Date of walk - 24th May 2012. Distance - 16.75 miles. Start - lane corner near Waun Marteg, NW of Bwlch-y-sarnau.
This simply has to be a record of one of the very best walks I can remember. If anything, the day turned out a little too hot for comfort - heat I find the most tiring of conditions for walking. Heat is often accompanied with haze, which is not always helpful for photography. In every other way the walk was a gem from start to finish, both on the day and in the memory. Having made brief visits to mid Wales over the last few years, I was eager to get back to the area. I have now officially fallen in love, and this is from someone for whom a "sense of place" is one of the most special and meaningful things in life.
Although I was staying nearby, I decided to drive the short distance to the selected starting point, which was a wise move. At the corner by the edge of the forestry, where Glyndwr's Way moves from forest track to minor lane, there is space for parking. The first picture of the day has little to do with walking, and was taken within feet of the car - signalling a great start to a great day.
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| Spider web and dew, a winning visual combination |
In mid Wales, at least outside the main summer season, most of the roads are quiet. Even the A roads are not usually busy in the way so many roads are busy elsewhere, although I guess it would not take much to slow things down because they are hilly and twisty with few alternative routes. The B roads are really quiet apart from a few popular spots. Then there are the lanes, many of which seem almost deserted. Then there are the lanes off the lanes, the dead end lanes and the lanes which serve only a few remote farms. Such was the "road walking" at the start of this route.
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| Road walking, mid Wales style, looking back towards the start |
The upper Marteg valley is unusually spacious, by Welsh standards. In Wales the valleys are usually compact, narrow, and steep sided, with contours all over the place on the maps. The Marteg valley has open vistas with room for large fields and for areas of forest, with the higher hills set back all around. Some areas of forest have recently been felled, with all the variety of scene that brings. A few have been replanted in usual Forestry Commission style, but in some areas it remains to be seen what the plans are for the future. The lane soon changes into a forestry cum farm track, and I was following the one through to Brondre Fawr. I was beginning the day by connecting the well established walking route of Glyndwr's Way. I was anxious to get through this section, because I had heard stories of rights of way in Powys being blocked by local farmers in Powys. It seemed highly unlikely that the route I envisaged would be affected, but I wanted to clear it through at the start of the day. In the event there were no problems whatsoever, but local knowledge is probably very useful when planning walks based on the evidence of the maps.
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| Cleared forest near Brondre Fawr |
The morning mist was slowly lifting from the hills, and provided an added atmosphere to scene among the cleared forestry. The few lone trees left stood starkly. The dusty track crossed the infant Marteg river before the approach to the farm.
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| Infant river Marteg |
A vehicle rumbled by, heading for the farm and raising clouds of dust, but only briefly invaded the peace, which settled all the more firmly and consciously after its passing. The remote farm looked like quite a substantial enterprise, with a range of large outbuildings away from the farmhouse. Beyond, an area of cleared forest gave way to dense mature forest. Even given the early start, the shade was already welcome, especially as this was one of the main climbs of the day.
The climb through the forest was rewarded with seeing forestry operations in progress, as the following sequence shows.
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| Hazy morning in the forest |
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| Loading timber |
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| Forest track |
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| Timber on the move |
The forest track eventually winds its way on to the hilltop lane from Bwlch-y-sarnau towards the A483 and Newtown. It must be quite an important local route, and I did see a couple of vehicles while walking the short section north to the neighbouring forest on the other side. In many places, the forest track did not provide the expected shade (and would similarly not provide shelter from wind or rain either) and seemed quite hot and dusty, and rather a drag. However, it was a real blessing, providing a quick and easy link cross country. I was careful to mark the track junctions - avoid the first two left turns near the road, then keep left at the next junction quite a bit further into the forest. In the northern section of the Red Lion Hill forest, I was back in the shade of mature trees, with one lovely glimpse out between trees to misty forest and valleys beyond.
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| Forest view, Red Lion Hill |
Emerging from the forest is always interesting, especially when, as today, I was entering totally new ground for me. The countryside was as attractive as ever, with rolling hills, woods and farms. Another pesky bit of road walking followed, this time of the dead end variety....
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| Road walking, mid Wales style (2) |
The lane peters out into a track as it skirts around Castle Bank. A short descent east led to the northeastern corner of the walk, a turning point where the Glyndwr's Way path was joined, to be followed back to the car in a great loop for the rest of the day. The hills around here were smooth and grassy, with some bracken and heather on Moel Dod. The path skirts the summit of the hill, which seems to be typical of this section of the way. The path then gained the shallow ridge, overlooking the Ithon valley with the A483 snaking away below to the left (east). Even in the haze, the views were good, and the walking itself was just delightful.
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| View by Moel Dod |
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| Path south of Moel Dod |
The path passes a small hilltop plantation, crossing a track that winds invitingly across the valley of Crychell Brook (all the streams seem to be brooks around here) and on to the forest of Red Lion Hill where I had been earlier on. Beyond the plantation a row of larches and hawthorns continues for some distance, growing into fantastic windblown shapes. Away to the east, lines of hills and forest recede into the distance, and beneath was a smooth carpet of green.
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| Track to Red Lion Hill |
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| Larch and hawthorn near the ridge line |
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| Ithon valley and hills into the distance |
The path skirts another summit, this time that of Yr Allt, to the east, overlooking the Ithon valley. The Ithon is a tributary of the Wye, following a tortuous course between this point and the Wye valley near Llandrindod Wells. The path eventually descends to a gap in the hills at Tynypant, used by a minor lane from Bwlch-y-sarnau to the A483. The haze thickened at this stage almost into low cloud, which was good for cooling things down a bit, but not so good for the photography. What was clear that this was another lovely little corner of the world. The lost height needed to be regained, and this is achieved via an easy ascending ridge to Ysgwd-ffordd. To begin with, the lane to Bwlch Farm is used, and then the path leaves to follow the ridge up through trees to the open hillside.
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| Ridge path above Bwlch Farm |
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| Lane corner near Bwlch Farm |
The ridge widens towards the top, with a mix of moorland and some areas of improved grazing. Once again the path skirts the summit, with the trig point in view within easy reach. However, with quite a long day, I omitted the small diversion. Further on, the grassy path across moorland starts to overlook steep slopes to the right.
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| Moorland path, Ysgwd-ffordd |
The path reaches a junction in a slight dip, and Glyndwr's Way here leaves the ridge and cuts back across the steep slopes before heading down through the Neuadd-fach woodland to the Bachell Brook valley below. It is a lovely descent.
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| Hillside view, Ysgwd-ffordd |
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| Valley of Bachell brook below the woodland |
Being a land of valleys and hills, and an area of above average rainfall, it is also an area of streams and rivers. I made a point of getting a picture of Bachell Brook. There was also the opportunity to get a picture of sheep, which can hardly be avoided in mid Wales. I tend feel a sense of ease and belonging if the country I am in is primarily sheep country - country of uplands, hillsides, open views...... Here they were down in the trees by the stream, but this only added to the variety of scene and to the enjoyment.
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| Bachell Brook |
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| Sheep in the valley woodland |
On the map, the next section may look rather uninviting for the walker, but we are already learning things about "road" walking in these parts. (It must be said that the A and B roads are no doubt often awkward for walking, often relatively narrow with hills and bends, especially when without adequate verges). I only saw one vehicle - the local post van - on the longish stretch gradually curving towards Abbewcwmhir. It turned out to be as attractive a section as any, a nice complement and contrast to being on the high ground, with views to it rather than from it. There were also the beautiful woodlands with the fresh green leaves, and one fine patch of bluebells.
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| Bluebells |
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| Bachell Brook valley, and Ysgwd-ffordd |
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| Woodland lane in May |
Eventually the route of the way leaves the lane and skirts low hillsides on the way to Abbeycwmhir, now by the valley of Clywedog Brook, going upstream above the confluence with Bachell Brook. Open fields alternate with woodland. By now the sun was coming through once again, and it was hot, but the walking continued to be easy going and pleasant throughout.
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| A stream in woodland |
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| Valley of Clywedog Brook below Abbeycwmhir |
The path joins tracks and lanes converging on the small rural community of Abbeycwmhir. I had explored the abbey ruins and the little village a day or two before, and was struck by the beauty of the location and the sense of history. I intend to do a separate blog post on my impressions of the village and the abbey together with some picture from that day. For now, it simply needs noting that the place made an impression, and it was lovely to have it included on such a well planned and interesting route for walkers.
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| Woodland junction near Abbeycwmhir |
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| Village scene, Abbeycwmhir |
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| Abbeycwmhir church |
The path leaves right by the church, which is so lovely itself and in its fine setting. Wooded hillsides surround the village in a sort of comforting embrace, creating a little world of its own for the valley and its community. The path strikes up a little valley between two of these hills, which, being south facing was quite a sun trap. Some of the sunshine had been captured and reflected by the broom bushes in bloom.
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| Broom in bloom and wooded hillsides |
Reaching the shade of the trees was the obvious time and place for a welcome break. A delightful woodland path led down once more to the Clywedog Brook, the path having cut a corner of the valley.
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| Path through trees |
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| Woodland footpath |
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| Clywedog Brook |
The route then follows a lane where there is more chance of meeting traffic, being the "main" route northwest from the village, towards Bwlch-y-sarnau. The valley and the surrounding hills were picture perfect on this day epitomising the transition from spring to summer.
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| Valley of Clywedog Brook |
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| Glyndwr's Way sign and barn wall with lichen |
The route leaves the lane and heads up farm tracks by Lower and Upper Esgair, with views once again unfolding. This is quite a significant climb once again from valley level. Some of the meadows were full of daisies and buttercups and the whole seen was the visual definition of bucolic.
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| Meadows, valley of Clywedog Brook |
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| View towards the hills around Abbeycwmhir |
There is some fine grazing country around here, and the sheep were plentiful and looked the picture of health to a complete non expert passing through. Well tended and improved upland grazing spreads out above Upper Esgair Farm. The scenes all around were a joy to see and experience.
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| Upper Esgair farm |
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| Track by Upper Esgair |
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| Upland grazing |
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| Sheep and growing lambs |
The path continues up and over smooth grassy hillsides, eventually reaching a wider track which heads down to Bwlch-y-sarnau. The scenery undergoes a subtle change, looking rather wilder although still with lots of hill pasture for grazing. The track is obviously used by vehicles at times, and was scarred and deeply rutted in places. It was a little less attractive and pleasant for walking than most of the rest of the day, but can hardly be described as a let down. The track describes a couple of graceful curves across the hillside down to the village. The little chapel struck me as the most notable sight on the quick passage through the village, sticking to the route.
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| Track sweeping towards Bwlch-y-sarnau |
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| Chapel, Bwlch-y-sarnau |
From Bwlch-y-sarnau it was back to the open spaces of the Upper Marteg valley, the sense of spaciousness of the valley being emphasised after the walking through more typical valleys nearby. A meadow sloped gently down to the almost flat section through the forest, across the river and back to the starting point. A memorable day, almost every step a joy. Glorious conditions, a lovely time of year, but just such lovely and subtly varied scenery amongst these valleys and hills tucked away in a quiet area of mid Wales.
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| Glyndwr's Way, upper Marteg valley |
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