On a muggy misty morning ten walkers joined Sylvia for the journey up to Ysgyryd Fawr also known as Holy Mountain and Sacred Hill and anglicized as Skirrid Fawr, passing on the way Maidiff Court Hospital, built by Crawshay Bailey in 1877 and which during World War Two became a military hospital and prisoner of war centre, with its most famous occupant being Rudolph Hess who was Hitler’s deputy.
Parking to the south of Ysgyryd Fawr in the new car park (car park fee machine operated) they set off up a pretty lane, then steeply uphill through woodland onto the lower slopes of the mountain which is owned by the National Trust.
Continuing the climb, unfortunately the magnificent views of the surrounding countryside were obscured by a mist and tramping past a stone known in legend as the Devil’s Table and following the ridgeway northwards, two door stones mark what is left of St Michael’s Chapel which was the secret meeting place for Catholic Mass in the 17th century.
After pausing at the trig point at 486m or 1594 feet above sea level, a zig zag pathway on the eastern side of the hill led down through ferns into the valley below populated only by sheep and young lambs.
Heading northwards, a grassy field made a perfect stop for morning coffee as overhead a red kite made flying look very simple.
Following a pretty flower adorned laneway past Pant-y-tyle, a gate led back into fields with quiet cattle, sheep and grown lambs and through a series of metal kissing gates replacing the old wooden stiles with ancient stone markers indicating the distance to the village of Llanvihangel Crucorney.
Entering lush green meadows filled with buttercups, clover and the yellow St John’s Wort with glorious views back towards the shattered shape of Ysgyryd Fawr. The distinctive shape with its jagged western side actually resulted from glacial action during the last ice age although legend says it was ripped apart at the time of Christ’s crucifixion.
A farm path led on to Llanvihangel Court, where the resident peacocks were resting near the medieval barn which is at present has scaffolding erected around it as it is being refurbished.
Making their way towards the car park and the front of the splendid Tudor manor house, a peahen made a spectacular dash across the gravel path in front of the group.
Following the drive up to a road and passing through a narrow lane up into the village of Llanvihangel Crucorney, the main road was packed with parked cars as the Church of St Michael set on a hill was playing host to a wedding ceremony.
Striding past the famous Skirrid Inn which purports to be the oldest pub in Wales as it dates back to 1100 and where the first floor was used as a courtroom with as many as 180 convicted felons allegedly being hung from an oak beam above the staircase, a narrow pathway led downhill.
Following a narrow path downhill into a field of wheat a diagonal path led on to Pen-y-bont. Crossing a stone bridge over the delightful Afon Honddu at Pen-y-bont, a steep climb up through a field and across a railway line led up to Great Llwygy.
Here tractors were busily hauling trailers on which mountain bikes and riders are taken to the top of the hill for a thrilling descent down the steep wooded hillside run by the Black Mountains Cycle Centre.
Carefully crossing the paths in the woodland and keeping one eye open for mountain bikers an enchanting path led them through Strawberry Cottage Wood which is cared for by Gwent Wildlife Trust and declared to be an SSSI with footpaths leading through the cleared woodland with its variety of trees, plants and insects.
Exiting from the wood into a small meadow, a stop followed for lunch beside Strawberry Cottage with butterflies flitting from flower to flower and birdsong echoing through the air.
A footbridge over the Honddu led up to the road, then uphill through Stanton Manor Farm with a field full of cows and one strong bull to the lower slopes of Bryn Arw.
The hillsides were covered with newly growing ferns with bluebells still in flower in between and following a zig zag pathway along narrow tracks mostly used by the resident sheep and which in a few weeks from then would barely be visible, eventually led up onto the ridge.
Unfortunately the long distance views were still obscured by mist and following the narrow ridge to its end, then descending steeply on a winding pathway past tall foxgloves the valley bottom was reached.
Heading into the cool woodland at Cwm Brynarw and past Cwm Cottage following the stream downhill, after crossing the stream twice, open fields led on towards an unmanned railway line.
Beyond this a large field containing boisterous young bullocks that were already lining up ready to cause havoc when the group tried to pass through, but after several attempts at running at the group, they gave up.
Reaching the A465 and carefully crossing, a stile past Triley-uchaf led through a field to join a quiet lane from where there was a misty view of the tip of Sugar Loaf Mountain peeping up onto the horizon.
Then fields set on a wonk below the south western side of Ysgyryd Fawr and filled with cows and calves, fillies and foals, buttercups and a friendly handsome bay horse, led them back to the start in sticky-hot temperatures, before weary feet enjoyed the rest on the journey home after what had been a delightful day.
