Ramblers relish walks of Upper Cwmbran and Michaelston-le-Pit
Penarth and District Ramblers
Ramblers relish walks of Upper Cwmbran and Michaelston-le-Pit
Recently a group of nine walkers met up with Naomi and Meryl from Penarth and District Ramblers at Blaen Bran Community Woodland car park in Upper Cwmbran at the start of a 9 mile walk.
During the mid-18th century the industrial heritage of Cwmbran began when coal was dug from Gwaun-y-Fferiad and sold to the tin works of Caerleon and some of the early workings can still be found within the woodland.
They climbed steeply by road to The Square, which was built for local workers and included terraced houses, a public house named The Squirrel which housed a school on the upper floor and an Ebenezer Chapel, built in 1840 which still stands today.
From woodland they deviated to view the remains of Mineslope Colliery which opened in 1854 was worked until 1916 and having been abandoned the buildings fell into disrepair and were finally demolished in the late 1980’s, although the foundations of the original engine house are still visible. A steep zig zag climb on the Cambrian Way led almost to Mynydd Maen, before a pause for morning break and continuing their climb as they passed along the ridgeway some heavy rainfall engulfed them.
Known locally as the ‘Twmp,’ Twmbarlwm rises to 419m and includes an Iron Age fort believed to have been built by the Silures, a Celtic tribe that inhabited the area before and during the Roman occupation. After lunch on the summit a pathway on Mynydd Maen led them downhill, past a disused quarry and Llandderfel Farm and shortly after they paused at the ruins of Llandderfel Chapel, which during medieval times was a stopping point for pilgrims on their way to the shrine of the Virgin Mary at Penrhys in the Rhondda Valley and was founded by St Derfel, who was a warrior and allegedly one of King Arthur’s knights.
Then descending on a narrow stony path they passed Brook Cottage walking beside a stream to a minor road, where woodland and fields led them back to the Square to retrace their steps to their start point.
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A group of 24 and Sonny the dog decided a great way to spend their Good Friday was to join Geraint from Penarth and District Ramblers on a morning walk in the Dinas Powys and Michaelston-le-Pit areas whilst taking part in a wild flower quiz he had devised and believe me it was not easy! Separating into teams with a captain who was responsible for collecting the answers the large group set off from Mill Road towards the Millfields.
Spring has indeed truly sprung and the woodlands are teeming with wild flowers, not only the ones we are familiar with being celandines, wild garlic, bluebells, primroses and wood anemones, but to make it more intriguing Geraint had picked flowers that are lesser known, and asked questions that were complicated. But to begin with, whilst making their way through the gorgeous beechwood leading to Cwm George, the statement was wild garlic or ramsons derives its name from the Saxon word hramsa, but its Latin name refers to an animal, is it a bear, cattle, pigs or flies? The Latin name being Allium Ursinum relates to bears, simple when you know!
So the group ventured on at a slow pace seeking out flowers and getting their heads together to find what they hoped was the right answer before following a farm track to the stone bridge over the Cadoxton River. Emerging onto Cwrt-yr-Ala Road they made their way to the beautiful Salmon Leaps, on past the lakes and up through woodland beside the Wrinstone Brook seeking more wild flowers, with a question about how the delicate star-shaped stitchwort got its name. Historically back in in the 1200’s it was remedy used to cure stitch!
Following a rough bridleway to Michaelston-le-Pit they made their way to the 14th century Church of St Michael which luckily was open, so they could step inside and enjoy its beauty, before following meadows beside the Cadoxton River back to their start where the winning quiz team members received seed packs as a reward before heading home.
You can follow the groups’ exploits here or on Facebook.
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