GERAINT from Penarth and District Ramblers led a rural walk following a leaflet issued by Newport Council in the ‘Let’s walk Newport’ Countryside Walks series – it was declared to be 8.7-miles in length but actually turned out to be over 10!
Meeting in a lay-by near Ford Farm at Langstone on a gorgeous morning, the group of 12 set off through the farmyard and over a stone stile and, crossing buttercup meadows, made their way past the Court Solar Farm. A field containing pretty purple orchids led them to narrow paths through woodland, then tall ferns and through open meadows to arrive at Llandevaud Farm for the journey through this rural village.
They walked on and paused to hear a bit of history about the nearby Pencoed Castle, a 16th Century Tudor manor house that belonged to the powerful Morgan family of Tredegar. Pushing onward through long-grassed meadows with views to the coast they arrived at Bowden’s Farm, before entering the shaded paths through the pretty Coed Wen and exiting into a huge meadow where they stopped for morning refreshments.
Crossing the fast moving and busy A48 with great care, a long gradual climb followed, first through fields with great views of the surrounding countryside then woodland to the west of Penhow Quarry.
Near White Brook Farm, as the heat rose they walked through fields containing mares with their long-legged new foals, before crossing a brook via a wooden bridge to follow a narrow quiet country lane, for the return into woodland. The undulating climb continued on pretty woodland paths on the southern edge of the huge Wentwood Forest. This ancient woodland was once part of the hunting grounds for Chepstow Castle and straddles the border between Newport and Monmouthshire.
Using the bases of lopped trees as seating for their lunch break, the only sounds were of the countryside, with wind blowing through the trees, birdsong and the distant sound of sheep and cattle calling to one another. Refreshed and moving on, they followed narrow pathways to paddle through a small brook near Yewtree Cottage, before passing through tall trees to emerge onto the open hillside with its glorious views over the Severn Estuary.
Through a field of long grass, then a hay field and further on the farmer in his tractor stopped work and patiently waited for the whole group to troop through and safely over the stile. He was thanked with a thumbs-up! Steep steps led them down to cross the A48 again and onward to St Peter’s Church, which was rebuilt in 1843 after being in ruins for some time, to enjoy a quick afternoon stop.
Then, grassy meadows led them past Llandevaud Mill with its feisty horses, then past Tregarn Mill and over a brook to make their way back to Ford Farm where they retraced their steps back to their start, after their six-and-a-half-hour trek which involved some very tricky stiles indeed.
You can follow the group online or on Facebook.
Joy Strangward
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