Cwm Gynfig near Margam Park
January produced some icy weather, causing anxiety about the forecast of snow flurries or freezing rain after 4pm. We parked on a road south of the route to avoid driving on icy/narrow country lanes. Although cold (layers were the order of the day) it was a beautiful sunny day, and we were soon striding out. Until we met streams of water running across the road, hiding black ice in places, when shorter tentative steps were taken.
We laughed at a sign on a gate ‘No Trespassing If you weren’t invited you aren’t welcome’. A field of goats were hidden by a hedge, but they ran around as we passed.
As we approached a farm, a woman came towards us asking ‘Where are you going?’. ‘How friendly’ I thought. But she changed her whole demeanour, became very angry and told us in no uncertain terms that there was no footpath through her land and if we went across the fields, we would find sheep, cows and bulls. Several people had maps in their hand and tried to explain quietly ‘look the footpath is on the map’. She would not listen to reason and berating us told us to go back down the hill and take another track; of course, the track was not a footpath. Our skilled navigators soon had us back on route and the rest of the walk passed without incident.
As the morning progressed ice on the paths melted but the frost remained with surrounding fields and tree stumps often retaining a sparkling white veneer. We had excellent paths throughout and walked a variety of areas – woodland, open spaces, and farmland. We spotted some fungi, foxglove seed heads, a buzzard and a heron.
As we gained height, we observed the devastation caused by recent storms. Trees tumbling over one another like matchsticks. Emerging from the forest it was very cold, and we walked faster.
An area where stones littered the ground, and heather grew proved excellent for lunch. Then we returned through the valley surrounded by rusty-brown, bracken covered hillsides – so much better to look at than walk through.
We enjoyed warming tea at Pyle Garden centre.
Walk 8m 1000ft. Map OS151/166
St Athan
Parking in Aberthaw we discovered that one of us (who will remain nameless but has experienced many years walking the footpaths of South Wales), realised he had brought two left footed boots and would have to walk in the shoes he was wearing!
It was a grey day with glimmers of sunshine. We started by walking back up the road to the coastal road, we stepped out quite smartly, hesitating only to look over the parapet at the structures within Aberthaw
We walked north across land associated with a castle and investigated the remains of a dovecote. Several trees had large black bracket fungus on their trunks. As we approached St Athan a large caravan/chalet park could be seen in the sunshine.
Turning south we could see the airport; several planes were parked up. Then our most experienced walker said, ‘I’ve never walked this path.’ It was a very short section, but the walk planner was very pleased to find something new!
On reaching the coast we scrambled over the stones and through the 2nd world war sea defences to gaze out to sea while we ate our lunch. The tide was out but five surfers entertained us by riding the slightest of waves.
This part of the coastal path was wet underfoot until we reached the firmer path in Aberthaw. A structure out at sea is the sea water intake used for cooling in the power station .There is a tunnel connecting the caisson to the land so personnel could walk out to it if required.
As a coal fired power station Aberthaw could supply enough power for 1.5 million households. It is now silent and there was evidence of buildings and contents being dismantled. When it was active, coal trains would come in and out of the site on a continuous railroad without stopping; the carriages released their load from the bottom onto a conveyor belt which carried the coal to a store. There is now a hill of coal ash at the edge of the site where several species have set up home.
Reaching the end of the high wall around the power station, we walked through the nature reserve back to the cars. Drinks in the Blue Anchor rounded the day off nicely. Walk 7.8m 280ft. Map OS151
