Ramblers enjoy Shortish Strides walk from Rhoose
By Joy Strangward
A group of sixteen walkers joined Joy from Penarth and District Ramblers at Rhoose Railway Station car park at the start of a Shortish Strides half day walk of just over 6 miles in the delightful Vale of Glamorgan. Despite the Vale’s reputation for having plenty of stiles, this walk contained only six and one of them could be squeezed around, so there were plenty of happy faces.
Putting a spurt on as they made their way across the railway lines, because the warning lights began to flash heralding the closure of the barriers to allow a train to pass through, and joining Station Road they headed inland for the short trek up through a residential area to the perimeter fence of Cardiff Airport.
A man-made path with views towards the now redundant Aberthaw Power Station led them to Port Road, past the Highwayman Inn towards Nurston to deviate by quiet country lane to Fonmon Road and into fields. Downhill and across a footbridge over the pretty Ffwl-y-mwn Book to tramp a woodland path carpeted with gorgeous autumnal leaves and as it is the season for fungus, a stop to admire a beautiful collection of Clouded Agaric mushrooms below the trees.
Another stop to admire the noisy ducks that thought they would be fed but to no avail on Fonmon Pond, with its stunning weeping willow tree, before stone steps led them back into woodland. Following the edge of a ploughed field into a copse and then through another ploughed field where a huge wide path had been left brought them out onto Port Road, which they followed to Well Road at East Aberthaw opposite the Blue Anchor Inn which dates to 1380.
It is believed that settlement in this area goes back to the second or third century as during excavations Roman coins, pottery and tiles were found. During the medieval era a small village stood around Well Road which was previously known as Marshe Way, presumably because the River Thaw flowed to the sea by this route. The older houses including the previously thatched Rose Cottage, along with Marsh Cottage and Lower House Farm line this road and heading downhill they followed a path through woodland adjacent to the main Vale railway line.
Porthkerry harbour was lost in a storm in 1584 so Aberthaw was the only port between Cardiff and Swansea and it thrived from the 16th century, with ships making the journey across the Bristol Channel to Somerset with cargoes of wool and foodstuffs, returning with wine, salt and dried fruit from northern France. In the next century ships were journeying to England, France, Spain and Ireland and as smuggling was rife in the Bristol Channel, illegally imported goods were no doubt secretly stowed away in the village.
They arrived at the coast with its man-made sea defence wall and lovely lake in the nature reserve, which is classed as an SSSI and quietly watched over by the remains of the old Limeworks which date to 1888. By the mid-1800’s as the port declined, the main export was the locally produced blue lias limestone which was used to build canals, locks, docks and lighthouses due to its hydraulic qualities.
Then a stop for morning refreshments and to hear some history of the area during which time, one member Anna made a beautiful sketch of the salt lagoons and sand dunes at Watch House Bay.
Refreshed and crossing the salt flats, a climb up the cliff steps led them through Fontygary Caravan Park where a short bout of misty rain hit them, before a return through the Rhoose meadows back to their start. Grateful thanks go to Josie for her trusty back-marking skills and help during the recce.
You can follow the group’s exploits here or on Facebook
Joy Strangward
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