Category: Footsteps

 Glamorgan Coast

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We parked near the Plough and Harrow Inn and walked straight across a sodden field towards Broughton. We wended our way to Monkton and across farmland towards the coast. Some of the fields were muddy and we soon had great clarts of mud on our boots making our feet heavy. Foot stamping and dragging feet through long grass cleaned boots as there were no puddles!

There was no wind, the air unusually still, and it was eerily quiet. Far off to the west we spotted a Murmuration. Joining the coast at St Donats, we turned towards Nash Point. We sat on rocks outside Atlantic College and stared out to sea eating our lunch. Someone spotted two heads in the water coming towards us and then carrying on across the bay. They stayed together and we could not identify them. People at the coast watch centre said, ‘great black backed gulls.’

At Nash Point we descended into the valley and a couple of peregrines took off as we arrived. It was high tide, so we kept to the cliff tops. There was not a ripple on the sea. The path inland at Monknash was slippery from heavy rain during the week. At the old mill the stream was full and the tufa quite spectacular.

The volume of water in a stream made some of us reticent to cross the top of a small waterfall but we did. The trees beside the stream were old and gnarled from the wind and their roots a foot or more above the earth A large horse followed us across a field, and we passed the remains of a mill, whose roof was replaced by a wacky hairdo of ivy.

Back at the Plough and Harrow, the Barry Male Voice choir, having a social lunch, burst into song as we waited to be served. With the roaring fire and Real ale to drink, what a great atmosphere to end a lovely walk.

Walk 6.6m 400ft Map OS151

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 Abercarn

Abercarn is in the Ebbw valley and driving towards a parking area, we passed a huge church, St Luke’s iron church. According to a foundation stone, it was built in 1923. It became redundant due to a dwindling congregation in the 1980s and although it is grade II listed it is now derelict (but in the care of Cadw?). Looking at photographs on the internet you can see that it was once a truly impressive church. Its architect was J. Coates Carter who was born in Norwich and is notable for his design and restoration of churches in S. Wales (including Llandaff cathedral and the Paget Rooms in Penarth). It is not clear who commissioned it, but it could be a Crawshay as they owned an estate in Abercarn. It is early gothic style with slim cast iron columns.

( See More Photos of Church https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/st-lukes-church-abercarn-south-wales-12-08-08.35494/ )

We set off downhill through leaf strewn woodland to running water, Nant Gwyddon, crossed a bridge and reaching the other side started climbing. We walked through mixed woodland accompanied by almost incessant bird song, it was mild, so Spring was in the air!

As we climbed the trees seemed to be older and the path was edged by beeches towering above us. Along an old hedge-line tree branches intertwined as they reached skyward. Roots penetrated old boundary walls and trees and stones were clothed in green moss with the roots clinging to the hillside.

Coming out onto open access land with open moorland, we could see the Pen y Fan area wreathed in cloud with Corn Ddu clearly visible in the distance. We kept looking at the scudding clouds in the hope that we would see the whole range and just before we arrived at woodland they cleared, and Pen y Fan peeped out of the cloud.

All the paths were good and flat underfoot but there was a fair amount of climbing so we waited until we were at the top of our climb before, we stopped for lunch on the wild moors. As soon as we stopped three scrambler bikes came past us and another two passed as we ate.

Resuming we started to descend, climbing over a fence and then a few trees blocking the path (felled to deter motor bikes). This wood was a fir plantation and as we emerged from the trees we could see vast swathes of land stripped of its tree cover by the forestry workers and evidence of erosion.. We spotted frog spawn in a pool, long catkins and tiny red flowers on a hazel, and fungi growing on a dark tree trunk and several sheep’s skulls.

The paths throughout the walk were in good condition, so we were able to stride out on the descent and we didn’t need to climb a single stile. Wonderful.

Walk 7.75m 1400ft Map OS152

 

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 Garth Hill 

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There was a downpour at 8.30 and again at 9.00, with rain cascading over the chutes. Still, we met as usual and agreed to ‘give it a go’, the rain stopped and ‘dry until 12.00 with 40mph winds’ was forecast. From the Radyr to Pentyrch road, we crossed Heol Goth and climbed to enter Garth Wood. We were greeted by bird song and the paths through this lovely wood were good.

Pentyrch’s the King’s Arms is a grade II listed building, originally a 17th century copyhold farm (Cae Golman). It has a fireplace with a beam dated 1711. We passed Acapela Studio near the Lewis Arms, a venue with a strong reputation.

The sun came out and there was no wind until we reached the top of the Garth, and were we glad we had persisted. Visibility was amazing with 3600 clear views encompassing the Severn bridge, Newport transporter bridge, Glastonbury Tor, the Channel, the islands of Flat Holm and Steep Holm, Cardiff, Wenvoe, and the airport as well as the Valleys.

We descended rapidly and settled next to an old stone wall for lunch. The wind was cold, but it was pleasant in the weak sunshine. As we ate, dark clouds gathered and seemed to sweep around us up to the Valleys. Then we hurriedly finished our lunch and resumed walking as the first drops of rain began to fall.

There was a very wet area between Garth Hill and the river Taff. Here we needed to cross a stream onto a very wet ‘island’ before climbing a wobbly stile. Two gallant men (one of them with one foot in a stream) held the stile steady as we each climbed over it and jumped across a second stream. Someone offered me a hand to help me, and they fell back into the mud as I came forward and I got a boot full of cold muddy water helping her up. Then we trudged up the hill across the field which was potholed with deep puddles between tiny patches of grass. We were very glad to reach the stile at the top of the field and a lane. Another person had taken a tumble in the field but none of us was hurt and even my feet were warm and cosy by the time we exited the field.

The final descent to the Taff trail was steep with zigzags, it was obviously used by mountain bikers. The river Taff was very full and fast flowing, and we talked about how dangerous water can be.

Tea at Pugh’s Garden Centre refreshed us.

Walk 6.6m 1200ft Map OS151

 

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 Ystradowen 

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Another week of torrential rain, hail, and wind with many floods, had us thinking it might not be practical to walk in the Vale, but we agreed to go and see how the land lay and come home if necessary.

We parked in Ystradowen and headed west and then north towards the fisheries as we thought this would be the wettest area underfoot. It was squelchy underfoot but nowhere was impassable, so we kept going. The fields did have a lot of lying water with ponds visible in places, but the footpaths were all firm underfoot with occasional streams to navigate at the bottom of slopes.

We made our way to Hensol Forest where we used the main tracks which were excellent underfoot. At the car park we stopped for lunch at the BBQ area and the sun shone briefly and we could see the Channel.

Resuming we walked towards Prisk, a stream was in full flood with a tree creating a dam, so we detoured and walked along the road, where we spotted our first daffodil and red campion of the year. Back on a footpath we saw a kite take to the air and admired its majestic flight which must have been an effort as a brisk wind had blown up. A meandering stream spread across a wide area, but we negotiated it without a problem, climbed a slope, admired some pretty sheep with black markings and were back in Ystradowen.

Did you know that Tom Jones had a home in the village until 1998?

The café at Bonvilston provided us with piping hot mugs of tea. And when two bikers’ meals arrived with plates piled high with omelette and chips, we were asked ‘Do you have chip envy?’ (We must have been salivating). The next minute a bowl of chips appeared – they said they had cooked too many and we were welcome to them. All that for £1.50 a head!

Walk 6.4m 800ft Map OS151

 

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 Colwinston 

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At the beginning of our walk, we took a slight diversion to visit the Old Ford Project, an environmental enhancement scheme involving the village’s Ancient Well, Clapper Footbridge, Watercress beds, woodland hedges, Colwinston Brook and Springs. Unusually for the Vale of Glamorgan Colwinston village has steep slopes at its centre. The watercourse is now underground but rises to the surface in prolonged wet weather.

The Michaelmas Well is one of three wells which provided the village with water until 1935 when the main water supply was brought to the village. There are 24 steps to the bottom of the well, with recent rain only the top step could be seen but a local resident told us that there were sixteen steps visible after the hot dry summer of this year.

There was a ford across the stream a short distance from the well. Until the early 1900’s when the old ford was covered for traffic the clapper bridge was the only dry path across the stream for pedestrians. It is an 18th century structure, one of several in the Vale. A pond fed by springs has been excavated to provide more habitats for wildlife and it is hoped watercress.

We returned to the centre of the village to begin our walk and soon passed the village War Memorial which was erected at the village green in 2014. Colwinston is a ‘Thankful Village’ – one of only three in Wales which suffered no fatalities in World War I. However, four men were lost in World War II, one of them Agatha Christie’s son-in-law, Colonel Hubert Prichard.

One house had an exuberant Christmas garland around the whole of their double porch entrance, with door wreaths, small reindeer, and lanterns; it all looked splendid. We spotted several Victorian wall-mounted post boxes still in use on the walk, one on a house called ‘Ramblers’ which we thought appropriate but realised it probably referred to roses rather than walking!

There are ten Grade II listed buildings in the village, all dating from the medieval or post-medieval period. They include a thatched house, ‘the Old Parsonage dating from the 16th century which has a Gothic or Tudor arch and is one of only two in the Vale with a latrine in the form of a small closet next to the fireplace.

Now we walked through fields and crossed the A48 at the old Colwinston village milestone – Cowbridge 3 miles, Bridgend 4 miles, London 173 miles – only to find the next stile blocked, a nearby gate was an easy substitute.

It was a cloudy but reasonably clear day, and we could see the long line of wind turbines on the hills, quite a few rotating. A red kite appeared overhead and seemed to ‘stay with us’ for the rest of the walk soaring high and occasionally swooping quite close to us. Would you ever get tired of seeing this marvellous bird?

A tall chimney north of Gelliaraul farmhouse, Llangan, dominates the landscape. It is Grade II listed and has three distinct levels and an arched opening a couple of feet above the ground; possibly some sort of oven associated with the nearby quarry. Arriving at Llangan we found their public phone box was a book exchange and contained a defibrillator, good idea we thought until we saw a sign ‘Sorry this defibrillator is out of order’. We passed the church, walking through the graveyard, where there is an old cross and noted that the church looked as if it had been doubled in size at some point in its past.

Now we were walking on grass again and spotted a buttercup flowering, not bad for December. We passed a huge solar panel installation and found a pile of logs so stopped to eat lunch; glimmers of sunshine appeared. Some of the logs had a very pretty, thin, pure white, fungus growing on them. As we set off, we met a flock of sheep with square shaped heads, even the ewes looked masculine, and the ram was solid muscle.

Now we walked through Troes and turned south to return. At times it was quite dark but then the sun would come out for a while and brighten everything. Nearing Colwinston we came to ‘Charlie’s Shop’, – open 9-5 so after checking he was open, we finished the walk and drove back up the road for a few minutes to enjoy a piping hot cup of tea next to a wood burning stove, very cosy and he had lots of local eggs for sale.

Walk 6.9m 400ft Map OS151

 

 

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 Neath Canals 

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This is an easy walk in the Vale of Neath, following the Neath Canal and back along the Tennant Canal.

The river Neath is known to have been navigable to Neath town bridge for sea going ships since Roman times. The Neath canal was preceded by several smaller canals connecting industrial sites to the river. In 1790 it was decided that a canal from Pontneddfechan to Neath would be of public benefit. Construction started in 1791, one of the building contractors was imprisoned over financial irregularities in 1794, and it was completed in 1795. For the first 60 years of its existence the canal prospered and in 1845 a £100 share was worth £350. As much as 200,000 tons of coal was carried annually, as well as iron, ironstone, fire/clay bricks, silica, lime, gunpowder and building stone. The opening of the Neath and Swansea junction canal (Tennant canal) in 1824 led to traffic being diverted, as Swansea had better shipping facilities. When the Vale of Neath railway opened in 1851, canal trade dwindled and in the 20th century the canal closed. It was maintained for the supply of water to industry, but navigational structures (locks) were abandoned and became derelict.

Restoration began in 1974 with the formation of The Neath and Tennant Canals Trust. Both canals are owned by private companies who have lost their income from selling water so there is little money for maintenance, and they are wary of others working on the canals because of insurance liabilities. The Trust is limited to work approved by the canal owners which is often just litter picking. They want to see a master plan created which would preserve the canals and promote them for well-being and tourism.

It was a wet day and we set off in full waterproof gear. As we began our walk along the Neath canal, we puzzled over what looked like a dog’s kennel on the opposite bank of the canal – a cheap duck’s house? Then we walked past a huge gas depot – every type of canister and gas you could imagine.

South of Tonna is the Neath canal Depot where there was a smithy, workshop, wood seasoning shed and sawpit as well as the lock keeper’s cottage and stables. In its heyday it would have been extremely busy with lock gates being built and repaired, boats maintained and horses which towed the barges being cared for. Some of the buildings are still standing. The man living in the cottage obviously has a sense of humour as there were several figures on the land past the house including skeletons and large cats sprawling on tree stumps. Ducks and geese swam peacefully on the canal.

Soon we arrived at the 13th century, church of St Illtyd. The last time we walked here we saw a bride arriving at the church by barge. Sadly, this would be impossible now as the canal is overgrown and not navigable.

The present St Illtyd church is built on the site of a much older church and probably the location of a hermit’s refuge. The tower of the church is Norman but the actual church dates to the time of St Illtyd, centuries before the Norman conquest. St Illtyd’s was the parish church for nearby Neath until the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII. The present church was rebuilt in 1859. CADW restored it in 2005/6, the final part of the restoration being to paint the outside of the church white with a solution of lime and tallow just as they did in the Middle Ages.

At Tonna we saw the river Neath. The canal passed through several tunnels, and we walked along what felt like narrow paths at its side. One of the tunnels was quite long so very dark on this cloudy day. Another had an ornate metal bridge over it and fascinating reflections of the ceiling and sides in the water.

After this our path became narrower until we came to an area where there were several small bridges across the canal, a rusted-out barge, and some derelict locks. Here we crossed to the Tennant canal. We planned to lunch here, but the pool was overgrown and the ground wet. Someone explored and we went to a small beach on the river Neath with an excellent view of the Aberdulais aqueduct, viaduct and lockhouse. The river was full, and we watched the water swirling around the arches and the weir as we ate. In 2020 Storm Dennis damaged the aqueduct overwhelming the low arches but the Inlands Waterways Association with the help of the Neath and Tennant Canals Trust formulated a plan in 2021 to save the aqueduct.

The weather was a bit brighter now and the remainder of the walk was delightful with reflections of trees in the canal and leafy walkways.

Walk 6m 170ft. Map OS165

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 Dragon’s Back 

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In spring, we talked about which walks we would like to do this year and this one was tops for me, but the summer was so hot that we saved it for the autumn. The Dragon’s Back is named after the shape of the hills which rise and fall like the spines on a Dragon’s Back and from a distance it looks like a sleeping dragon.

There is another ‘Dragon’s Back’ which runs from north to south Wales following the mountainous spine of the country. And people have been racing the route since 1992, taking about 5-6 days to cover 236 miles and ascents which would add up to twice the height of Everest!

Our walk was in the Black Mountains and more modest but still a demanding walk. We arrived at the car park on the A479, next to a pub to take the last parking spaces (there is an honesty box for payment). Unusually we were tackling the route anticlockwise to enjoy ‘an exhilarating finale on a switchback route along the crest of a long narrow ridge on Y Grib’.

We took a track towards Cwmfforest farm where we started a gentle climb which soon got steeper. Most of us took regular short breaks ‘to look at the fantastic views’ which were unfolding around us. As we climbed, we could see beyond the ridge to the west to Pen y Fan in the distance. Reaching a cairn, we followed a section of the Cambrian Way and coming round a mountain spotted Sugar Loaf and England to the southeast.

Surrounded by the awe-inspiring Black Mountains and Brecon Beacons, we were crossing moorland and bog, but paths improved by the national park and the dry summer – meant that what was normally bog was now just damp. We came to a steep section which has been reinforced with huge stones making this section easier to climb and preserving the countryside around us.

The high point of the walk is Waun Fach, (small moor) the highest point in the Black Mountains at 810m, it is the second highest mountain in southern Britain (Pen y Fan being the highest) and we felt the keen wind as we reached it. We met a group of deaf people taking a group photo. Then it was time for our group photo, and after heading downhill slightly a well-earned lunch out of the wind and looking over the next stage of the walk.

We saw a few people walking in T shirts, apparently with no refreshments or waterproof gear. But we were impressed by a family: a woman, man and two very young children were steadily climbing with the children stopping now and again to examine something which had caught their attention. The woman carried a rucksack, presumably so that the man could carry the children if it became necessary.

We continued, taking in the views of the Dragon’s Back and the distant hills. It was a perfect day for walking, not too warm but sunny with occasional cloud and the visibility was incredible; we could see the Bristol Channel, rolls of mountains to Pen y Fan and beyond to the west and the flattish landscape of the north stretching into the far distance. Gliders were being lifted by planes from a nearby airfield and then soaring on the up draughts. They mirrored a red kite which flew below us displaying its divided tail and distinctive colouring.

Now we approached the promised finale as we took in the crest of Y Grib and then dipped and climbed along the mounds of the Dragon’s Back keeping the 360O views. All too soon we were facing the last climb to Castell Dinas Hill fort. A few people opted to skirt around it but the rest of us struggled to the top. At 450 metres it is the highest castle in England and Wales and is positioned to defend Rhiangoll pass, between the market towns of Crickhowell and Talgarth. Standing there you get a sense of Welsh history and of the many people who have been there before you over hundreds of years The original Iron Age defence is reduced to stone wall ruins, outlines of ditches and ramparts. One piece of wall has an arch which it was decided was the ‘Dragon’s eye’.

A stroll downhill over a rickety stile, passing some beautiful oaks and lush grassland and we stopped briefly to look back at where we had been. A brief walk along the original track and there was the carpark with the Dragon’s Back Hotel beckoning us for a drink.

The weather had been great with no rain and the word I used on the day, for the walk and views was splendiferous – what more could you ask for? Walk 7.4miles 2100ft Map OL13

A map of any of the walks featured in ‘Footsteps’ can be obtained from ianmood029@gmail.com

 

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 Tidenham

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We started at Tidenham Chase car park on A4228; the pedestrian wireworks bridge across the river Wye at Tintern is closed for repair for about 9 months from August 2022. So, the plan was to include the Tidenham tunnel in our walk, a clockwise route taking us south to the tunnel and returning via Offa’s Dyke.

On a cool, bright morning, we entered Poor’s Allotment at the adder gate, a sinuous adder is carved into the wooden gate. The zigzag pattern on an adder’s skin looks like bracken providing camouflage. In the 1800’s it was established as common land on which the people of Tidenham could graze their livestock. More than 200 years of light grazing has preserved the open nature of the reserve, which is an SSSI. It was once the location of a beacon which would carry messages across the River Severn and is now managed by the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust.

 

Continuing we crossed Parson’s allotment, which was given to the vicar of Tidenham in 1815 as part of the Enclosure Acts to replace tythes previously given to the church. There is a needle like stone – the Queen Victoria Jubilee Stone dated 1897, hidden from view by summer’s growth. We did see patches of heather, yellow gorse, bright red haws, and occasional glimpses of both Severn bridges.

We joined the Gloucestershire Way and reaching Netherhope, could see the entrance to Tidenham tunnel far below us. We continued south along the Gloucestershire way until we came to a road with access to the Wye Valley Greenway, which runs from Tintern to Chepstow – 5 miles in total. The entrance to Tidenham tunnel was 400yds away.

We passed under a bridge, supported by massive iron girders, and entered the tunnel. Low level lighting can be seen stretching far ahead, but it is quite dark. The tunnel curves so that no daylight is visible and eyes strain to see. As people pass only legs are seen, though children were visible. Eyes gradually adjusted and the walls and roof became clearer. The temperature was cool – a good place to visit on a hot summer’s day. The tunnel is 1080m (1188yards) long and walking through it was exciting.

The darkness is in aid of bat conservation; there are very few bats in the tunnel as it is draughty, but attempts have been made to make it more bat friendly – blocking some of the alcoves, bat boxes on the roof and insulation in some of the roof voids, plus the entrance gates are kept ajar. The bat licence means that the tunnel is open during daylight hours from 1st April until 1st October.

Emerging at the other end, we welcomed the warm air, and our eyes could relax. There is a seating area; railway sleepers and other paraphernalia are evident, a crocodile head has been created, and rails have been left in place to protect the rare fingered sedge.

A quarry towered ahead, and we needed to climb past it to Offa’s Dyke. We took a clear path; one long stretch was extremely steep, and we were grabbing tree trunks to help pull ourselves up by our arms to give leg muscles a bit of help. Some sturdy flights of steps have been installed which give respite but even these are steep. We were relieved to reach the top, very glad we hadn’t tried to descend the path and that we had waited to eat lunch until after the climb. We were all ravenous by now and headed off towards the Devil’s Pulpit, keeping our eyes peeled for a suitable place to stop beside the path. A fallen tree was chosen, and lunch thoroughly enjoyed, whatever it was.

After lunch we had views of the river Wye and Tintern Abbey and a tantalising sign offering ice-cream in a different direction. Keeping on we arrived at the Devil’s Pulpit. Folklore says that the devil preached from this natural stone pulpit to tempt the monks of Tintern from their holy path. He was not successful! Turning back towards Tidenham car park we were delighted to find a good outcrop of fly agaric, the red fungi with white spots. A short walk across fields with good views of the Severn bridges and we were back to the start.

A day of sunshine, good views, woodland, and beautiful trees – lime, sweet chestnut, hawthorn, apple, monkey puzzle to name a few and all the footpaths were well maintained, a great walk.

Walk 7.8m 1000ft Map OL14

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 Llanharan

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Parking at Llanharan station we headed uphill at the High Corner pub, turning right along a terrace to a large field. We walked through wood-land and passed a Christmas tree farm emerging onto open moorland. Out from the cover of trees, we realised it was raining and donned waterproofs; most of us didn’t have waterproof leggings and our trousers were soaked and dried several times.

Somewhere not far from us were the wind turbines that are visible from the A48 and M4, but low clouds hid them although we could hear the whooshing sound of the blades. We stopped for lunch under a few trees which had grown from a hedge and one of the turbines momentarily appeared only to disappear again

Continuing we came to Caer rocks, known locally as the Cariad stones, because of a carving in the slabs, ‘Dduw Cariad Yw’ which can be seen from below even on such a cloudy day. It translates as ‘God is Love’ and is said to have been inscribed by a zealous preacher from Tonyrefail in the early part of the 20th century. There is also a story that in the 1920’s a collier from Thomastown (near Tonyrefail) carried his daughter here daily to sit with him as he carved. She was suffering from tuberculosis and as he carved, she breathed in the fresh air. When he finished his daughter was healed. On a clear day there are good views, not today.

One person took a track back towards Llanharan whilst the rest of us continued along the ridge. When it was time to descend, we were confronted by a sea of waist high bracken interlaced with hidden brambles, the footpath was nowhere to be seen. A few aborted attempts to get through it were made including one which followed a dried-up stream for some way before we had to admit defeat and retreat back uphill to join our friend on the track.

The weather was clearing, and we admired rain drops on spiders’ webs and gloriously coloured heathers. The track was so narrow we had to breathe in deeply to allow a car to pass.

The final stretch was through Brynna woods where we spotted a clump of well camouflaged orchids. Walk 6miles 1000ft Map 151

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Caerwent

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We parked at the Roman site of Caerwent, a good-sized free carpark which was not full even on a warm August weekend. This is just inside the west gate of Venta Siluran, a Roman town founded shortly after the Romans’ conquest of South Wales in 75AD. The town became the tribal capital for the Silures and had its own town council. Sitting astride the Roman Gloucester to Caerleon road, it was the largest civilian settlement in Wales covering 44 acres. Initially buildings were wood but by 200AD public buildings, shops and houses were stone. A defensive stone wall and ditches were added later and the Roman town wall that still encircles modern Caerwent is the best preserved in Britain.

Pound Lane has a huge fig tree at the corner and the layout of a number of buildings can be seen on the ground. We visited the Church of St Stephen and St Tathan with its rotating lychgate. Inside there are roman sculptures which were uncovered in 1900 and 1911 during building works, 4 blocks show floral motifs, and one has a bird on a leaf. An exposed, framed section of the floor has a Roman mosaic.

The footpath from the churchyard led us across a field planted with maize which came well above our heads and was planted so close to the path that the large leaves slapped at us as we walked through – one person even cut their lip. It seemed to go on forever, but eventually we emerged and stepped over a stile to a road.

The route took us across an abandoned golf course where the grass was crisp from lack of rain and we climbed over an electric fence with no isolators but were able to temporarily disconnect the batteries.

We spotted lots of centaury growing in patches and a row of liquidambar trees, unusual and decorative. An old rabbit hole had been colonised by bees with the distinctive honeycomb pattern easy to see. At Slade Woodland we learned that more types of wildlife live in the first 10 metres of a woodland ride than in the rest of the woodland as it creates a more open and sunny space

After crossing a field where a large herd of black cattle followed us, we were soon back in Caerwent and skirting the Roman remains again.

The walk was across a mixture of grassland, crop fields, roads, and woodland where we sheltered for lunch. It was a hot sunny day and where roads had high hedges it was even hotter; in the open there was a breeze at times. Luckily all the crops, apart from the maize at the beginning, had been harvested so it was relatively easy underfoot. Walk 81/4miles 500ft Maps 154 and OL14

Note: At this time of year, footpaths may be overgrown, and it is a good idea to carry a pair of secateurs (and maybe gloves). Brambles, nettles etc. can block paths and stiles are frequently impassable. Even with secateurs we had to take a diversion on the Caerwent walk. And the bracken was so dense on the Llanharran walk that we had to retreat and take a shortcut.

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 Bluebells

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The appearance of the first spring flowers always has Wenvoe walkers thinking about the arrival of bluebells. Spring this year was cool and we enjoyed wood anemones, daffodils, primula etc. for longer than usual. Then the blue bells arrived. You can spot them in lots of places in Wenvoe but many of them are the Spanish variety which overrun the English variety and spread rapidly (in your garden keep them under control or they will take over). English bluebells are daintier than their Spanish relatives (which stand straighter) with arching stems and hanging bells. You can find English bluebells (which I will refer to simply as bluebells from here on) near Wenvoe, including Wenvoe woods and Coed Nant Bran. The woods between Castell Coch and Pentyrch were a glorious carpet of bluebells mixed with wild garlic. We have enjoyed them on several walks:

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Wentwood

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Wentwood is northeast of Newport and is the largest area of ancient woodland in Wales covering 1000 hectares. In its 1000-year history it has been a hunting preserve for Chepstow castle and there is evidence of charcoal hearths and the remains of a mill. The woodland is a haven for wildlife and a peaceful place to visit with many ancient trees. There are paths for walkers, cyclists and horse riders, which are well – marked and graded. It is also a great place to see bluebells.

The wood is gradually being restored to native broad -leaved trees which were replaced by fast growing conifers for timber in the 20th C. Nature has a way though and as the conifers are removed seedlings of the original woodland are taking advantage of the light and growing.

We were a larger group than usual and were soon catching up with each other. The air was clear and the sun shining so that the newly opened leaves on trees were bright green. The trees sheltered us from the heat of the sun and walking was fairly easy

Occasionally we reached a clearing in the wood where we could see the hills – Sugarloaf and Skirrid.

But the stars of the day were the trees and flowers. The purply-blue of bluebells highlighted by stitchwort and the trunks of silver birches but mostly contrasting with the lime green of newly emerged tree leaves. And as if this wasn’t enough the air was full of the sweet scent which is unmistakably bluebell. (Some people find it difficult to smell bluebells – I recently learnt that it is easier to smell them if you draw air in lightly through your nostrils; if you take great gulps the scent can elude you.).

Passing through an area where a large swathe of trees had been cleared, we were able to see the Severn estuary and the Prince of Wales bridge. Soon we were back in the woodland and came to the ‘Curley Oak’. The oldest tree in Wales’s largest and oldest forest. There is something truly primeval about this hollow ancient tree, said to be over 900 years old. Yet, until the Woodland Trust launched an ambitious campaign to purchase over 350 ha of Wentwood Forest in 2005, few people even knew of its existence. The Woodland Trust has thinned the trees which tightly surrounded the Curley Oak to allow in more light and give it a better chance of survival. [Walk 7m 900ft Map 152]

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Brecon Beacons

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A couple of weeks later we went to the Brecon Beacons, parking above Pontiscill reservoir to walk in the Taf Fechan forest and above Pentwyn reservoir. Another fine day and a smashing walk. As soon as we stepped over a stile into open countryside a sea of bluebells was laid out before us. We travelled up the east side of the Taf Fechan to Torpantau station, stopping for long periods to watch the Brecon Railway steam train. Then we crossed the river at the bottom of the Taf Fechan reservoir which is being returned to nature with some excellent footpaths but no proper link to the east. We stopped for lunch alongside the reservoir and chatted to some people who had started at 8 a.m. and walked a long distance but were still springing down the path. As we descended on the western side of river, the ground was boggy for a while. Then we found more bluebells in the open, in an area where trees had been cleared. There were new buds on the various conifers and a huge area of trees which had tumbled down, partly felled and partly due to wind damage.

We were close to the Barn tea rooms and most of us went to get refreshments whilst our hero drivers walked another mile to retrieve the cars and came back to join us. [Walk 6.5m 850ft Map OL12]

In June I spotted a single bluebell on a walk from Merthyr Mawr – the last one for another year.

 

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 Upper Cwmbran

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We parked in Upper Cwmbran, climbing to The Square, which has stone cottages arranged in a square with one side open to the countryside. There was a public house ‘The Squirrel’ which had a school, on the upper floor, for local children. The bus terminus was the site of a mill pond and wool factory which manufactured red flannel shirts for miners.

A stile led to a footpath and the remains of Mineslope Colliery. A noticeboard explained that the beautiful landscape surrounding us was once a thriving industrial site. In 1837 two levels were driven into the hill to extract coal and clay. The clay was used in a nearby brickworks whilst the coal was taken by tram to the newly erected wharf at Caerleon and on to London. The line of the tramway is still visible behind Brickyard cottage which together with Mineslope cottages were built for local workers.

Mineslope Colliery was developed to exploit ‘black gold’. Neglected buildings were demolished in the 1980s and renovation of the site began in 2012. The Engine house remains are visible as is the Lamp house, where miners would have lit their lamps before going underground. There are remains of the fan house, which would have extracted foul air from the mine using a steam driven fan.

We continued, accompanied by a group with 3 Rottweiler dogs which made some of us uneasy, but the dogs were well behaved and playing amongst themselves. We soon came to Blaen Bran reservoir, which is derelict, and the rottweiler group peeled away. Several trees in the forest had been severely damaged by recent storms.

Now we were coming up to the mountain ridge and were exposed to a strong cold wind. The surrounding countryside and Cwmbran were spread out below us and we spied Llandegfedd reservoir in the distance. We followed a good track and after a while found deep ruts, damage from off road vehicles. We passed several mine boundary markers and reached the trig point at the walk’s highest point. We strode across the mountain top, skirting muddy stretches and following a long line of electricity pylons for a time. At lunchtime we ducked down into a dip in the hill sheltering from the wind (partially successful). We had good views of a deep valley and remembered a previous walk.

The track down the mountain was good and we soon found ourselves in the company of a few off-road motorcyclists, we got off the dusty track to avoid being sprayed. Signs warned of a steep drop into a quarry to our left. Turning at the southernmost point of our walk, we spotted the top of Twmbarlwm peeking above the hills.

 

Now we quickly lost height and came below the quarries, which were covered in vegetation. Three ewes with their lambs walked at the side of the track with us which seemed strange until we realised a man with a dog, was walking behind them. He turned back up the hill before he reached us, and the ewes headed to safe pasture. We had seen buzzards, crows and heard the delightful song of the lark. We passed a pond with a couple of geese above farmland.

Continuing, we were surprised to find a noticeboard about Llanderfel chapel, its remains being in the field ahead. Derfel, known as Derfel Gadarn (mighty, valiant, strong) was a 6th century monk. Legend says he was a follower of King Arthur and one of seven warriors to survive the battle of Camlan. He became a monk after the battle and founded two churches, the other in North Wales. He became bishop of the monastery on Bardsey Island, a holy place where some 20,000 saints are said to be buried.

In the Middle Ages the chapel was part of the Llantarnam Abbey to Penrhys pilgrimage route. Thousands of pilgrims visited the chapel as it was thought that Derfel could enter Hell and bring back the lost soul of a relative. In the sixteenth century a wooden statue of St Derfel was taken from the chapel, under Henry VIII’s orders. Legend said that if the statue was burnt it would burn a forest; it was used as firewood in the public burning of John Forest in 1538 – a Franciscan friar and the confessor of Catherine of Aragon.

As we descended into the valley it was warmer and we spotted stitchwort, sorrel, bluebells, violets and 3cornered leeks.

It had been a windy and cool day but, at the end of the walk, the sun shone and we sat outside for tea with cake (supplied by two of our group with recent birthdays. Thank you both).

Walk 7.5miles 1400ft – Map OS152

 

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