Our walk from Machen Village Hall headed through the open land and woods to Pen-rhiw Warren, over to Coed John-Hywel, down across the Sirhowy River and towards Mynydd y Lan. The circuit continued onto the Raven Walk, through Ynysddu and onto the Sirhowey Valley Walk. Returning to the cars via Graig-Goch and the lane into Machen.

Llangattock and Lonely Shepherd. From the church in Llangattock we walked through fields up to the Craig y Cilau nature reserve, stopping by our favourite gnarled tree for coffee. Wonderful views from the escarpment over the Usk Valley to the Black Mountains led us to a little bracken bashing. Then a climb up to the Lonely Shepherd, where we continued with fab views for lunch. The descent down through Llanelly to the canal tow path and back to Llangattock. Lovely warm and sunny day.

Starting at Llanthony Abbey, we headed up the Beacons Way to Hatterrall Hill, heading south-west along the spur (after a bit of heather yomping, having turned off too early) towards the Cwmyoy Darren. Across the valley and up past The Rock, over the ridge (crossing the Cambrian Way) and along the west side of the hill past Upper House and Ffawyddog-Fawr before ascending to Bal Bach. Descended via Cwm-bwchel to Llanthony. Another fine day.

From the mid-point of the reservoirs, we walked beside the rail track on the east side of the valley to Pontsticill before heading uphill to the disused Baltic Quarry – an excellent route for pruning practice (thank you to those who brought their secateurs)! Heading north along Cwm Criban we visited a stone inscribed with Ogham script, dating from Old Irish language of 6-9C, the outline stones of large bronze age enclosures and Carn-y-Bugail, site of a massive round cairn ~15m diameter. Descending through the Cwar yr Hendre limestone quarries, we touched on the Cambrian Way before descending through the woods of Cwm Callam back to the cars. The fine, warm day was rounded off with tea, scones and cakes at the Old Barn Tearooms – as good as always!

Starting at the parking area on the A40 outside the army training area before Crickhowell, we walked up through Rheld Wood, across the Grwyne Fawr at Millbrook Bridge and past the magnificent chestnut tree. Then a short walk along quiet lanes before turning off-road tracking up along the side of Cwm Gwenffrwd then climbing through the bracken-covered western slope of Y Fal. We then headed along the ridge to the north-west and down the slopes to cross the Grwyne Fawr again and into Llanbedr. A quick march up Crug Hywel and down along the Cambrian Way, across farmland to Belfountain Park, then back to the cars through Rheld Wood. Lovely warm weather, another day with great views.

From the N end of Talybont resv., across the dam and up toward the Brynore tramway. Joining the Cambrian Way at Bryniau Gleision we ascended Pant y Creigiau then to the head of the valley at Blaen y Glyn. Then the steep climb up to the ridge at Craig y Fan Ddu and along Craig Fan Las and onto Carn Pica. From there the steep climb down to the cars.

Great day walk making a worthwhile horseshoe with fab views

A warm day, some cloud in the A.M.with a hotter afternoon.

A tour of Mynydd Llangyndr along tracks and over open access moorland of heather, bilberry and long grasses. We started along the old tramway leading from Trevil toward Rhymney, used for transporting limestone to the blast furnaces. Then headed north up a good path taking several detours off the path to look at solution hollows / shake holes / dolines. Some of these are impressively deep and with a wide circumference. This area is one of the best in the UK for these features, formed when mildly acidic rainwater fell, then became more acidic as it percolated the gritstone and then took limestone into solution. We then headed east over rough boulder moorland for a couple of kilometres to one of the quarries at Blaen Onneu. Here there are 3 cave entrances, the main entrance in the quarry floor (Blaen Onneu Quarry Pot). From here we followed the Cambrian Way, with diversions to Ogof Cynnes, Crescent cave and to Chartist cave. From here back to the quarry road and into the disused but spectacular Trevil Quarry and back to the cars in the village.

We walked along the easternmost flank of the Black mountains, from the Black Hill Car Park, to St Mary’s church at Craswall (which dates from Norman times). We continued along tracks and fields to the remains of the C13 Grandmontine priory passing a very extensive group of badger sets which were complete with multiple ventilation shafts to serve their deeper reaches. It was delightful to hear and see four curlews flying together as we crossed the farmland to the foot of Hay Bluff – regular visitors, we were told, but which suffered from their nests being raided by crows and foxes during the breeding season. A couple of routes taken up to ODP and then the descent to the cars via the Cat’s Back – delightful as always. A warm and cloudy day with gentle breeze and clear views.

Llanbedr Horseshoe (clockwise). An excellent day’s walking with perfect weather and dry underfoot. We noted that the path through the very-boggy-in-wet-weather section of the ascent to Pen Cerrig-calch has now had stones / grading added, which should help walkers avoid calf-deep wading. Chris introduced a slight detour to Pen Gloch-y-pibwr into the otherwise self-steering route which follows the Cambrian Way to Waun Fach We then returned via Pen y Gadair Fawr and the forest-edge route to Crug Mawr and return to the start in Llanbedr.

Starting in the car park on the Hay to Gospel Pass road, we picked-up Offa’a Dyke Path for a km, before heading up to the Hay Bluff trig. Continued along the escarpment via Gospel Pass to Twmpa, then south east along Darren Lwyd (Cambrian Way) dropping down (with a bit of bracken-bashing) to pick up the path that runs along the SW side of the hill, up the very pretty Nant Bwch valley. Crossing the Cambrian Way, we dropped down to walk low-level paths, with a sighting of a (roe?) deer on our return to the cars. Another day of excellent walking weather.

From Forest Fawr car park, the walk explored the ancient woodland and Special Area of Conservation of Fforest Ganol, Castell Coch and Garth Woods, following well-defined foot, cycle and bridle paths. Castell Coch – the ‘Red Castle’, is a 19th-century Gothic Revival castle which we were invited, by the very helpful CADW staff, to look around during our coffee stop. On towards Taff’s Well to cross the River Taff and ascend to Garth Wood, passing the new South Wales Metro (£100 million) depot and control centre, with ~36 Metro tram-trains ready for the first phase of the metro opening by early 2026. Up through the beech woodland, to a viewpoint high above the busy Taff's Well limestone quarry, which produces almost one million tonnes of aggregates annually. The area is home to peregrine falcons and the red helleborine orchid. Onwards through the Coed-y-Bedw Nature Reserve and back across farmland to Garth Hill. With fairly light cloud cover, from the top of the Hill we had views to Cardiff and the Bristol Channel to the south and the Brecon Beacons to the north. Taff’s Well, the only thermal spring in Wales, was once home to a bathing pool and swimming bath at a constant temperature of 21C, but now just ruins. We returned via the Forest Fawr sculpture trail path, then finally by going a little off-piste to visit ‘the three bears’ cave’, originally a former mine entrance but now it’s used as a film and TV location for many dramas such as Dr Who and Sherlock.

From Lansdown we walked across wildflower meadows to Little Solsbury Hill. From there we followed St Catherine's Brook ascending to Cold Ashton. We then joined the Cotswold Way before returning to the cars. At Solsbury Hill we had a break to remember Andy Kirkcaldy on the anniversary of his untimely death. Helen provided 'Colin the Caterpillar' cakes and Denise read a poem to commemorate the day. The weather was mainly sunny with an occasional strong breeze.