Walks around
Merthyr Tydfil
Cyfarthfa Castle
Three walks around Merthyr Tydfil.
The walks all start from Cyfarthfa Castle,
built by the Crawshays, where there is
car parking, a museum which is free to enter, toilets and a cafe. Whilst the
gates are open for longer than the castle, check closing times before setting
off. The walks vary in distance from short and easy to long and moderate.
Start at SO 04145/07303
Click here for
map to start; on entering the grounds head up the drive and park in front of the
castle.
A short walk
in the grounds of Cyfarthfa Castle - 2.45 miles
Just under 2.5 miles of easy walking and you never leave the
grounds of Cyfarthfa castle. Despite being in Merthyr town you pass meadows with
good views and woodland with abundant birdsong and wild flowers. The first half
is tarmac but the second involves woodland paths and is more uneven underfoot.
Initially flat but later some respectable inclines.
The start heads along this path
With your back to the steps leading into Cyfarthfa castle head
left along a tarmac path. Keep straight ahead with paths converging from right
and left, ascending gently. After about 8 minutes you come to the end of the
park, passing through bollards and with a building straight ahead. Turn left,
heading uphill, along a tarmac path. Pass a metal barrier with fields opening up
first to right and then left and good views behind you.
Meadows and hills
The path starts to descend. Where it levels, note a row of pine
trees to the left and the boundary wall ahead right. (0.73 miles). Turn left
down the path alongside the pine trees, descending into woodland. At a junction,
head right along the main track which descends, passing a series of ponds on the
left. At the bottom with the castle just ahead to the left, turn right along a
tarmac road which curves left to merge with another tarmac road and just before
reaching the road which takes traffic past the lake out of the castle, turn
right along a woodland track, passing a dark metal barrier - NOTE: this is the
second track you pass off to the right.
Woodland track
After about 500 yards and just beyond a bench on the right, take
the gravel track to the right, heading uphill, and ignoring side paths. 40 yards
before reaching metal fencing which is the park boundary, fork left through
trees towards a metal park entrance and just before this head left along a path,
railings on your right, to descend through woodland. (32 mins, 1.68 miles).
You pass the gravel track you took earlier and 10 yards beyond
this head diagonally right downhill through a grassy area with a grove of trees
to your right towards a metal barrier by a road. Cross the road and then the
grass to meet a path runnning around the lake. Head right and walk right round
the lake and just past the children's playground head left up the road back to
the start. (46 mins, 2.45 miles).
A riverside
ramble - 4.7 miles
This pleasant riverside ramble takes you along the Taff
Fechan river in scenery reminiscent of the waterfalls area around Ystradfellte.
Easy walking but uneven underfoot in places. You might see Herons and Dippers
and amongst the wildflowers are Water Avens and Meadow Saxifrage. The Aberglais
Inn is about half-way round.
Cyfarthfa Lake
With your back to Cyfarthfa Castle, cross the car park, down the steps
and head down the road. Pass to the left of the Adventure Playground and then
follow the track around the lake, leaving the park at the far end. Cross the
road and head left down the pavement which then curves right. Cross a bridge
over a river, then immediately right to cross a second bridge with Bridge House
ahead. Take the narrow path off to the right passing the garages on your left.
As soon as your are under the bridge head right down to the river and then right
alongside the river, heading upstream. On your right is the feeder
for the lake, the source of water dripping down on to the path. You will get
better views of it further along the path. Many mosses and liverworts grow on
the damp wall.
The route is an old tramway and you will see rail fixing holes in the
stones underfoot. You pass under a high bridge - the Heads of the Valleys road.
A metal kissing gate brings you to a more open area - the Taff Fechan nature
reserve. You pass a wooden bridge on the left which you cross on the return leg
but keep straight ahead. Note the Alders which would have been used by Cloggers.
The path later crosses a short wooden bridge, then a stile/gate. A wooden stile
brings you into an open area. As the river curves to the right, the path heads
uphill via some wooden steps, through a wooden gate, then head left to reach an
area of hardstanding and then a road. (45 mins, 2.15 miles)
The Taff Fechan winding through the
limestone.
Turn left down the road. After 100 yards the road forks left over a
narrow bridge. Just after this, on the left, is a good spot for a break with a
limestone outcrop overlooking the river on your left. Continue on the road uphill, passing
the Aberglais Inn on your right. On meeting the main road turn left, downhill,
under a wooden bridge, then across a stone bridge, the Glais Bridge. Now head
uphill. 80 yards beyond the bridge as the road curves gently right, turn left
off the road through an unwaymarked gap heading into an area of bracken. (1
hour, 2.65 miles, SO 04214/09782).
On meeting another track, head left, then pass through a gate to meet a
tarmac track. Head just to the right to a picnic table, then take the stile just
below it to the left, into a field, now heading right, downhill and towards the
trees and the river, opposite where you were walking earlier. Head slightly
right through the bracken to pick up a path alongside the river, heading right,
downstream. Pass through a wooden gate, over wooden duckboards, another wooden
gate, then a stile. Look out for a ruined building to the left of the path (SO
03506/08455) - an old mill. Follow the path up to a stile to meet a gravel track - now
head left along this downhill. This brings you to the wooden bridge you saw
earlier. Cross this and head right to return the way you came to Cyfarthfa
Castle. Just remember to leave the path just after a low stone bridge and metal
barriers. (1 hr 45 mins, 4.74 miles).
For map see bottom of page
Gateway to
the Beacons - 12.45 miles
A moderate walk that takes you into the
Brecon Beacons via a ruined castle and returning partly along the Taff Trail.
Iron Age, Plantagenet and Victorian relics are passed and the paths go through
woodland, moorland and meadow and alongside rivers and reservoir. If visibility is poor, the walk over
the Open Access moors to Llwyn Onn reservoir would be helped by a compass or GPS
although the route described here should be straightforward. No
facilities en route but a refreshments van is often parked in the lay-by by the
Lwyn Onn reservoir.
Left,
view from Morlais. Right, on the Taff Trail.
The route starts out in the same
direction as the Riverside Ramble. With your back to Cyfarthfa Castle, cross the car park, down the steps
and head down the road. Pass to the left of the Adventure Playground and then
follow the track around the lake, leaving the park at the far end. Cross the
road and head left down the pavement which then curves right. Cross a bridge
over a river, then immediately right to cross a second bridge with Bridge House
ahead. Take the narrow path off to the right passing the garages on your left.
As soon as your are under the bridge head right down to the river and then right
alongside the river, heading upstream. On your right is the feeder
for the lake, the source of water dripping down on to the path. You will get
better views of it further along the path. Many mosses and liverworts grow on
the damp wall.
The route is an old tramway and you will see rail fixing holes in the
stones underfoot. You pass under a high bridge - the Heads of the Valleys road.
A metal kissing gate brings you to a more open area - the Taff Fechan nature
reserve. You pass a wooden bridge on the left which you cross on the return leg
but keep straight ahead.
The path later crosses a short wooden bridge, then a stile/gate. Note the Alders
which would have been used by Cloggers. A wooden stile
brings you into an open area. As the river curves to the right, (note the
millstone lying by the bracken) the path heads
uphill via some wooden steps, through a wooden gate, then head left to reach an
area of hardstanding and then a road. (SO 04521/09635, 45 mins, 2.15 miles).
Turn
right up the road towards some houses passing Pontsarn Close. After about 8
minutes on the road, look out for a trackway on the left of the road, heading
sharp left (SO 04856/09205). After 20 yards the track ahead is signposted Morlais Heritage Trail with stones on which tramway rails were laid. Our route takes us
up to
the right to Morlais
Castle but you can avoid this by staying on the tramway track until you get to the
'climbing' quarry rockface. To get to Morlais Castle head right up the grassy
bank for 10 yards then left along a path which
ascends - a small earth 'pyramid' straight ahead, the path becoming little more
than a sheep track, a quarry rock-face to the right. The path curves right
through some stunted Hawthorn trees to reach a flatter area. Head left towards
the end of the quarry and then ascend to the top to reach a plateau with the
remains of masonry - Morlais Castle - lying around. Cross the plateau to the
opposite corner taking care to avoid a large gaping hole in the middle. At the
opposite corner is the crypt, on top of which is a flat area with panoramic
views and a height of around 1270 feet above sea level. (SO 04961/09562, 1 hr
3mins, 2.90
miles).
Left,
remains of Morlais Castle. Right, the surviving crypt.
Now retrace your steps diagonally across the plateau -
remembering to avoid the gaping hole - to the opposite corner where you first
came up and start to
descend in a northerly direction with some scree to your right. There is a
quarry on the hill opposite and a couple of large houses in the valley below.
Aim towards the right-hand end of the scrubby trees ahead but take particular
care as beyond them you are at the top of a steep rock-face used by climbers.
Follow a sheep-track to the right but where you see a stony patch between
bracken - just opposite the first hawthorn tree on the right, head down through the trees to the left to pick up a path which
descends with the rock-face just to your right. At the bottom you come to a
flatter area with the tramway from earlier coming from the left and the
'climbing' rock-face to your right. (SO 04701/09689)
Looking
down on the Taff Trail viaduct
Cross the
tramway to pick up a narrow stony path virtually opposite and descending to the
right. (If you avoided the ascent to Morlais and reached here via the tramway
you now turn left down the stony path as soon as you see the extensive
'climbing' rock-face to the right ahead). The path meets a broader track - head
right along this. After a minute on this track, and passing narrow paths off to
the left, head left down a path with some wooden-backed steps and then up steps at the far side to reach the Taff Trail - a broad cinder
track with viaduct to the left. Head right along the track. Later you can
glimpse the tower of Vaynor church, which we pass later, across the valley to
the left. Pass a bench on the left, then two on the right and immediately after
these head down the stone steps to the left. The path crosses a narrow wooden
bridge, then descends towards a stream and heads right upstream to reach a wooden bridge which you cross.
(1hr 22 mins, 3.72 miles).
Wooden
bridge over the river - a good resting spot
Now
cross the field ahead, at first slightly right along a grassy path but as soon
as the path starts to ascend, take a left fork along a narrower path, winding
uphill through thick undergrowth, cross a small concrete bridge and then a stile
with Vaynor church ahead. The path goes through the garden of Church
Tavern to reach the road via a gate. Head left along a path with the church
wall of Vaynor Church, St Gwynno's, to your left. You
will glimpse old gravestones through a gap in the wall, next passing Old Vaynor
church.
Left,
Vaynor new church, St. Gwynno's. Right, Vaynor old church.
Keep ahead across the stream and where the path forks keep left soon
walking with wire fence on left and hedgerow on right. You can see the quarry
from earlier and the bump in the field is Cae Burdydd. You come to a road - head
right past an Italianate villa.
Italianate
Villa
Immediately past the villa take
the trackway to the left signposted Penrhiwglais Farm. Just beyond the farm
house turn right along a track which descends towards a metal gate. Head to the
left of the barn, then right along a track through the field, the valley and
quarry to your left. Cross a wooden stile and keep ahead to a waymark at the top
right-hand corner of the next field. Pass through a metal gate attached to a
dry-stone wall, then a second. Now head diagonally left through the next field
to a stile in the far left-hand corner. Cross the stile, then a wooden bridge,
then a second stile and wooden bridge, then a third stile to head along the
left-hand edge of the next field. This brings you to a wooden/metal stile, beyond which
is open moorland, a waymark post to your right. (SO 03750/11121, 1 hr 52 mins,
5.21 miles).
Through
meadows, the moorland in the distance.
This
area of moorland is Open Access so you can roam at will but the low-lying areas
have extensive boggy sections with tussocky grass. There is a bridleway marked
on the OS map but this is not obvious on the ground. Our route is
straightforward, easier going and safer if visibility is poor. Follow the
direction of the waymark sign indicating Llwyn Onn reservoir, cross the stream
and head uphill in a westerly direction on the grassy track keeping the stone
wall and wire fence on your left. After about 7 minutes, the stone wall
disappears but there is still a wire fence and you are heading for a grove of
large Beech trees with a scattering of smaller trees to the right. As you reach the
grove, a wire fence is ahead of you. Turn right following the path with the
fence on your left heading downhill. After crossing a couple of stream beds the
path curves slightly left, now ascending. An old stone wall is to the left, the
wire fence beyond it. Next, the wall heads off left at 90 degrees, and our path
gradually converges with the wire fence on left. As you reach the end of the
valley, the stone wall re-appears and fine views open up of the Brecon Beacons.
You are at around 1,300 feet above sea level. You reach a track marked by an
area of small stones (SO 02248/11835).
Head left
along this stony track towards the right-hand end of the conifer plantation
ahead. A short boggy stretch brings you to a gate at the corner of the
plantation (SO 01644/12042, 2 hrs 28 mins, 7.08 miles). Pass through the gate and head
downhill with the plantation on your left. Cross a stony trackway via two metal
gates, continuing to descend, Llwyn Onn reservoir soon appearing ahead. As you
approach stone buildings take the footpath via a metal gate to the right of the
wooden gate ahead of you. The narrow track brings you out via another metal gate
onto the drive to the buildings on your left. Cross the drive and keep straight
ahead down the field to the right of the trees. At the bottom a wooden gate
brings you to a road. Cross this busy main road with care and head slightly left
into the layby where a refreshments van is often parked (2 hrs 40
mins, 7.54 miles).
Left,
looking down on the reservoir. Right, Llwyn Onn reservoir.
Half-way along the layby, between
two picnic tables, head right over a wooden stile to the edge of the reservoir.
Now head left along the edge of the reservoir - you can either head across the
stones or if the water level is high a path runs parallel with the edge through
vegetation. A metal gate brings you to a road - turn right to head across the
dam. once across the dam, head left uphill, along a tarmac road signposted 'Taff
Trail, Merthyr Tydfil'. The road passes a barn, becoming a stony trackway. Keep
ahead through several metal gates. The track descends with Merthyr visible in the
valley ahead. The track curves right and passes a wooden gate by a metal gate.
Pass a metal barrier, then a large stone boulder. 200 yards after the boulder,
as you approach some conifers and as the track curves gently right, head left along an indistinct grassy trackway
immediately opposite a Loops and Links waymark post, passing
old Taff Trail signs. Shortly the path turns right, heading gradually uphill,
crossing a trackway and then passing a waymark post. The path curves left
continuing uphill to emerge on a broader track with Taff Trail sign. Head left
along this track. Just after a waymark post and on the edge of woodland you come
to the sculpture seen below. (3 hrs 17 and 9.41 miles)
Sculpture
on the Taff Trail
The grassy
path heads through the trees, descending gently. You pass a stone seat and a
sign pointing left to Penmoelallt Nature Trail. Keep ahead, later crossing a
stile by a metal gate with boulders, now ahead along a stony track. A metal gate
brings you onto a road - cross a second metal gate and immediately turn sharp
left through a wooden gate, heading downhill with a main road to your right, (3
hrs 40 mins, 10.51 miles). Follow the track as it
curves down to the right under the road bridge - you have left the Taff Trail
which keeps ahead. The main road is still on your right but you are heading in
the opposite direction. Pass a wooden gate - a
large cemetery to your left, the track now tarmac. More of the cemetery appears
to your right. Continue downhill, the lane passing under a road bridge and
curving left to cross a river via a stone bridge. The road now curves uphill,
passing under a viaduct. You pass a junction on the left, then where the road
forks take the right fork along Pontycapel road. Pass Cefn Coed Pentecostal church on left and
emerge on a main road. Head right down this road, crossing when safe. Opposite
the Gwynne's Arms is the entrance to Bridge House which you took earlier. Carry
on along the road to re-enter Cyfarthfa Castle. (4 hrs 15 mins, 12.45 miles).
Map
of Long Walk and Riverside Ramble
