Category: Community Groups

Gower

Saturday dawned extremely wet and miserable so we all agreed to postpone our walk until Sunday when the forecast was good. We were very glad when Sunday arrived bright and sunny. It was early September and we were off to the Gower. Our walk started in Murton and took us to Southgate via Caswell Bay.

Setting off from Murton in a south-easterly direction we walked through Oldway, noticing some of the road names seemed to relate to its history: e.g. Lime kiln lane and Long Acre. There were long thin strips shown on the OS map and we guessed that this was how the area had been divided for the people to grow food.

Continuing we came into Bishop’s Wood, a local nature reserve with well developed paths. Near its centre we came across a roundhouse; based on a medieval design it is built from locally harvested oak and ash (the predominant trees in Bishop’s wood). The river that created this valley still flows underground and can still be found surfacing on Caswell beach. We also emerged here, it was lovely to see the sea in the sunshine and we lingered briefly to make use of the facilities on offer. We walked in a westerly direction across the beach and now we were on the coastal path following it to Brandy Cove and then Pwlldu Bay (one of the many Welsh ‘Blackpool’s). Late summer flowers were spotted including mullein. The coast below was covered in craggy rocks which had attracted quite a few sea birds, cormorants being the most distinctive.

At the beginning of Pwlldu Bay the path climbed up to the road leading to High Pennard and we followed it although the beach was deserted and looked very attractive. We came into open countryside and decided to stop for lunch just before Hunts Farm on a raised grassy area where we had open views across the bracken clad moor down to the sea in the distance. A few people walked below us as we rested and several people rode past on horses nearer the sea. It was surprisingly cool while we were stationary so we didn’t linger too long over lunch.

We resumed our route towards Hunts farm and then Southgate, turning inland near Fox Hole before reaching Southgate. There was some impressive

housing in this area and we admired many of the buildings. We headed north east, coming across some waterlogged land and were grateful for a bridge in one place where the water was particularly deep. A field had cows with their very cute calves, some of which showed little fear as they nudged a feed bucket on the other side of a gate from us. At Hael farm a large marquee was being taken down and there were some lovely begonias in big pots.

We followed the course of a stream through a wooded valley. We had good paths to begin with, then it became very muddy and finally the valley floor was littered with large rocks covered in moss – like a riverbed, quite difficult to negotiate! There was a steep rock face to one side and we spotted a cave; further on the water disappeared underground into another cave.

We were travelling north towards Kittle when we came across a notice: ‘Footpath… registered in the riverbed – is usually walkable when dry. However a large sinkhole has opened up which is dangerous to approach as the surrounding surfaces are highly unstable and there is no room to pass safely.’ Slightly worrying but a quick bit of route planning by our expert map readers and some information from a fellow walker who had just negotiated a diversion and we were on our way again, travelling generally north through Bishopston.

Arriving at the edge of Kittle in glorious sunshine we passed 2 pubs, The Joiners Arms and The Valley. We didn’t stop but continued along a path to the side of the local school, which had lots of colourful wild flowers growing at its entrance. On Providence Lane we passed a very remote and unwelcoming house – there were even bars on the windows. Returning to the community centre in Murton, we looked at the pump and well behind it. We retired to the Plough and Harrow and relaxed in the late sunshine with a drink but wished we hadn’t eaten our sandwiches – the meals appearing from the kitchen looked scrumptious. We had walked 7.75 miles and climbed 750ft. Map 164.

St Brides Major

We started at St Brides Major and walked north-west across Beacons Down on a bright Sunday morning. As we approached the river Ogmore we could see a long line of runners coming towards us and then sharing our route. In places it was pretty muddy underfoot following Saturday’s rain and we didn’t envy them having to run through it.

They were participating in the Merthyr Mawr Christmas Pudding race, which is a challenging multi-terrain six mile race. The pudding race was started in 1990 by Bridgend AC who organised the race for 10 years, handing over to the Brackla Harriers club in 2000. The original race took in the stepping stones by Ogmore castle, a route abandoned after heavy rain submerged the stones in year 2!

Many runners were in festive costumes and we left them to enjoy mince pies and mulled wine at their half way point as we turned south along the river. They crossed the river back towards Merthyr Mawr and their second ascent of the highest dune in Europe, known as ‘The Big Dipper‘. The sun sparkled on birds in the river and looking east we could see walkers and horse riders with the runners behind them. From here we followed the coast towards Southerndown before heading inland through some woodland and arriving at the Heritage centre. Now we took a slight diversion down to the coast to enjoy our very welcome lunch, with the luxury of picnic tables. Then north-east towards Pitcot, where opposite Pitcot pool we were surprised to find the Farmers Arms closed. From here it was a short walk along the road to where we had parked in St Brides Major. A walk of 7 miles and 500ft.

Merthyr Mawr, Newton and Candleston

The car park at Candleston, Merthyr Mawr was the starting point for our walk and we headed west across the dunes towards the beach at Newton. Initially we climbed a steep dune and then undulated through the sandy paths admiring the seed heads of the many wild flowers standing tall around us.

Merthyr Mawr is the highest dune system in Wales. Sand has settled on top of an ancient limestone cliff creating a special habitat for insects, fungi and plants. Springs arise from the bottom of the cliff giving rise to pools and temporary streams. Flints from the Stone Age, burial mounds and pottery from the Bronze Age, hearths from the Iron Age and Roman tiles discovered here have resulted in much of the Warren being scheduled as an Ancient Monument.

It was a misty morning and we could just make out the banks of the river Ogmore and the sea in the distance, where we had walked last weekend. As the dunes led us to the sea, the last stretch of our walk west was on the beach where there were quite a few people, mostly walking their dogs. Unfortunately it was too early for lunch so before reaching the road at Newton we headed inland and then generally east following a path through woodland. We passed the scout camp at Wigfach and an interesting building near it, built in art deco style. Many different fungi were spotted on the ground and rotting wood, including a timely outcrop of turkey tail. Finding a clearing in the wood we ate our lunch and then made our way along Cwm y Befos, emerging onto farmland and more normal terrain. Passing Candleston farm, we headed north alongside a wood and then south-east. A friendly horse and donkey came close and followed us across their field before we arrived at the pretty Merthyr Mawr village near the church. Now we walked along the road finishing at Candleston castle. The castle is a 14thC fortified manor house, in ruins since the 19thC. The castle is believed to be named after the Norman family of Cantilupe, thought to be its first feudal tenants. In the 21stC, the castle is an ‘ivy covered ruin’: wildfowl, butterflies, moths, autumn gentian, violets and orchids are seen in its area. We had walked 8 miles and climbed 600ft.