Meeting at the Twyn at the centre of Dinas Powys village beside the War Memorial on an overcast but dry morning with no wind, a group of twenty-one walkers joined Geraint for a circular short walk to Cosmeston Country Park.
Setting off along Station Road before descending via steps and a narrow walkway and carefully crossing the busy A4055, the Coffinmakers Bridge apparently so-named because there was a coffin makers establishment nearby, led them into Elm Grove Place. Then tramping alongside the East Brook flowing through its man-made channel brought them into Sunnycroft Lane.
Ascending gradually via a muddy track and reaching Cross Common Road, a stile led them into meadows below The Oxhams, where underfoot conditions through the boggy and slippery mud churned up by the resident horses, along with one field covered in brambles which tended to wrap themselves around boots, turned their journey into something of an assault course.
Exiting onto Sully Road for a short spell of road walking to the entrance of Home Farm and back into fields past the Grade II listed stone barn which relates to the early 1800’s, a narrow muddy path between the barn and a huge smelly dung heap brought them onto a farm track covered in surface water.
Enjoying the lovely views towards the northern end of Barry, St Lythans, St Andrews and Lower Penarth as well as the hilltops to the north of Cardiff, brought them downhill and through a metal gate into Cosmeston Country Park. Making their way to the ruined stone dovecote, some of the nesting boxes are still visible even though it fell into ruins probably by the end of the 1400’s when it was part of a medieval village and there was short pause to hear its history and about the fish ponds that were sited just to the north of the dovecote.
Exiting onto Mile Road beside the medieval village and following the boardwalk through tall cordgrass to the main entrance, further on wooden picnic tables and a stone bridge came in handy as seating for morning coffee beside the eastern lake.
Then continuing through the park on a muddy path alongside the old top quarry and back out onto Mile Road, walking northwards firstly along the muddy track before deviating onto man-made paths through fields at the rear of Old Cogan Hall Farm and St Peter’s Church, another pause to hear some history of the deserted old Cogan Hall Village.
Cogan was mentioned in charters and documents as far back as the 7th century, being part of the monastery at Llandough which was only less important than the major monasteries at Llantwit Major and Llancarfan and in the 11th century following the Norman invasion, Robert Fitzhamon granted lands including Cogan to the Benedictines at Tewkesbury.
An earlier built medieval chapel held by the Somery family from Dinas Powys Castle was rebuilt in the 12th century and the herringbone masonry at St Peter’s Church relates to this time. This medieval village grew up around a stream and once contained a leat and watermill to the south of St Peter’s Church but was probably deserted by the 16th century.
Then heading along Sully Road being overtaken by the jolly riders of a trap being pulled by a handsome horse, with a smaller pony and trap behind, the group paused on a nasty bend to make sure the oncoming traffic slowed down before heading on their way.
Leaving Sully Road and paddling through a muddy waterlogged lane, brought them past the site of the old St Cyres School and into the lane behind Murch Crescent for the gradual descent back to the Murch.
Taking a short cut through Vale Court near to the library and following the course of the East Brook once more and retracing their steps back to the Twyn, most of the group headed to the 18th century Cross Keys Inn, where delicious aromatic smells of curry and roasted garlic escaping from the kitchen ventilation into the beer garden, accompanied their refreshments before the homeward journey.
