Last updated  7.3.08

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  Explorer 151. Start at grid reference 123729. To get to the start click here.

  Refreshments. Wenvoe Arms, basics at Wenvoe village shop. Picnic stops at the Salmon Leaps, Tinkinswood burial chamber.

  Shelter. Tinkinswood, St Lythans burial chambers. Bus shelter at St Nicholas.

  Toilets. No public toilets on either walk.

Payphones. Kiosks at St Nicholas just to the left of our junction and in Wenvoe by St Mary's Church and the footbridge

  Tinkinswood and St Lythans burial chambers. St Mary’s church, Wenvoe and St Lythans parish church.

Short Walk

From the Village Hall, the white building, head down Station Road West towards the footbridge over the main road. Go over the footbridge and proceed down the country lane opposite past playing fields and then British Soil Ltd. on your right and over a bridge which crosses the disused railway line. The lane narrows and winds until you get to a T junction with a large electricity pylon towering overhead. (15 mins).

  Turn right along the road and after 30 yards by a metal gate and telegraph pole on your left take the stile into a field. Follow the remains of an old track across the field aiming for a gate and stile on the edge of the trees and following the line of the electricity cables overhead. Over this stile and then keep to the left-hand edge of the field (good for Spring flowers). At the end of the field and just to the right of the line of the cables take the stile on the edge of the wood. Go through the wood in the direction of the yellow footpath sign and on the far edge take another stile into a field. Ahead you will see a track crossing and a large fallen tree – aim just to the left of the tree to cross a wooden barrier in the wire fence (ST 14047/73917).

When you reach the track turn right and proceed along it. Cross a wooden stile by a metal gate then ignore a turning off to the right after which the track becomes a metalled road. About 10 minutes after joining this track the road starts to descend with a metal fence on the right. The last house on the right is Cwrt-yr-Ala. Looking to the right you will see a stretch of water marked on the maps as the Salmon Leaps. (37 mins). See below for optional diversion to add 3 miles to this walk.

Take the metal kissing gate to the right and double-back along the path with at first a fence then the water on your left having crossed a wooden stile by a metal gate. You could see a Kingfisher along here. At the end of the water a wooden stile takes you into the trees. Follow the path to another stile and keep ahead with the stream on your left. Cross another wooden stile. Gradually the path starts to ascend. Cross a stile on the edge of the trees, into a field, heading left and aim for the right-hand edge of a stone wall where there is a stile alongside a metal gate. Go over the stile and drop down to the road, turning right and then after 20 yards left into the Farm following the waymark sign. (An alternative route here is to keep along the road which brings you back to where you were earlier in the walk and retrace your steps to Wenvoe). Pass the Wrinstone farmhouse on your right with wooden fence on left. Just past a telegraph pole head slightly right with farm buildings on right and new beige house on left and the route takes you past a gate and into a field. (1 hr)

Head down the field aiming to the right of the double electricity poles in the middle of the field towards a metal gate. Look out for an electrified wire which unfortunately often runs across the middle of the field. Just beyond the metal gate is where the local cattle often hang out so it can be at best muddy and at worst like a quagmire, although after 20 yards the conditions improve. Follow the yellow waymark and after the gate aim diagonally right towards a gap in the hedge and roughly in line with the transmitter on the horizon. Just to the left of the gap is a boardwalk and stile which can be a bit overgrown but may be preferable to the mud in the gap. After this aim in roughly the same direction but just to the left of the transmitter towards a stile this side of some trees. After this stile take a second one 20 yards further on and a third one the same distance beyond. This takes you into a field and 30 yards beyond is another stile at the far end of a short wooden bridge. This bridge was in poor condition in 2008  but there is a gap/gate in the hedge to its left. Keep ahead across this field to another stile 50 yards beyond.

Following the direction of the arrows towards the left-hand corner of the next field and another stile. Note the direction of the arrows here because within 10 yards the path goes to the left across a mesh-covered wooden plank bridge. Immediately turn right heading down a path enclosed on either side with trees and a stream just on your right. Keep ahead across the field until you get to the end – you will hear the traffic just the far side of the hedge. In this corner of the field take the stile to the right by the stream, not the stile ahead on the edge of the road. Cross the stream and take the stile on your left, then down a concrete tunnel. The path becomes paved and emerges onto a road. Turn right and immediately left towards a red telephone box with the church of St Mary’s to the left of this. At the T junction turn right passing the Wenvoe Arms on your left, then village shop on right to return to the start. (1 hr 20 mins).

DIVERSION. This optional diversion adds 3 miles to the route and takes in 3 Woodland Trust woods. Instead of turning right into the Salmon Leaps (ST 14600/73138) continue on down the road to the village of Michaelston le Pit passing a red telephone box on left and village church on right. 200 yards beyond the last house you come to a Woodland Trust car park on your right (to avoid this section if muddy, see next paragraph). Walk into the car park (ST 15746/72798, 0.9 miles) and take the stony path straight ahead which ascends - this is Pen y Turnpike wood. The path ascends, descends and then ascends again more steeply. You come to a junction of paths - turning left here brings you in 30 yards to an open area where new trees have been planted - but our route goes right down the path which descends steeply towards some wooden fence posts. 

NOTE: Pen y Turnpike wood can be muddy after rain. To avoid this, turn right off the road some 30 yards after the drive to the last house in Michaelston, which is to your left, through a wooden stile alongside large wooden gates marked Woodland Trust. This is about 150 yards before the car park referred to above. Head into the open field area and walk alongside the newly-planted trees on your left. A gap in these trees on your left marks where the original route rejoins your path; now head downhill towards some mature oak trees to cross the wooden bridge (see below).

Cross the track by the fence posts and descend a few steps to enter a more open area of field with newly planted trees. Follow the line of young trees on your left as they curve to the left, pass through a few isolated oak trees and 100 yards beyond cross the wooden bridge on your right. (ST 15266/72429, 1.4 miles) and turn left along a track towards a metal gate in the distance. Pass through the gap by this gate, heading slightly left towards the next gate which is wooden. Pass this one and head along the right-hand edge of the field with woods on your right. Cross a wooden stile and take the clear path to the right following a waymark sign (ST 15166/71948, 1.83  miles, 35 mins). The track ascends, passing between houses, then starts to descend. Keep on the track as it curves to the right to pass a wooden kissing gate by a metal gate. 

The track passes through a plantation of beech trees. Another wooden stile brings you into a Woodland Trust area - Cwm George woods and you pass through a wooded valley. Eventually the view opens up to the right - keep on the track to reach a wooden kissing gate by a wooden gate which you pass through. Go through a second kissing gate 50 yards beyond and keep ahead following the waymark direction now with fields on either side. Pass a wooden stile on the left of the track. Eventually the track descends to cross a stream. Take the stile by a metal gate to reach the road and turn left up the road to reach a metal kissing gate on left just past the white thatched house (3.06 miles, 58 mins). This was where the diversion started - resume the short walk by going through the kissing gate to the Salmon Leaps. 

OS map of short walk for viewing

OS map of short walk for printing

Long Walk

(Route checked - 19.7.04)

With your back to the Village Hall head down the road towards the tall Chestnut trees with the school on your right. As soon as you reach the trees, turn left into the park which you cross aiming for a road with houses either side, Grange Avenue. Go up Grange Avenue to a T-junction. Cross the road, then take the narrow lane heading uphill which is Pound Lane. Head up Pound Lane, ignoring a stony Bridleway to the right (we return down this at the end of the walk). The road descends and then ends by a house. Aim for a green metal gate to the right of the house at which point you will see a path off to the left going behind the house. Take this path which, after passing the house, goes into the trees. Ignore tracks either side, keeping ahead. This is known as Nina's path after the Rambler who helped to win access here through the courts. At the edge of the wood you come to a metal gate and stile which you cross and then go left along the rough track. (13 mins)

After a little under 10 minutes walking along this track (includes one muddy stretch) you pass farm buildings and housing on your left to reach a metal kissing-gate on your right on the edge of a golf course (ST 11772/71951). Head down the right-hand edge of the fairway with the hedge on your right. You pass one waymark sign and then another pointing diagonally right which takes you towards some trees and through quite tall bracken. The path curves to the left with a wire fence on your right to reach a wooden stile. Cross this and go left to a rough track. (30 mins)

Go right up this track for 40 yards, past a metal gate on your left, and then turn left into the field by a stile. Head down the left-hand edge of this field, descending then ascending until you reach a metal gate with wooden stile on left. Cross the stile and continue along the left-hand edge of the next field with electricity pylons prominent to your right. On the brow of the hill take the stile to the left of a metal gate and keep ahead towards a house. On clear days there are good views to the left across to the West Country and in a depression to the left are two limekilns visible at the base of the tallest tree. Cross two wooden stiles and aim for a stile to the right of a metal gate which is to the right of a red brick wall ahead. Go over this and aim for another metal gate by a white garage. Head down the drive passing the house on your left until you get to a stile. If you look to the left across the field you will see the prominent St Lythans burial chamber. The right of way goes alongside the drive to the road where you turn left but as this route is usually blocked by an electrified fence go straight to the burial chamber and then take the kissing gate to its right onto the road (50 mins).

Keep down this lane, ignoring the junction to the right signposted to Duffryn Gardens and in a little under 10 minutes you come to the houses of Duffryn Village with a prominent stone wall on your right. Just past the letter box on the right turn down the lane to the right and within 10 yards turn right again following the waymark sign and stile (ST 09398/72004) on to a wide grassy avenue with tall Poplar trees, later conifers, to the left. The route follows the overhead electricity cables. You are passing the house and grounds of Duffryn Gardens to the right. Cross a wooden stile by a metal gate and head towards the gap in the trees ahead. Keep straight ahead through the metal gate and across the field towards the trees in front. You pass two oak trees in the field and just beyond is a stile. Take this and head down the path with stout paddock fence on the right. Pass a wooden stile and head uphill straight ahead past some fallen tree trunks to another wooden stile and go ahead aiming in the direction of the large electricity pylon. Go over the next wooden stile and then immediately left through a kissing gate to visit the Tinkinswood burial chamber. (1 hr 17 mins).

Go back though the kissing gate to pick up your original direction across the field, aiming slightly right towards a stile set in a hedge. Follow the direction of the waymark through a field with a wire fence converging from the right. When you reach the fence go left and then take the stile on your right which is level with the end of the field on your right. Go along the left-hand edge of this field for 40 yards to reach a stile and metal gate under a tree on your left. Cross the stile and then aim slightly to the right towards a gap in the hedge ahead. As you get closer to the gap you will see a wooden stile in the hedge to the right under a tall tree. Keep ahead through the field. You will see a white house ahead and to the left of this a double metal gate. To the left of this gate is a single metal gate and to the left of this a stone stile which you cross to reach a road (ST 09189/74135). Go left, crossing the road to walk along the pavement. Note that had you turned right you would have come to a road after 100 yards called Button Ride, named after the Button family who had their family seat near here - the most famous Button being Admiral Sir Thomas Button. (1 hr 30 mins).

The pavement becomes a path with metal railings on your left and stone wall on right. When you reach the main road turn right along the pavement. 50 yards beyond the bus stop where the wall on your right ends look out for a milestone on the right-hand edge of the pavement. Pass the old Police Station on the right and then just past the white house called Los Andes turn right passing The Garth house on your left - there is a waymark post on the left of the pavement. Go over a cattle grid and by some farm buildings the track goes to the left - here you are heading to the right of the distant transmitter and to the left of two tall electricity pylons. The path then curves right heading towards the nearest pylon with views to the right across the Bristol Channel, passing waymark posts. When you get to the end of the field cross the stile ahead. Now head just to the left of a dead tree stump aiming for a stile in the distance whilst ignoring the first stile on the left - some way to the right of this second stile is a gate. Cross the stile but ignore the waymark direction and head diagonally right to the right of an oak tree some 50 yards away following a faint track. Head left along this track between trees. Just before a metal gate ahead which leads into a field beyond turn right to follow the waymark sign which points towards a path through the left-hand edge of the wood. (ST 10240/73686, 1hr 50 mins).

  Take this path until you reach a stile to the right of a metal gate, now keeping along the left-hand edge of the field towards a house in the distance. As you reach the perimeter fence of the house follow the waymark sign to the left and stile which crosses into the next field. Turn right with the fence now on your right, over a stile and then another next to a metal gate on to the drive to the house. Turn left down the drive, passing the house on your right, until you reach a road. You have a choice here, one option being to cross the road and take the stile opposite keeping down the right-hand edge of the fields, over stiles, until you get to a corner where you can go no further by some conifers at which point you will turn left (ST 11229/72882). The second option takes you right down the road into the village of St Lythans. Where the road curves right look left and take the stone stile which brings you into the churchyard of St Lythans Parish Church. Pass to the left of the church and leave the churchyard by a stone stile which takes you onto a track. Turn right and just before you reach some metal gates go left down a conifer-lined path. Cross a stone and wooden stile to emerge on to a field and rejoin the route taken by those following the first option at ST 11229/72882.

Head down the right-hand edge of the field towards the trees. At the end of the field is a stile by a metal gate. Cross this and turn left along the track through the trees with wire fence on right. Go over a stile by a house, down to a second stile by a wooden fence. Go on to the drive and turn left. You can either go down the drive until you meet the rough road ahead by the farm house, at which point turn right. Alternatively, take the stile on your right which winds through a small conifer plantation (look out for concealed tree stumps) to reach a stile on the edge of a field. Cross the field following the line of the overhead telegraph wires to reach a stile at the far end and emerge onto a rough road. Turn right passing the house on your left and follow the rough track uphill and then downhill to reach Pound Lane which you came along earlier. Turn left and retrace your steps across the park and then right to the start. (2 hrs 40 mins).

Map of long walk to view

Map of long walk to print