CHANGES SINCE THE LAST UPDATE

Details of a Walking Festival in the Bridgend area are just out. Running from 6th to 10th October and with 25 walks on offer, for more details click here. It has been reported that the footbridge near Vaynor on the Gateway to the Beacons walk is closed following a landslip. Without knowing how long it will be closed, there are a couple of options. When you reach the road at SO 04521/09635 turn left down the road instead of right, turn right at the next road junction and then pick up the route again after the Italianate villa. Alternatively follow the route up Morlais but retrace your steps and then follow the road route just described. Watch this space for updates. A couple of problems have been reported on some of the walks listed. If you are doing Variation1 on the Nash Point walk, look out for path diversions because of building works. The main route is unaffected. And the Trelai/Wenvoe walk is affected by an outbreak of ‘gating’ making walking though the residential area of Caerau a bit of a problem. After passing Glyn Derw school the original route, referred to in the text as ‘the alleyway’, is now blocked by a metal gate. There is a new route near the school which cuts straight through to Trelai Park but this is closed at week-ends! The alternative is to work your way through the housing beyond the alleyway and then turn right back towards Trelai Park. If anyone knows a nice simple, safe and legal route from Heol Trelai to Trelai Park that is permanently open, please let us know. Another new walks leaflet, this time around St Fagans and covering the site of the Battle of St Fagans in 1648. It is possible to link to the Ely Trail which will ultimately take you all the way to Cardiff Bay. Available in Cardiff TIC. (25.10.08) A number of new walks leaflets have appeared recently. For the Cardiff area we have a small pack of laminated walks based around the Taff Trail, entitled ‘Taff Trail Circular Walks’ and covering the following areas: Channel View, Llandaff cathedral, Llandaff bridge, Hailey Park, Forest Farm and Morganstown to Tongwynlais. The sheets are in both Welsh and English and have been produced by the Countryside Team within the Strategic Planning section of Cardiff County Council.They are not for sale in shops. For further information contact the team on 029 2087 3186. Walks around Cosmeston country park can now be followed in a leaflet entitled Two Walks around Cosmeston, available at the park and free. Next, a leaflet describing a route around Cornelly entitled Cornelly Walk, Route 1. There is a reference to Route 2 which presumably is to come. Finally Llynfi Valley, Walk 5, again implying Walks 1 to 4 are in the pipeline. Both of these appear to be linked to Bridgend County Borough Council and are available at TICs including the McArthur Glen one at Bridgend. A forum for discussing all aspects of country walking can be found here. The ‘missing’ bit of the Vale of Glamorgan Heritage coast path is now open to the public. Previously there was no right of way along the top of the cliffs between SS 897/718, below Cwm Mawr and SS 905/700, Cwm Nash. The Heritage Coast wardens have now confirmed that it is open, but not yet signposted although this will follow. The longer Llantwit Major circular walk (6.5 miles) is virtually impassable for the second year running, this time with a crop of sweet corn which has made it very difficult physically to walk through and tricky to navigate. This is the stretch just after Belvedere House. The matter has been referred to the Rights of Way officer and Town Council, as it was last year, but unless you really enjoy a challenge it is suggested that you take the lane to the right when you get to Boverton Place which is the same lane that you would have reached had you gone through the fields.

This picture is called the Huntsman and is by Septimus Dawson who lived from 1851 to 1914 in the North East – Sunderland, West Hartlepool and Scarborough. It is uncertain whether the scene showing a clapper bridge is real or imaginary but if anyone recognises the scenery or the bridge, please send us an e-mail – bruce7@btinternet.com. Landscape detectives who know their dry-stone walling might also be able to identify the region by the style of the walling. More on clapper bridges here.

The native daffodils at Coed-y-Bwl are at their best at the moment and these can be seen on the Wick or Ewenny long walks. It is open day on the reserve on the 18th March.

The National Trust website has 5 walks on Gower which can be downloaded. For further details go to Walk Routes – bottom of page.

The ‘Iron Mountain Trail’, a new walk though the heart of the Blaenavon Industrial Landscape, was launched in May. The route takes in the landscape from Blaenavon to Llanfoist and links many of the World Heritage Site’s attractions. This route and other walks are available to download from here and then go to ‘Visitor Information’, ‘Outdoor activities’ and ‘Walks’. A new pack of six walks leaflets for routes in and around Blaenavon can be obtained from the Torfaen Borough Council’s Countryside Team – call 01633 640066.

If you like walking in the Brecon Beacons consider joining the Brecon Beacons Park Society who have a full programme of guided walks throughout the year. For more details click here.

With the bluebells at their best, why not try the Margam walks? Also, you can take a look at the Monks’ Bath House restored by the Woodland Trust and CADW. To get to it follow the road to Cwm-Maelwg farm – see first paragraph of Walk 2 – and after 50 yards, just before the road bends right, you will see it on the right of the road by three circular concrete structures.

A new book on Geological Walks on the Glamorgan Coast – Walking the Rocks. A short variation added to the Nash Point walk takes you past Sir Harry Stradling’s watchtower – note the Horseshoe Inn is now the Lighthouse Inn.

Arizona? Gobi Desert? Nope – Whiteford Burrows on the end of Gower and not far away is the Victorian Lighthouse accessible at low tide. Either do the long walk to pass both these points or park at Cwm Ivy and walk there and back in about 90 minutes.

New paths at Dunraven!! As part of the Tir Gofal farming scheme, new paths have been opened at Dunraven Bay, Southerndown. Take the stile opposite the entrance to the Dunraven Walled Garden. The track takes you to the old gatehouse. Turn right to follow the wall and then right again to come out at the other end of the walled garden. The route is well waymarked and no more than a mile. Access for people and dogs may be restricted at some times of year because of lambing. You can add this to the Wick, Ogmore or Ewenny long walks.

Planning continues on the Glamorgan Coast path, this time the section from Mumbles to Kenfig. The route is clear from Mumbles to Port Talbot and then from Kenfig to Porthcawl – the current issue is how best to get through Port Talbot. It was intended to include some walks around Glyncorrwg but these have been abandoned for the time being because of blocked footpaths, closed paths and a bridleway that when you get there turns out to be a wide road with heavy lorries and huge levels of dust.

For many of the coastal walks it is useful to know when high or low tide is due. Low tide gives the option of walking along the beach rather than the coast path which can get muddy. Also there is a stretch of the Glamorgan Heritage path between Cwm Bach ref:897718 and Cwm Nash ref:905700 where there is no right of way along the cliff-top necessitating a tedious detour inland. At low tide the beach is a much better option. However, get the tides wrong and you could find yourself in serious difficulties.

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