FOR the penultimate Shortish Strides of the season, Joy from Penarth and District Ramblers was joined by a group of nine walkers at Dinas Powys Village Square on a dry sunny morning.
They made their way across the deserted Dinas Powys golf course and descended via a sunken muddy lane to reach the stunning beech wood where the wild garlic or ramsons was already partially in bloom covering the woodland floor with pure white blossom.
Onward through Cwm George, which is owned by the Woodland Trust, they were forced to stop as a tree that had blown across the path was being cut up by men wielding chainsaws.
Thanking them and exiting from the pretty woodland where the trees were already exhibiting their brand new leaves, a rough farm track with views across to Michaelston-le-Pit and Llandough brought them to a bridge over the fast flowing Cadoxton River and through a gateway, where they observed fly tipping of rubbish opposite to the entrance to Bullcroft.
They headed over the bridge with its pretty moss-covered top stones and uphill by road beside the very full lower lake and gushing lower weirs of the Salmon Leaps and the entrance to Cwrt-yr-Ala House, before deviating up a bridleway towards Wrinstone. Passing more fly tipping at a junction of paths they continued past primroses, bluebells and wood anemone decorating the banks, before yet more fly tipping near the junction with Station Road East, but all done on private land!
They headed into Cwm Slade and up through grassy meadows to stop for morning break using an ancient fallen tree trunk in Limekiln Wood whilst listening to the sound of birdsong. A descent by field led to The Lawns and yet more fly tipping, as they avoided the huge puddles on the waterlogged farm track before reaching the road once again. Back across the river for the climb on a very muddy bridleway and uphill into the delightful Park Wood, where the sunlight was casting shadows of the tall beech trees on the pathway, before the descent to the Beauville Lane.
They followed the lane to a viewpoint over Dinas Powys Common towards the Bristol Channel and the flooded fields beside Cardiff Road after weeks of constant rainfall, before pounding pavements back to their start point after what had been a delightful morning’s ramble.
You can follow the group here or on Facebook.
Joy Strangward
- Penarth ramblers enjoy their weekend in Sussex
- Ramblers explore Sully Island
- Ramblers celebrate with a picnic in the park
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