WITH the weather turning wet and windy of late, Penarth and District Ramblers were lucky to enjoy two walks in glorious autumnal sunshine.
The first was a four-mile walk slipped into the programme by Geraint, who took his group of eight through the beech wood at Dinas Powys and into the heavily wooded Cwm George to clamber up the steep steps to visit the Dinas Powys hillfort and Tyn-y-Coed earthworks.
In the 1950s both sites were excavated by Leslie Alcock, but further excavations and more accurate methods of dating have found some of the original findings of an Iron Age fort to be untrue.
Enclosed by four sets of banks and ditches which are visible to the south of the hillfort, more recent findings prove it dates back to Neolithic or early Bronze Age. It was heavily defended in the 5th Century as a high status settlement but was abandoned in the late 7th or early 8th Century. After viewing the hillfort, they descended back to Cwm George, making their way towards Cwrt-yr-Ala before heading to the Church of St Michael at Michaelson-le-Pit.
Time for some history of the past residents of the village when viewing the graves of the Brain and Merrett families of Cwrt-yr-Ala house and Henry Holmes Stewart, who was the Rector of the church between 1925 and 1935. Being an outstanding football player and cricketer, he was part of the Wanderers football team that won the FA Cup in 1873, by 2–0 against Oxford University. Continuing their journey in glorious sunshine, they returned back to their start.
A walk at Caerphilly
By contrast, Barrie opted for a rail ramble but was thwarted as trains were cancelled at short notice, so driving to Caerphilly Railway Station car park a group of 16 walkers and Bruno set off in lovely sunshine on pavements for the short climb to Castell y Fan or Van Castle.
It dates to 1415, but the fantastic and beautiful buildings contain stones from the original castle, which dates to the 12th Century. Its grounds held one of the largest dovecotes in Britain with over 1.000 nesting boxes and the Lodge, Castle Keep and Van Castle mansion are now private residences.
Crossing open green meadows, a narrow muddy pathway led them on the long climb up the bracken-clad hillside to reach Mynydd Rudry, just in time to observe the two-minute silence at 11am.
Barrie’s belated 80th year was celebrated with home-made apple pies and warm custard from Josie, as they enjoyed the views which stretched up to Rhymney Valley towards the Central Brecon Beacons on the skyline. Then on by road and field to enter autumnal woodland at Coed Coesau-whips for the descent past tall trees, over a swollen river and back into woodland for the long water-logged climb to the ridgeway for lunch.
Enjoying fantastic views out over the Bristol Channel, they followed beech-lined pathways to descend towards Cefn Onn, then another climb to reach Coed y Wern, before a last descent to a field and, following pavements, they crossed a footbridge over the rail track and returned to their start, where Barrie thanked Josie for her kindness and baking skills.
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Joy Strangward
Other items to read:
- Penarth ramblers enjoy their weekend in Sussex
- Ramblers explore Sully Island
- Ramblers celebrate with a picnic in the park
- Penarth ramblers take a liking to Lydney
- Ramblers explore two sections of the Heritage Coast
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