I'd planned a trip up through the Forest via St Briavels Castle and over to Gloucester, but when a colleague told me about "famous" native daffoldils near Gloucester I decided to try to make this the focus of my trip. I had all the luck, with the weather and the daffs being at their prime.

Starting out at Severn Beach one of my first views of the old Severn Bridge was the familiar sight of casual fly-tipping.

The Severn itself, from the bridge, was a hazy and mysterious giant, with blood of brown sand.

At Chepstow the blossom in the Place de Cormeilles was full. Apparently Chepstow's roots go back to 1067 when the priory church of St Mary was founded by William fitzOsbern, originally of Cormeilles in Normandy.

Just before 9, when I posted some cards, I shed some layers in anticipation of the coming hills, though the air was still cold despite the warm sun.

No seals spotted in the Wye today, though the bridge at Castleford was peaceful, being closed to cars at the moment, not sure why?

Made a stop at St Briavel in the friendly community cafe after a quick visit to the historic castle, once the main manufactoring centre for crossbow bolts and longbow arrows, I'm told. Now it's a Youth Hostel and looks like a fun place to stay.

Then north on Route 42 through the Forest, past the thriving mountain biking centre at Cannop, then turning east before Ross-on-Wye for a lunch stop at Lea. Their village shop offered a range of tasty hot pastries, enjoyed on a sunny bench, followed by a cat nap. 

Thoroughly warmed and refreshed, the next stop was the daffodil epicentre of Dymock, in the so-called "Golden Triangle" where the small native varieties are being preserved and "daffodil weekends" with teas and stalls are laid on in the villages of Dymock, Oxenhall and Kempsey in turn over 3 weekends in March.

After tea and a scone I had a tour of the lanes to see the Vell Mill Meadow, Gwen and Vera's fields and a glorious spread of yellow in the woods along the route back south to the NCL route to Newent.

A final climb up to Hartpury:

 and then following Route 45 across a much smaller Severn at Maisemore:

 and along the scenic route along the water into Gloucester for a train home.