Llanharan
and the wind turbines
A classic circular walk of 9
miles, 15.5 Kms, along footpaths, trackways and an ancient ridgeway with fine
views. You pass Bronze Age burial chambers, the ruins of an old church, old
colliery buildings and a modern wind farm. Both the walking and route-finding
are moderate but parts of the ridgeway can be muddy in winter and after rain.
Shops, pubs, toilets and payphones in Llanharan but nothing en route. There
are several places to stop along the ridgeway, the best being the rocky outcrop
and the windfarm. Grid references are given for key points along with distance
travelled and elapsed time – ‘hasl’ refers to height above sea level in
metres.
The Llanharan Hunt around
1840
For a map to get to the start, click here. If driving
from the Talbot Green/Cardiff direction, enter Llanharan village, passing the
High Corner House pub on your right. As soon as the road curves sharply to the
left take the second right turning down Chapel Road where there is a small
public car park on the left.
Most of the walk is on OS Explorer 151, but briefly
entering 166.
Much of the walk is
upland, around 247 metres, 800 feet above sea level.
Turn right out of the car park (SS 00167/83090, 62m. hasl) back down Chapel Road and
cross the road carefully towards the High Corner House pub. Take the lane
alongside the pub, passing the church on your left and after 50 yards turn right
into Church Terrace. At the end of the street go through the kissing gate on the
left, into a field. Head diagonally up the field following the line of telegraph
poles. At the top corner of the field take the wooden stile by a metal barrier
and then head along the right-hand edge of the field with the plantation on your
right. As you pass some large concrete blocks you may get glimpses of Llanharan
House through the trees to your right. The path curves slightly left and drops
down to a wooden stile by a stream. Cross this and continue along the right-hand
edge of the field. Cross a wooden stile by a metal gate and at the end of the
field cross another wooden stile by a metal gate. Now keep along the left-hand
edge of the field heading towards some power lines with a metal road appearing
to your right. In the left-hand corner of the field, cross a wooden stile by a
stream and some holly bushes and continue along the right-hand edge of the field
with the forest on your right and climbing steadily. Cross a wooden stile by a
Beech tree, then pass a crumbling stone wall with small metal gate. If you look
along the line of the wall to your left you will see some mounds by the forest
which mark the site of an old quarry. At the end of the field take the wooden
stile with stone wall on left and follow the path ahead which takes you into the
trees. After 300 yards you come to a wide trackway with, on your left, a marker
post with yellow rabbit, a yellow arrow and disc saying Ffordd y Bryniau (SS
02099/83931, 1.49
miles, 32 mins, 247m. hasl)
Turn left along this track, heading gently uphill. After
350 yards look out for a mound just to the left of the track and another 50
yards beyond, which are the Beacons. The path now descends gently and in the
distance ahead you should be able to see the wind turbines. When the main track
curves sharply to the right keep ahead, following a waymark direction down a
narrow path between trees. The path drops and then levels to emerge from the
trees by a wooden stile set in stone walls. From the stile head diagonally right
and as you crest the hill aim for the wooden stile some 30 yards to the left of
a metal gate. Cross the stile and aim for the electricity pylon ahead with
double wooden poles. Pass a mound of stones to the right eventually joining a
grassy track which brings you to a dilapidated wooden gate with a stile. Cross
this and head right with wire fence to your right and descend to reach a metal
gate in stone wall with waymark signs. Go through the gate and take the clear
track to the left although if you want a break at the rocky outcrop just ahead
of you go straight ahead up the hillside to it. (SS 00812/85047, 2.72 miles, 56
mins, 247m. hasl).
Left, the rocky outcrop.
Right, 'God is Love'.
From the outcrop, drop down to the track and continue to
the right with wire fence on left. Keep ahead through a rusty metal gate and
then descend to another gate by a stream now heading uphill, the wind turbines
reappearing as the track levels. To your right is a trig point by a large pylon.
Go through a rusty metal gate, immediately cross a track and go through the
left-hand of the two metal gates ahead. Come to another metal gate which you go
through and then head left down this track towards a large pylon ahead. After 30
yards the ridgeway heads to the right BUT we are continuing ahead through a
metal gate towards the pylon. (NOTE: If you want to shorten the walk go down
this track to the farm buildings and resume the walk where it says below “ turn left to head along a broad grassy track with the farm
buildings on your left”
which reduces the overall distance by several miles). When you reach the pylon
follow the wire fence to your right until you get to a small wooden gate. Go
through, passing a pile of stones, and continue along the left-hand edge of the
field,
heading gently uphill towards the wind turbines. Looking down into the valley to
your left you will see the buildings of Llanbad which we return through later.
Pass the remains of a stone wall and then to the right you will see the ruins of
the old church of St Peters
super Montem. From the church and with the wind
turbines to your left, head towards the wire fence ahead just to the left of the
hillock and curve round the base of the hillock through a damp, rushy area to
reach a small wooden gate that brings you back onto the ridgeway. (SS
99400/85399, 4.29 miles, 1
hr. 23 mins, 245m. hasl).
St Peters super Montem
Turn left along the ridgeway; this stretch can be quite
wet, and pass through a new metal gate and then a gap in a wall. Keep ahead
towards the wind turbines following a path that becomes stony. Go through a
wooden gate in a stone wall on the edge of the wind farm, passing metal gates on
either side and keep ahead with wire fence both sides. Pass information boards
about the wind farm. Go through a new metal gate with stone wall on left, then
another new metal gate and then a third with the wall to the left now heading
away from the trackway. At this point, pause and study the grassy, smooth hill
ahead, the left-hand side of which is covered in bracken. Just below the top of
the bracken you should be able to make out a path heading left which we shall be
taking, not the lower but clearer path. Continue on the ridgeway which descends
to a wooden gate in stone wall. Go through and after 30 yards follow the edge of
the bracken on your left, heading uphill. Ignoring the first path to the left
which descends, continue uphill to meet the narrow grassy track to the left
which you were looking at earlier and which is about 30 yards from the top of
the bracken. (SS 97535/85940, 6.05 miles, 1 hr 50 mins, 247m. hasl).
Head left along this path which ascends gently, skirting
the hill and then starts to descend. The path joins another trackway coming from
the right, keep going ahead. Pass four old wooden fence posts on the right and as
soon as you can see the valley bottom ahead and just before the path drops more
steeply, take a narrow, indistinct path to your left, which heads back in the
direction of the right-hand wind turbine (SS 97308/85544, 206m. hasl). After 100 yards the path curves
slightly left and you want to aim for the small clump of birch trees with the
pale silvery bark in the valley bottom ahead. Pass some gorse bushes on your
right. The path gets a bit boggy and descends to meet a stream where you will
find a small wooden gate with birch trees either side. Now head diagonally right
uphill (6.57 miles, 2 hrs).
Looking down to the
birch trees towards the bottom left. Right, "Got any sheepcake?"
The track peters out after 20 yards but keep
ahead with the clumps of rush to your right and hillside to the left. You should
then see farm buildings ahead and a metal gate in front of you. Go through the
gate and head down the track towards Ty’n-y-Cwm farm. Go through a metal gate
on the edge of the farm, passing the farm buildings on your left and down a
track. Pass a metal gate to leave the farm with stream on either side of you.
Turn left to cross the stream over a slatted metal bridge and head up a track.
After 30 yards when the main track curves to the left, keep straight ahead,
ignoring another path which joins from the left shortly afterwards. Pass through
a new metal gate, the track becoming more grassy and with telegraph poles along the route. Pass a point on your left where the soil is discoloured
orange from underground workings and where the track forks, keep ahead, slightly
uphill and continuing along the line
of telegraph poles, whereas the track to the right heads downhill. You pass under electricity cables and then a large house to
the right, part grey stone and part white. Just beyond the house take the
right-hand lower path with the track then descending into Llanbad after crossing
a stream and going through a metal gate. You pass a white house on the left,
Llanbad Fach, and then various old buildings of the colliery. Take the left-hand
track by the stables towards a metal gate, go through this and head along the
path which curves right. (SS 99180/84865, 7.85 miles, 2 hrs 28 mins, 140 m. hasl).
Left, old colliery
building. Centre, discoloured soil from underground workings. Right, looking
back down to Llanbad - winding house in centre and stables bottom right.
The track ascends and passes under the electricity
cables. After 50 yards and just past some gorse bushes on your left, turn sharp
left along another track which ascends, following at first the direction of the
electricity lines. On the hilltop to the left ahead you can make out the ruins
of St Peters Church. The track ascends passing twice through gaps in fences and
curving to the right, eventually running alongside a dilapidated stone wall. At
the top and by a house and farm buildings, take the first metal gate on your left
to reach a track. Turn right along this track for 10 yards to go through a metal
gate and immediately turn left to head along a broad grassy track with the farm
buildings on your left. (8.36 miles, 2hrs
39mins).
The sunken lane.
At the end of the farm buildings the clear track turns
right and then starts to descend. Pass through a rusty metal gate to enter a
sunken lane (SS 99815/84193, 191 m. hasl) which is stony underfoot. The track comes to a metal road which you
continue down. The road bends left around a cream-coloured house, Llwyn y Brain,
and later crosses a cattle grid. 50 yards after the road bends to the left again
and
before you get to the Ewenny River, take the concrete footpath to the right,
marked by a rusty metal post, which heads between houses. Pass the war memorial
to your left and then cross the road ahead before taking the path which
continues behind the bus shelter opposite. Go down some steps, passing a modern
metal toilet block on your left to emerge in Chapel Road. Turn right to the car
park. (9.62 miles, 3hrs 3mins).
Map of walk
