The weather forecast was decidedly bad and despite the threat of heavy rain showers with maybe hail and thunder thrown in, seven walkers decided to join William for a train ramble making the journey from Cardiff Central to Pontyclun (meaning bridge over the River Clun) station.
Pontyclun was once a tranquil area that was transformed into a town with the arrival of the South Wales Railway in the 1850’s along with the coal and iron ore industries. The Coedcae Colliery and Bute Iron Ore Mine which opened in October 1852 brought forth a huge growth spurt in the population and by 1871, the census recorded an influx of Cornish miners who had suffered the collapse of the copper mining industries in their native Cornwall and were seeking work. But with English people invading the normally Welsh speaking area, the language suffered and by 1870 the coming of the Ely Tin Plate Works, the Pipe Works and the Steam Joinery Company made the population further increase and houses were built for the workers and their families along with the National School in 1878, the Bethel Baptist Chapel in 1876 and many public houses.
Heading west in dry bright weather on a footbridge over the Nant Felin-fach and passing through a pleasant housing estate they entered Coed Trecastell, where the woodland covers old mine workings. Following muddy paths after recent rainfall through woodland paths decorated with glorious native bluebells whilst listening to pretty birdsong, the path covered in fallen pine needles led them under tall pine trees to the Nant Melyn Brook.
A slippery bank led down to the brook and jumping across, they encountered a steep embankment which led to an unmanned railway crossing and as the group were finding a way to climb the bank, two fast moving trains thundered along the railway track above them. Clambering up the embankment before carefully crossing the railway line and slithering down a bank, care had to be taken to avoid landing in a deep water-filled culvert on the other side.
Crossing the busy A473 and reaching a small industrial estate, the stiles were obscured by foliage and eventually after some searching a stile led into a field where they passed a handsome billy goat tethered to a post, before scrambling across a metal and barbed wire fence and heading uphill through woodland.
Then, crossing a field with friendly horses with some still wearing their winter coats whilst dark clouds passed swiftly overhead, a lane was located near Garth-uchaf Farm and a grassy bank underneath some huge beech trees came in useful for morning coffee, in sunshine whilst gazing over Pontyclun and Miskin.
Continuing along a lane passing clumps of red campion and yet more bluebells, ahead of them a lovely piebald horse was standing in an old ornate archway making a pretty picture before a waymarker advised them they were on part of the long distance Glamorgan Ridgeway Walk.
Then descending through the Ely Valley past Yngsmaerdy Farm, the disused railway line is now a cycle track and walkway and pausing on the footbridge over the clean Nant Muchudd River, several brown trout were spotted.
Passing the entrance to the Royal Glamorgan Hospital and crossing the A4119 and following a lane where wild strawberries were spotted, pretty paths around the steep-sided yellow broom covered slopes of Y Graig, eventually led them to the rather unusual steep cobbled road at Heol y Graig.
Entering Llantrisant, William headed off to the local butcher’s shop to purchase a Scotch egg before continuing to the centre, which is known as the Bullring and which is partially cobbled. Until 1827, this area was used for bull-baiting, hence the name and is dominated by the Model House which was originally the Workhouse, where the inmates were expected to live a ’model life.’
In the centre of the Bullring is a marvellous statue of Dr William Price who was an eccentric and brilliant scholar, archdruid, political reformer and surgeon. He established the first Co-Operative Society in Wales, attempted to create the first Museum of Welsh Life but was thwarted, fought for better conditions on behalf of the striking miners and iron workers and was so obsessed with Druidism he cremated the remains of his infant child when he was 84 years of age. He was only 5ft 5inches tall and in later life became very odd, growing his hair, wearing specially tailored outfits and wearing a crown made up from the body of a fox with its legs dangling down over his shoulders. After his death in 1893 he was cremated and the ceremony was watched by 20,000-people and it is said that by noon on that day every one of the 27-pubs in the town had run dry!
In 1924 Glyntaff was chosen as the site for the first Welsh Crematorium perhaps a fitting memorial to William Price who pioneered this form of body disposal, whilst his outfits and personal effects were donated to the Museum of Welsh Life at St Fagans, something he had striven long and hard to create, but failed.
Nipping through a traffic jam where a tractor hauling a trailer full of tarmac was attempting to reverse into the aptly named Roam Road, which was being resurfaced and where a line of houses had gorgeous views out over the countryside, with the last one having a splendid painted red dragon on its roof holding a board with the word ‘Croeso’ etched onto it, meaning Welcome.
As the sun got stronger outer coats were discarded as they followed a series of tracks and field paths down to Cross Inn, carefully negotiating the road at a roundabout and crossing yet another dismantled railway, rough tracks through lovely woodland carpeted with bluebells and stitchwort led them on to a steady climb through woodland beside sheep-filled fields into open green meadows.
Above them lay Rhiwsaeson Hill Fort which dates back to the Iron Age and the enclosed area measures 230m by 180m and it was allegedly the site of the Battle of Rhiwsaeson. Rhiwsaeson means ‘slope of the Saxons’ but it was probably defended during the Roman invasion in AD79. The actual name of the fort is Rhiw Saeson Caerau Hill Fort and it is one of the largest in Glamorgan.
Stopping in the grassy meadow for lunch whilst overlooking Beddau and up the valley towards Pontypridd the blue skies and sunshine soon clouded over and a hefty shower of rain fell, which meant the hasty donning of wet weather gear.
Moving on below the hill fort with its covering of trees and disturbing the resident sheep and their lambs who had taken shelter, another swift but hefty rain storm hit them. Just below this point is Rhiwbrwdwal Farm which is a fine example of a Long House farm, where the animals were kept indoors alongside the household and the original entrance to the farm was through the cowshed!
Crossing fields to Rhiwsaeson and heading past Ty-mawr Farm, the skies once more began to darken and approaching a stile, a herd of inquisitive bullocks came rushing across their field to view the group as they crossed over.
Approaching the Caesars Arms Farm Shop, which opened in 2008 that grows and supplies the locals with organically grown fruit and vegetables, herbs and honey, it was time to stop and admire the lovely Tamworth piglets along with the friendly Dilwyn, one of four Alpacas kept for their wool.
A worker at the site advised the group that the alpacas were shorn by visiting New Zealand shearers and showed the group the rows and rows of tomato plants that he had to take the side shoots out of later, plus a selection of herbs and a huge flower pot containing ‘pomatoes’, cherry tomatoes grafted onto a white potato plant which he was trying out for the first time.
All very interesting, but more importantly their leader had stopped in order to purchase a hand-raised pork pie, which was safely installed in his rucksack for later!
Then continuing by lane where some garlic was spotted and entering Ty’n-y-Coed, pretty woodland paths led past the old quarry and then steeply uphill through a pine forest to the ridgeway where without any notice another short but heavy shower fell.
By road and track the group climbed to the trig point on Garth Hill with its glorious views towards Castell Coch, Cardiff Bay and the Bristol Channel, Beddau, Llantwit Fadre and up the Taff Valley towards Church Village, Pontypridd and Caerphilly, whilst both to the north and south the downpours could be seen dropping from the grey skies even though the group remained in sunshine but with a very brisk wind.
Crossing the ridgeway of Garth Hill in the company of grazing sheep to its north-eastern end there were great views over Taff’s Well, Tongwynlais and Craig yr Allt as they began the steep descent to the road.
Turning south through a meadow to enter woodland paths in Coed Rhiw’r Ceiliog and reaching the road beside the Violet Cottage Brewery, a micro-brewery set up by the licensee of the nearby Gwaelod-y-Garth public house in order to brew specialist beers, then dropping steeply towards the River Taff, after following a riverside path, they arrived at the railway station at Taff’s Well in time to shelter from a heavy hailstorm whilst waiting for the homeward train.
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