It's quite curious.
I've lived in Cardiff since December 1980 when I first came to the city to do my nurse training at UHW (that's another story from a long time ago). So ticking over 43 years this year. But there are places around the areas where I've lived in that time (some close some less so) that I've never been to. Three of those were ticked off this week.
The first two were Bryngarw Country Park and Bwlch mountain. Mrs H was ruminating on somewhere to go out for a few hours that was not one of our usual haunts - Penarth, Barry Island, Ogmore, Cosmeston, Roath Park etc) and we spied Bryngarw County Park on Google Maps. Sitting a few miles outside Bridgend it fulfilled all the right criteria. Not too far, gentle walks, some water (a river) and a cafe.
£3.50 parking for the day (not that we were likely to spend a whole day there) seemed reasonable, and we set off walking one of the trails, alongside the Afon Garw before heading away from the river into the woods. It was a pleasant wander on a decent day (for a change). There were plenty of folks about (it was still school holidays) but didn't feel crowded. The cafe adjacent to the visitor centre was stocked well enough with cakes, sandwiches and of course coffee options. A pleasant, and different place for a stroll, and we'll probably be back at some point.
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| Afon Garw in Bryngarw Country Park |
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| Oriental Garden in Bryngarw Country Park |
Note: Although the paths are generally well marked, and reasonably maintained, there are some muddier trails, so if going when the weather is or has been inclement, walking shoes/or boots (or wellies) are recommended.
Have expended a couple of hours wandering in Bryngarw County Park we decided on a whim to take a drive northwards towards the hills of the valleys. A few miles along the A4062 heading towards Nant-y-moel we saw a sign for "Viewpoint. Who doesn't love a viewpoint?
So we followed the signed though Blackmill, Lewistown, Ogmore Vale to Nant-y-moel (all places I've never been - or if I have I don't remember them). The sizeable hills appearing in front of us were clearly where we were aiming for, and sure enough in Nant-y-moel we turned right up a steep road to the viewpoint which turned out to be at the top of Bwlch mountain. I'd seen this on maps (I devour maps) and always thought it would be a good place to go, and here I was, albeit quite unintentionally.
At the viewpoint was a handily placed ice cream van - well it would be rude not to. Eating our ice creams we surveyed the superb views. South back to Ogmore Vale and Bridgend, with the Bristol Channel and the hills of Exmoor in the far distance. North beyond the wind turbines to the distant summits of Corn Ddu and Pen y Fan, and east, steeply down into the valley towards Cwm Parc and Treorchy.
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| Corn Ddu (L) and Pen y Fan (R) from Bwlch mountain |
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| The road down towards Nantymoel |
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| Cwm Parc and Treorchy |
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| Cymru am Byth Welcome to the Valleys! |
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| South towards Ogmore Vale and the Bristol Channel |
I have to say if there are many better views in South Wales, I don't know where you'll find them.
Not content with having found a couple of places we'd never been before already this week, as the weather warmed up yesterday we decided to go for a stroll at Gileston, on the coast just west of Aberthaw. We frequently walk the path east of the old decommissioned power station and have walked further west at and beyond Llantwit Major, but never this bit known as Limpert Bay even though it's less than 10 miles from home.
Turning left off the B2465 at St Athan, we drove down a single track road through the hamlet of Gileston past Gileston Manor (apparently one of THE places for weddings in the area) to a rough car park (free) adjacent to the power station and the beach. When I say beach - it's a rocky foreshore with a pebble bank, like much of this part of the coast, but great for exploring and rock pooling.
We wandered west along the signed Wales coast path for about a mile. A mix of rocky path, hedgerows and saltwater creeks line the way although the footpath is well defined (although damp in places). There are rabbits aplenty, and fish - possibly mullet in the creeks. Old military defences line the pebble bank, concrete cubes - presumably anti-tank defences abound, with some clever painted. One is painted to look like a Rubik's cube, and two other to resemble a pair of dice! A couple of pill boxes are sunk into the pebble bank suggesting that someone at least thought this might be a spot for invading forces.
We walked back to the car park along the flat rocks and pebbles of the beach (the tide was way out). It's an interesting geology with flat rock interspersed with ridges against which boulders have been rolled by the sea over the years in a repeating pattern.
Certainly a new and interesting place for a walk, and one which is probably worth a look in all seasons of the year.
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| Creek and Aberthaw Power Station |
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| Tank traps and creeks |
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| Footpath |
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| Limpert Bay |
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| Rubiks Cube and Dice |
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