Talybont and Llanfeugan
Talybont and Llanfeugan
Parking in Talybont, where toilets and showers were available for a small fee, we set off along a section of the canal. The walk was taking in parts of the Taff trail, Usk Valley walk, and the Brecon and Monmouthshire canal. Henry Vaughan ‘the Swan of the Usk’ is celebrated here, a 17thC poet and doctor and his twin, Thomas, a priest, and alchemist published devotional, poetic, alchemical and medical volumes. There is a short Henry Vaughan Walk – 4Km, with poetic extracts on wooden boards which tuck away out of the weather when not in use, ingenious. Henry was recognised as a poet who influenced many later poets such as Wordsworth. We walked through an herb garden containing plants which the brothers would have grown for use in their medical exploits.
On the Taff trail we read a quote from one of Thomas’s poems ‘What a clear, running crystal here I find! Sure I will strive to gain as clear a mind!’ I wonder what the Taff was like in their day.
We traversed fields and a small wood and came across an orchard overflowing with fruit, as all trees seem to be this year. One tree was the archetypal apple tree with glossy red fruit. There was a walk in aid of Mountain Rescue the day we were there, and we came across some marshals – luckily our routes were different.
The Usk valley walk has an otter as its symbol and utilises some permitted paths through lush fields and a copse of silver birch. We entered a wood and were pleased to spot various fungi but excited to see a large clump of fly agaric (the red mushroom with white spots). At this point someone said we had better stop spending so much time looking at fungi as we had only walked 2 miles!
We passed the ruin of a building and had our first view of the meandering river Usk. The path, which worshippers would have taken over the ages, was leading to Llanfeugan, but the church of St Meugan was still some way off. The Parish stretches 8.5 miles from the river Usk, over the 2523ft summit of Waun Rydd and down into the Taff Fechan valley. The track was well established with many old trees along the way. At least 4 types of fungi grew on the remains of a tree.
At lunchtime we arrived at the 13thC church, built on the site of a chapel and a pre-Christian sacred site, so it has been a sacred site for thousands of years. An amazing sight welcomed us; a beautiful noticeboard and gate led to the churchyard which has 13 ancient yew trees, at least two are over 2000 years old, and the atmosphere was awesome. We were invited to ‘Pick your yew’ and eat.
In 2023 a large bough broke off one yew in a storm, and the wood was saved to be used by local crafts people, including to make the frame for the yew noticeboard at the entrance gate. Cuttings from the
yews were taken in the Millenium year and three are now planted to the south of the church, as they were given back to St Meugan’s in 2003.
After their long journeys, the rector and congregation, played handball until the bells stopped ringing and resumed their game on completion of the service. There was even cockfighting, especially on Holy Days!
We briefly explored the interior of the church and then continued our walk, glancing back at the church which was almost entirely hidden by the yews. Through fields and tracks it was downhill to the canal, passing hawthorns loaded with bright red haws and a spindle tree (so called because its branches are perfectly round and were used for spindles) with its bright pink capsules that split open to reveal vibrant orange, berry-like seeds.
On reaching the canal an easy walk along it allowed us to watch wildfowl, barges moving slowly along and even the tree in which an osprey nested, near the canal this year.
Soon we were back at Talybont, a village which grew from the canal and the thriving industry powered by local coal. Today it buzzes with mountain power. Mountain streams cascade down waterfalls into the reservoir driving the hydro to power our homes, businesses and cars.
A memorable day which despite the forecast, remained dry and was finished off by a cuppa outside the local café/shop watching the participants in a much longer sponsored walk pass by.
Walk 7.5 m 880ft Map OL12 and OL13
The first part of this book follows Frankie McGrath leaving her sheltered life, to become an army nurse in the Vietnam War. There is an emotional description of the gruelling conditions in the Evac hospital and the powerful friendships that developed between staff members. When she is transferred to a hospital closer to the front, conditions are even worse.
