Category: Community Groups
Valeways Walk & Clear Group
Valeways Walk & Clear Group
The group of volunteers meet weekly (weather permitting) to check, mark and cut back overgrowth on the Vale’s hundreds of miles of footpaths. (Wenvoe has 20 miles of paths) Broken bridges and stiles are reported back to the Vale’s footpath officers for future professional repair.
During the month of June they met in Wenvoe and checked on numerous local paths. They also managed to reopen the footpath 29 which commences on the St Lythan’s Road and proceeds westward alongside Hawthorn Cottage to emerge by The Chapel at Twyn yr Odyn.
The path, is probably not used very frequently and slowly became impassable (especially with lockdown restricting travelling) hence eventually brambles, nettles, trees and hedging took over the whole 100meters of path. The route is now once again usable but will benefit from further work at a later date
If you are in the area walking please detour to walk this path, this will assist in keeping it passable. Hawthorn Cottage is the house on the right just before the sharp bend on the hill up to Twyn yr Odyn and St Lythans
If you discover any Vale footpath that is becoming overgrown, broken stiles etc please report them to the Vale of Glamorgan Council
Monmouth
Monmouth
Monmouth’s history goes back at least 2000 years to the presence of a Roman garrison. Its position at the meeting place of 3 rivers – the Trothy, Monnow and Wye, and one of the few places where the Wye could be safely crossed, allowed it to grow from a market town to the seat of legislature. Parts of the medieval town survive at Monnow bridge, the priory buildings and the castle where Henry V was born. In Agincourt Square his statue overlooks that of another famous citizen, Charles Rolls, an early pioneer of aviation and co-founder of Rolls Royce.
We were lucky to park as, we chose the day of the Monmouth Regatta for our walk. The beginning of the walk along the river was very busy with many people participating in the regatta (some from as far away as Staines) and spectators.
A few of us went into the Church of St Peter, its history stretches back to early Welsh Christianity with the first mention of a church, Llan Tydwg, in AD 750. It was on the border of a small Welsh kingdom of Archenfield, a stronghold of the early Celtic Church. The current church was probably rebuilt in the 11th Century after it was destroyed by the Welsh prince Gruffydd ap Llywelyn who, in 1054, led a raid up the Wye to Hereford, devastating riverside settlements. Historically the church has passed back and forth between the dioceses of Llandaff and Hereford. Now, although the church is in Monmouth (Wales), it is part of the diocese of Hereford (England) as the parishioners voted for this in 1921.
The church was full of interesting information and articles. One of my favourite nuggets was ‘customs included the payment of rent in honey; the Welsh believed that bees came from Paradise and so candles for Holy Communion were always made from beeswax.’ The old font was discovered in the rubble of chapel farm, it is possible that after leaving the church it was used to press apples or as an animal trough. There is a leper’s bench and door. A beautiful, variegated tree stands in the church yard.
It is thought that the church has been flooded 64 times in the last 95 years. In the 2020 flood (1.6metres) the pews damaged the reredos and in 2023 the pulpit was lost. The floor is regularly being replaced.
Leaving the river, we went through a tunnel under the A40 where the walls were decorated with painted mosaics created by local groups and schools; they depict the heritage of Monmouth and the Wye valley AONB. We travelled along tracks on the edge of the town until we passed the ‘the Manor on the Monnow’. We soon came to a feat of engineering, 
where the Monnow was channelled creating a hydroelectric scheme with a fish pass. Monmouth’s lights were water powered in 1899! In the 17th century a forge was powered at this site. At one point the river went over a lip creating an infinity pool effect.
Continuing we enjoyed fields of buttercups, welcome shade from trees along the river, and extensive views of the countryside. Climbing a steep road, we passed a small holding with a peacock and other birds, and someone spotted a few deer. Crossing a couple of fields, we stopped for lunch in a meadow covered in a red and yellow carpet of flowers and grasses. As we sat, we were excited to spot a herd of about twenty deer in the distance.
Walking again along a road, we saw the roe deer race across a field next to us before they disappeared. We passed Westwood Archery Centre where we were warned ‘ No trespassing – Violators will be shot; Survivors will be shot again’. We continued to have excellent views of the Black mountains and found some wonderful examples of trees, foxgloves and other wildflowers beside the paths. Emerging onto a road we were admiring a barn which had been weather-proofed with a new roof when the farmer told us it was for sale, if we were interested.
Near the end of the walk, we crossed the A40 and walked along the river Wye catching a few races of the regatta, as we walked, before returning to the cars. One race consisted of two mixed teams of eight rowers, the first of these any of us had seen. Someone in our group had to comment that ‘everyone seemed to be wearing old fashioned swimming costumes’.
An interesting and sunny walk was topped off with refreshments at a local garden centre
Walk 8.3m, 1100ft. Map OL14
Intriguing Ideas For Repurposing
WENVOE FORUM
Considering Tomorrow Today
“Intriguing Ideas For Repurposing”
A visit to the opticians this morning set me thinking. It was 2019, that I last had my eyesight checked. I do know the recommendation is that you go for a check-up every 2 years. I am sure that there were many more tests and checks carried out today than in 2019 even and reading the bottom line of the chart on the wall is a practice that has completely vanished now, to be replaced by machines that check for other health conditions detectable through your eyes. Thankfully this morning they found only slight changes in my prescription and nothing to worry about. However I did worry a little about “consuming” yet another pair of glasses. As I wear them only for reading/screen work or driving my specs tend to stay in pretty good condition. I do try to reuse frames but sometimes it is not possible and often there is a good reason to buy new ones. With several pairs in various drawers, no longer of use to me, I thought it time to do some recycling/reusing research.
As expected, avoiding using resources unnecessarily, by reusing old frames for your new prescription lenses is the best option. This of course supposes that you can manage without your glasses for a week or two while the new lenses are set in the old frame.
According to US charity “All about vision” around 1,000,000,000 people globally live with vision impairment that could be rectified by a pair of glasses that they can’t afford. Your old reading glasses are very likely to need no more than cleaning up for someone else to benefit from using them. Even lenses with complex prescriptions can be matched with patients by specialists. Opticians and charity shops often belong to schemes to reuse pairs of glasses where they are most needed, so take old ones with you when you have your check up, the optician’s recycling box starts with reuse. Any that can’t be used in this way will be broken down and their components reused or recycled appropriately.
As I was searching up popped information about what to do with your old mobile phone. Much of it was pretty standard recommendations but amongst all that there were some intriguing ideas for repurposing mobile phones. Here’s a few from the list, turn your old phone into:-
- a security camera
- a baby monitor
- a web cam
- an audio player
- a GPS device
- a remote control
and if you’ve had enough of those you can always make sure the phone is properly recycled by a reputable recycling company who will ensure reuse of the valuable, scarce components in particular.
And the Keys?
Well, with keys best of all keep them with the lock, then they will always be useful. Except of course, if lock and key are together they are not doing their security job. Inevitably you end up with keys that you have no idea what for. They are mostly metal and can join the metal scrap at the recycling centre, cut off any plastic covers first.
Keys, as symbols of abstract ideas find their way into in lots of creative artwork. How about considering a garden sculpture?
The key to being a successful minimal consumer is awareness and motivation. So here’s a suggestion how about arranging a collection in your street of the unwanted spectacles, or phones and volunteer to get them to the right recycle/reuse/repurpose project.
You will motivate others and repurpose yourself for a short while.
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To join our Facebook group, please ‘friend up’ with the Gwen Fo account @ https://www.facebook.com/ gwen.fo.1 and then jon the Wenvoe Forum @ https://www.facebook.com/ groups/635369267864402
Some further information and updates, blog site https://wenvoeforum.wordpress.com/. Any Wenvoe community member is welcome to join the Forum meetings, via Zoom, which are normally held 19.00 on the second Thursday of each month. E-mail gwenfo.forum@gmail.com if you wish to join.
Talk by Dr Natalie Hepburn
WOMEN’S INSTITUTE
June Meeting of Wenvoe W.I.
Wenvoe WI met last Thursday and enjoyed a talk given by Dr Natalie Hepburn, who is a local shepherdess. Natalie keeps and rears several animals including Llamas, sheep and goats in her small holdings near Creigiau. Also, her extensive knowledge of chemistry has enabled her to produce all manner of soaps and skin balms, as well as fleeces and rugs from her animals. Recently, she visited Brazil where she studied different methods of producing similar biproducts. During her talk Natalie demonstrated her basic method of soap production, and afterwards members were able to purchase her products.
Our next meeting is on Thursday 4th July at 7.00pm in the Church Hall, when Viv Turan (a local expert in antiques) will evaluate and assess any pieces members possess which they deem as being an antique.
Tasters and potential new members are welcome.
Jan Young (President)
Bright, Breezy, but Beautiful
It was The Great Escape
Valeways Walks June 2024
Valeways Walks June 2024
In addition to the longer walks listed above, Valeways offers a “Coffee Shop Strollers” walk programme suitable for those walkers that want to enjoy a pleasant walk, over a firm surface, avoiding stiles and enjoy the surroundings and the company of others. All followed by a visit to a coffee shop, time for refreshment and a natter. Just turn up and walk!
There are groups meeting in Cold Knap, Cowbridge, Cosmeston and Llantwit Major on alter-nate Wednesdays; St Athan alternate Thursdays and Well Being Strollers, Barry waterfront eve-ry Thursday. There are also some monthly targeted groups but anybody can join, namely; “Living with Cancer” at Cosmeston, “Walk for Carers” at Barry Island and “Stress Buster” at Romilly Park.
For more details, visit www.valeways.org.uk or email info@valeways.org.uk
Ominously Grey Skies
Blackmill & Treorchy
Blackmill & Treorchy
Blackmill – This walk took us to some beautiful countryside, although wet underfoot there were stones in most places, so it was not too muddy! We began in Blackmill and walked up the Ogwr Fawr towards the Ogmore forest and back via Cwm Dimbach. Blackmill is at the confluence of two Ogwr rivers, three railway lines and two main roads – the gateway to the Ogmore valleys.
We walked in sunshine with big fluffy clouds in the sky. The climb was gradual, and we looked over the valley observing that buildings were appearing much higher up the hills. The views were extensive and the hills lush and green. At our high point of the day, we could see the channel in the far distance.
We stopped for lunch at the side of a stream, where water tumbled down the hillside. It was the first time this year we could feel the heat of the sun as we sat.
The ground was saturated, but we walked down a stream which was stony making it comfortable walking downhill. A river separated us from a woodland of bare trees with a carpet of moss across the whole space. Apart from occasional birdsong and the noise of flowing water the place was peaceful with a deep silence. In one area rocks at the side were covered in ferns and mosses, dripping with water, just as you would imagine a fairy glen.
We came to an isolated house where a ford crossed the river. Two of us were a bit behind everyone else and pretended that we thought we had to cross the ford, and everyone egged us on, only for us to turn at the last moment and use the pedestrian bridge. Moments later a car drove across the ford creating a small bow wave.
The end of the walk was along the Great Glamorgan Way. We finished at a café in Blackmill which supplied us with piping hot cups of tea – a wonderful day. [Walk 7.25m, 1100ft. Map OS166]
Treorchy – As the weather has improved, we have enjoyed some wonderful walks in the sunshine. This was one of them. Thirteen of us and three dogs parked on a steep street in Cwmparc. It was not long before we had left the houses behind and were climbing a forest track. The valley of houses sat in a bowl, formed by the hills.
The day warmed, something we had not experienced in a while. Leaves were starting to uncurl on shrubs, and we spotted the yellow flowers of coltsfoot which emerge before the leaves.
As we got higher an expanse of wind turbines appeared, as did the shell of a burnt-out car. Towards the top of the walk, we arrived at a crossroads and chose it as a lunch stop. Soon everyone started spreading out, a few in a depression, some on a bank with their backs to the sun, some facing the sun on the opposite bank and a couple even went into the woods to lean on a tree. It was all reminiscent of lockdown with none of us closer than 6 ft to one another. Some traffic passed, a few cyclists (one without a helmet, crazy!), several walkers and inevitably, disturbing the peace, a few offroad motorbikes.
The views on the walk were excellent; there were continuous rolling hills, but we also caught glimpses of Pen y Fan and Sugar Loaf. Surprisingly, from this distance (we were at the top of the Valleys) we could see the Bristol Channel and England. In the sky we had spotted a buzzard and kite and, on the ground, a tiny eggshell.
We came off the stony track onto a boggy footpath, then a short distance along a road. All too soon we reached ‘the descent’. We had been warned that walking poles were advisable. The hill rose steeply to our right where a rickety old fence stopped us heading inland and to our left was a rocky gorge. A couple of ewes with their lambs were scrambling on the craggy hillside. The footpath was a mix of loose stones and grass and we descended at varying rates depending on our fitness and head for heights. A small herd of cattle, with young calves, grazed in the valley which opened out below us.
The end of the walk was open moorland and after crossing this we followed a fast-flowing stream. Painted stones bordered the path as we neared housing, and a sign told us it was ‘Cwmparc Pathway of Hope created in 2020’ another reminder of lockdown.
We chatted to a few of the locals as we passed them outside their houses which looked out onto the hill. A great day in the hills with wall-to-wall sunshine dotted with a few wispy clouds and rounded off with drinks outside a pub in Porth. [Walk 7.5m, 1500ft. Map OS166]