Date  walked: 28th August 2015

Distance: about 9 miles

Map used:OS Explorer 151- Newport and Pontypool

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Just Neil and I for this leg of the walk. We met at a little car park at the top of Folly Lane, near, surprise, surprise, the folly and deposited one of our cars there, driving back to the car park of The Darren Pub (the landlord being a very nice chap who told us he didn’t mind us being there).  It was one of those days when it might rain and it might not. It rained shortly after we set off.

Climbing gently, we crossed the railway line…

Nothing like taking your life in your hands at the start of a walk

… and had just a couple of hundred yards by the  Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal …..

I love canalside walking – hope there is more to come

….before heading into the lower slopes of the Medart wood, whereupon we were blessed with a short, sharp shower. There were several forest tracks to choose from. The one heading for Twmbarlwm was the one we wanted, and, from the emphatic signs by the track, clearly an Important Destination.

I’m sure these signs and symbols mean something to somebody

A bit of huffing and puffing up the wooded valley brought us to Pegwn-y-bwlch, where there were a lot of signs and a fence stopping people from getting to where Neil and I were standing.

I am sure every one of those signs was absolutely necessary

Also here was a mounted sculpture of a raven flying out of a book, which meant nothing to me and did little for me.

Any suggestions as to what this was about? I’m sure the cover would help but I can’t read it.

The map shows a path leading from here called Raven Walk. No doubt someone will enlighten us in due course. The path up to the fort at Twmbarlwm was quite steep and very satisfying as we constantly improved our views over the surrounding countryside.

A little glimpse of the Bristol Channel

The site of the fort was very much as you might expect- a big circular ditch and a great views both inland…

Here, back towards Risca

….and to the Bristol Channel.

Even nicer

This was a great opportunity for Neil to do some pointing.

He’s a darned good pointer

We dutifully mounted the steps to the top of the mound, had a bit of a sit and dismounted, greeting a man with what we took to be his son who had come up from the opposite direction.

There followed a mostly uneventful couple of gentle miles along a wide grassy track crossing Mynydd Henllys.

Sometimes it’s nice not to have much going on

According to the map  we passed obliviously by several old mines and quarries and close to a wood….

A wood

…. and then the track continued, giving Neil little to point at.

Neil – pointless

We did get some fine views over Cwmbran...

Better from up here than down there

…and we encountered (in a low key kind of way) a pretty cow.

Maybe it wasn’t a cow, maybe it was a steer

As the moor opened up around Mynydd Maen the track became more stony and on either side were swathes of heather.

Interesting that the heather is in lines

This was all very jolly- and jolly wet in places, but only necessitating a bit of a deviation as opposed to a wade.

You can see these pylons from the M4 as you drive to Cardiff

A string of electricity pylons ahead would have made a good marker if we had any doubt where we were, but we didn’t.

We crossed under them….

How much to put the line underground?

…and though it was not strictly necessary, went over for a shufty of the nearby communication masts.

Can’t put these underground, though

Our curiosity not entirely satisfied – we’d have liked a sign telling us what they were for- we headed due East. We were curious, too, about what certainly looked like a boundary stone stone we passed with only the letters L.U.P carved into its chunky body.

Enlighten me

Near there we paused at our second trig point of the Way, marking Mynydd Twyn-glas.

Wikipedia says that you are not to confuse this with Pen Twyn Glas in the Black Mountains, but why you might do so I am not sure.

Walking gently downhill hill (well you always do from a trig point), there was another mast overlooking Upper Cwmbran.

 The path took us down to a minor road to Penyrheol. There used to be a pub there called The Lamb Inn , but sadly it has gone the way of so many hundreds of others in recent years and appears to be being converted back into a house.

Or maybe they are just refurbishing it?

At the ex-pub we turned right off the road, passing a sign to the mysterious Braggfest.

Our route followed a hollow way to the west of Griffithstown…

I’m guessing a drovers road for the sheep off the moor

… which, still at around 600 feet above sea level, gave us some views over Cwm Fields, which used to be fields but is now a housing estate.

The path emerged on the edge of Pontypool of the  busy road junction of Pontymoel.

There won’t be much of this in days to come

Ahead, a garage provided us with ice-creams (I’ll always go for a Magnum since you ask). This urban bit was over very quickly and within minutes we were at the very elaborate and pretty gates of Pontypool Park, giving Neil an excellent pointing opportunity.

Neil very usefully giving you a sense of scale for the gates.

The park is big (150 acres) and  very pleasant, with some fine trees and a gratifying absence of children and dogs.

Neil likes dogs- it takes all sorts

We took a path up the side of the valley, following signs for the Shell House – somewhere I have wanted to see for many years. For reasons not understood by us we had to go through a 100 foot long tunnel formed by corrugated iron.

Damm clever bit of work to get this illuminated for you

Intrigued, at the far end I climbed up a bank to find a dry ski slope which doesn’t exactly get highly rated on Tripadvisor.

It opens in the winter

We were increasingly impressed by the park as we climbed, admiring the specimen trees and fine grasses.

The Shell House was a minor detour off our path but when we got there the area around it was being strimmed, a Strimmers Mate standing guard to prevent the public from being cut down. I did not expect the house to be open, knowing that it does so only on high-days-and-holiday, but The Strimmer and Mate were volunteers and they were preparing the place for such a day and very kindly agreed to let us in.

Its been totally restored, of course.

According to Wikipedia it is reckoned to be the best grotto in Wales; I’ve no reason to argue with that. Feeling very pleased with our treat, I offer you some cows in celebration (there being no sheep available).

That’s the Llandegfedd reservoir in the background where my friend John has (with others) been making a very good circular walk.

We were on a ridge for this last stretch, below us the rather severe Mamhilad Estate.

Note the last minute sheep, brought in at vast expense

I used to be a regular visitor there, ferreting around in the Planning Department for reasons to oppose some proposed barn conversion or agricultural dwelling. From somewhere in there works the South East Wales Emergency Duty Team of Social Services. There is no end to my knowledge.

Ahead was the folly – an excellent climax to a very nice day’s walk….

C18th. Demolished in 1940 by orders of MOD.

… and the obvious spot for me to see if I could remember how to set the camera up on a timer.

When Neil says “smile” it seems like I grimace

The car was just a hundred yards from here – a great spot to start the next walk from.