What a beautiful walk I have done this week. Straight from the door of my house, onto the Severn Way doing an 11mile circular to Gregynog and back to town. I did it in 4 hours exactly so that was good going and a good workout because the terrain between here and Gregynog is very undulating, in fact someone said to me recently that that particular part of mid wales is like the whole of wales squashed into just a tiny area. I had done all of the footpaths before, it was just a matter of joining them up. There were a few cow encounters on the way but with one diversion and just being bold, everything was fine. So, starting on the Severn Way I walked up through Hendidley wood, where the blue bells still look magnificent and up over the Bryn to the Fachwen pool, always a beautiful spot for a snack break. Didn’t see the turtle today but shortly afterwards I did see a hare – that made my day. The Severn Way, after the pool takes you up on to some high ground with fantastic views of the Severn valley, over to Devil’s elbow and the hills above Llandinam. The scenery is stunning all the way, little old roads, gorse, marshland, then blue bells, pretty gullies – it really changes every half a mile. Leaving the Severn way near Bwlch-y-ffridd I took a mixture of footpaths and bridleways to Blackhouse common. On the way up I stumbled upon a lone wild Orchid. What a find! Blackhouse common has, I think, become one of my favourite places so I had a very quick lunch stop here before making my way to Ty Du, a very tidy little farm, and onto the lane. There is a footpath from here that goes into the wood on the south side of Gregynog which I’ve used before and Gregynog would be a great lunch stop if you wanted to make a whole day of this beautiful walk. Today, though, I continued clockwise and found the footpath which has a nice new bridge over Ieithon Brook. Then there were cows! So turning round at the nice new bridge I found another footpath that took me to Coedtrefe Farm. The farmer and his dogs here are always very friendly. From here south, there are a couple of lovely old green lanes and again the terrain and scenery changing and something new to see and take in all the way. At Black Well I turned left to take a foot path that goes steeply up the back of the Bryn, through a willow plantation and out on to Pen-Shwa lane and then a foot path that takes you down across the fields to the hospital road. A walk I’d highly recommend.
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I wanted to do a bit of territory that I hadn’t walked before so got the maps out and planned a 12mile circular starting at Bwlch–y-sarnau. My drive over from the Llan dod road to Bwlch–y-sarnau was beautiful and I felt really excited about my walk. Parking at the community hall was very convenient, and I noticed that they have a seasonal Glyndwr’s Way café there. So all going well…. Have to say though that I was disappointed with the first third of the walk, which was the Glyndwr’s way bit. I’ll try a different circular next time, maybe south of Bwlch-y-sarnau. I trudged a long a flat and very boggy track through a forest before meeting a lane that took me further north but then on to a very dull forestry track (never keen on them). At last reached the open access land and took the bridleway eastward up high on to Crugyn Llwyd for my lunch stop. I was baking by this time; the track had been very sheltered and as I turned right on to the bridleway there was a very welcomed breeze to cool me down. Fantastic views – usually I know exactly what I’m looking at and name most of the hills but not today, all new. There were a couple of Kites swooping high above and below them a Kestrel hovering a bit and then it would move on. Although the bridleway wasn’t marked the field boundaries were as the OS map (me being a map freak) so I could find my way quite easily. That is one of the best bits for me – finding my way; looking out for landmarks, boundaries, tree plantations and so on… I knew that on the high ground there was a break, of only a matter of metres, in the bridleway but I wasn’t expecting to see an actual sign saying ‘no bridleway’ (bearing in mind that there hadn’t been a waymark in the first place). Maybe an indication that someone has annoyed a farmer along the way - so, so long as I went round the inside of the perimeter of the open access land and re-joined another bridleway it would be fine. Hmmmmm easier said than done and finding the new one took some time but got there in the end. I think if I did it again, but anti-clockwise, I would sort it. Going south now and heading towards Fowler’s Arm Chair and stone circle - I’ve tried to find out more on this but I think little is known except that there was apparently a giant called Fowler. Unfortunately the circle is on the other side of the fence to the path but I nipped over to have a look, there was no one about and I hadn’t seen a sole yet. Just as I was leaving the field a tractor came round the corner and friendly dog. The farmer gave me a friendly wave, thank goodness. Next bit, back through a forest to go back down into the valley. I could hear a mechanical machinery noise going on and low and behold I came face to face with a wall of stacked tree trunks. Thankfully there was a very helpful chappy on a grabber type vehicle who said yes the bridleway was diverted and sent me in the right direction. So back along the side of the valley to Bwlch-y-sarnau feeling very warm in the sunshine and already planning my next walk – south!I wanted to do a bit of territory that I hadn’t walked before so got the maps out and planned a 12mile circular starting at Bwlch–y-sarnau. My drive over from the Llan dod road to Bwlch–y-sarnau was beautiful and I felt really excited about my walk. Parking at the community hall was very convenient, and I noticed that they have a seasonal Glyndwr’s Way café there. So all going well…. Have to say though that I was disappointed with the first third of the walk, which was the Glyndwr’s way bit. I’ll try a different circular next time, maybe south of Bwlch-y-sarnau. I trudged a long a flat and very boggy track through a forest before meeting a lane that took me further north but then on to a very dull forestry track (never keen on them). At last reached the open access land and took the bridle way eastward up high on to Crugyn Llwyd for my lunch stop. I was baking by this time; the track had been very sheltered and as I turned right on to the bridleway there was a very welcomed breeze to cool me down. Fantastic views – usually I know exactly what I’m looking at and name most of the hills but not today, all new. There were a couple of Kites swooping high above and below them a Kestrel hovering and then moving on. Although the bridleway wasn’t waymarked the field boundaries were as the OS map (me being a map freak) so I could find my way quite easily. That is one of the best bits for me – finding my way; looking out for landmarks, boundaries, tree plantations and so on… I knew that on the high ground there was a break, of only a matter of metres, in the bridleway but I wasn’t expecting to see an actual sign saying ‘no bridle way’ (bearing in mind that there hadn’t been a waymark in the first place). Maybe a sign that someone’s annoyed a farmer along the way - so long as I went round the perimeter of the open access land and re-joined another bridleway it would be fine. Hmmmmm easier said than done and finding the new one took some time but got there in the end. I think if I did it again, but anti-clockwise, I would sort it. Going south now and heading towards Fowler’s Arm Chair and stone circle. I’ve tried to find out more on this but I think little is known except that there was apparently a giant called Fowler who sat on a chair. Unfortunately the circle is on the other side of the fence to the path but I nipped over to have a look, there was no one about and I hadn’t seen a sole yet. Just as I was leaving the field a tractor came round the corner and a friendly dog. The farmer gave me a nice wave, thank goodness. Next bit, back through a forest to go back down into the valley. I could hear a mechanical machinery noise going on and low and behold I came face to face with a wall of stacked tree trunks. Thankfully there was a very helpful chappy on a grabber type vehicle who said yes the bridleway was diverted and sent me in the right direction. So back along the side of the valley to Bwlch-y-sarnau feeling very warm in the sunshine and already planning my next walk – south! |
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