pass, we stopped to look round Llanthony Priory - a very picturesque ruin in a wild and beautiful setting in the Black Mountains.  It was an augustine priory in 1100; it has decayed since dissolution of monasteries. We noted a B and B on the site which would be good for walking. After a coffee we climbed to the top of Gospel Pass where we stopped to admire the magnificent view of the Wye Valley and Black Mountains. The route up was along narrow lanes with high hedges of honeysuckle and hazel. The pass was wide open with sheep grazing.

We enjoyed the steep descent into Hay on Wye - the mecca for book lovers, having lunch at a table on a raised area by the car park. We saw the biggest second hand bookshop in the world and looked in a few others.

We then rode on down to the little toll bridge that crosses the Wye near Witney on Wye, then on to Eardisley, where we stayed the night with Jean’s brother and wife.