July 15th, 2007

Jon Pimm - one of the wardens in the Western team - gave me a fabulous tour of the Ystradfellte area today.

First we visited the Arcway walk near Penderyn (also known as the mineral line). This line was built initially as a horse-drawn railway in 1793 and was chartered by King George III. It was used to transport limestone to the Glamorgan canal and is named after the ARC company who are the owners of Penderyn Quarry.

Next we went to check a bridge put in by volunteers on Sarn Helen – the Roman Road – which forms part of the Beacons Way and regularly used by off-roaders. We spotted a group of trail bikers who quickly razzed off when they saw us coming in the truck. They used the bridge to cross the river which was clearly signposted ‘no motorbikes’.

After this exciting episode we visited the waterfalls area and Sgwd Clun Gwyn. Clun Gwyn is just one in a series of waterfalls along in this area popular with tourists and commonly known as the waterfalls area. We then went to Pontneddfechan to look at Craig-Y-Dinas rocks which are used very regularly by outdoor groups. We popped into the community centre to drop off some books and the kind ladies there made us a lovely cup of tea! We then went up to the Old Gun-powder works to look at the section of river where a grant has been awarded to put in a new bridge.

On the drive home we went to check another bridge at Blaen Llia (infamously known as the banana bridge due to it being rather bent). The bridge hasn’t been put in properly and so has sagged badly in the middle. Here we also came across an illegal camper who had managed to get his camper van stuck in the mud - so stuck in fact that we had to go and enlist the help of a local farmer to pull the van out with his tractor.

On the way home we passed Maen Llia. The stone - thought to date back to the bronze age - stands at nearly 4m tall and is formed from a diamond shaped slab of conglomerate. Many myths and legends surround the stone - some say that whenever a cock crows the stone moves off to drink from the Afon Nedd.