JOY FROM Penarth and District Ramblers played host to a group of nine walkers when they met up at Barry Castle ruins at the start of the fourth evening ramble of four miles on a dry but overcast evening.
Pavements led them to Coed yr Odyn and downhill through the muddy Lover’s Lane, passing the remnants of Cliffwood Cottage that once housed the alleged witch Ann Jenkin and her two sons.
They crossed Barry Brook and headed south through the main meadow of Porthkerry Country Park to Porthkerry Bay, then over the rewilding area where the pitch and putt course once was. The whole of the parkland now contains brilliant information boards showing the flora, fauna, insects, birds and animals that can be found in the woods and meadows – educational both for visitors and locals alike and especially children.
They made their way below Porthkerry Viaduct into a large meadow containing pretty buttercups before passing the delightful Old Rectory from where they headed along a sunken lane into the Whitelands valley, with its frisky young cattle that charged downhill and then followed the group to a gate leading towards West Ridge. After climbing, they made a stop to gaze westwards towards Cardiff Airport before circumnavigating ploughed meadows to drop downhill through woodland back into the park.
They crossed the Nant Talwg Brook into Cwm Barri for a short climb to the Four Fields where a manicured pathway through the trees led them through the community orchard and back to Cwm Barri for the return via pavements.
Evening walk in Sully
The fifth in a series of evening walks saw a group of 20 ramblers join Joy and Biddy the dog at Burnham Avenue in Sully in glorious sunshine, and they tramped across a small field and joined the Wales Coast Path heading westwards above Sully Bay. The tree lined pathway was somewhat overgrown with cow parsley, nettles and rapeseed in places as they moved on past Tŷ Hafan and the old Sully Hospital, which has been converted into apartments and is now called Hayes Point.
Reaching a clearing they found that long distance views across the Bristol Channel were covered in mist but Sully Island, Steep and Flat Holm, Bream Down and Brent Knoll could be identified, before they moved on past the boarded-up buildings and site of HMS Cambria, which has returned to Cardiff.
The ancient rocky cliffs at the Bendricks – classed as an SSSI because of the dinosaur footprints that were found there – brought them to the old slipway and uphill on steps to the Atlantic Trading Estate. They passed the new housing development which is still under construction and into Hayes Road for a stop to hear some of the history of the old Hayes Windmill which is covered in foliage behind a large boundary fence. This corn mill was powered originally by sails, then engine and stood opposite Hayes Farm.
Pavement walking led them to a lane and back to the coast to deviate through the stunning Glebe Fields which are awash with long grass, tall buttercups and sweet clover and heading up to South Road, they made their way down the path opposite the village church, to return to their starting point via Lynmouth Drive.
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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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