Sunday, 26 June 2016

Glyndŵr's Way

Felindre → Abbeycwmhir

felindre-meadow.jpg Distance: 15.84 miles
Ascent: 768 metres
Duration: 4 hours 54 minutes

Without transport
« Not walked | Not walked »

I didn't pass any other walkers yesterday, but this morning as I climbed out of Felindre I came across two men warming themselves up with mugs of coffee as they appreciated the view from their impromptu campsite above Cefn Wood.

Wild camping is the practical solution to the challenge of Glyndŵr's Way. It means carrying more, but frees you from the need to coordinate with public transport (or a friendly mother!).

moel-dod-sheep.jpgMum had parked one third of the way along the route today, and walked up the road to meet me above Llanbadarn-Fynydd. Route-finding is relatively easy on these sections of farm road, so long as you follow the waymarks in the correct direction. Unfortunately the frequent National Trail signposts name the path but tend to not mention the destination.

The rain held off until my last hour of walking, but by the time I reached Abbeycwmhir I was thoroughly soaked. East of the village the remains of the abbey were visible as low walls standing in the field beside the Clywedog Brook, but weren't interesting enough to entice me off the path for a closer look.

There's no bus to Abbeycwmhir, no mobile phone coverage and a pub that doesn't open on Sundays. It's not a good place to finish a walk if you're dependent on public transport. If you come here on your own, either plan to camp in the wild or hope that the phone box works.

Notes for future walkers:

  • For the final part of the descent into Llanbadarn-Fynydd the official route leaves the minor road for a field-edge path, but it was so overgrown that it's clearly rarely used.
  • The section from Llanbadarn-Fynydd over Moel Dod (SO 795 767) and Yr Allt (SO 078 751) is breathtaking; don't miss it!
  • The route has been diverted slightly above Dyfaenor, now taking the direct route between SO 071 712 and SO 067 712.

Posted by pab at 18:00 | Comments will be back one day. Please email me instead!