South Wales

AUGUST 2019

After a couple of weeks back in the UK, to attend to medical and dental appointments together with the usual travel admin, our journey continued.

Our destination this time was Wales and the Brecon Beacons National Park. Since we decided to include the United Kingdom in our travels we have had a desire to visit all of the UK’s National Parks (see below), and the Brecon Beacons would tick another one off.
Our quickest route from Hove to South Wales was via the M23, M25, M4 motorways, but hearing of accidents on them we decided to take the minor roads and go cross-country. This proved to be a wise choice, because in addition to the traffic being much lighter the scenery was far more pleasant, and it turned into an enjoyable journey.
We based ourselves in a very comfortable cottage in the village of Penperlleni. Which is located very close to the southern tip of the Brecon Beacons, not far from Abergavenny, and a good launching point to explore the park.

With the weather predicted to be very changeable, our plan for the stay was highly influenced by the forecast. So on our first day, with good weather expected, we headed off into the heart of the park to do the highly recommended walk in the Caerfanell Valley. From the car park we climbed steeply past a stream that tumbled over waterfalls on its way to the valley floor, before finally reaching an escarpment. From here we had a fantastic view over the Caerfanell Valley, several hundred meters beneath us. Up until this point the weather had been fine, with a mix of sunshine and cloud accompanied by a moderate breeze. However, as we progressed along the escarpment edge, marvelling at the scenery all around us, the weather began to deteriorate. And by the time we were leaving a very interesting WWII crash site, it really got bad. Now as we traversed the final section of the exposed escarpment, we were hit by gale-force winds and driving rain. Fortunately this only lasted about 20 minutes, and as we began to descend down to the valley floor, the weather improved with even a bit of sunshine making an appearance. The final part of the walk took us into woodland, where we followed a river, before crossing it to climb a steep hill back to the car park. There, shattered and still a bit damp, we reflected on what had been a challenging but beautiful hike.

Waterfall in the Caerfanell Valley

Hiking in the Brecon Beacon NP

Escarpment with view over the Caerfanell Valley

Hike views

Views of Brecon Beacons NP before the rain and wind arrived

View of the Caerfanell Valley

WWII Wellington bomber remains

WWII Memorial Site where Wellington Bomber crashed and killed it's Canadian airmen

Caerfanell Valley

With aching limbs from our first day exertions, day two took on a much gentler pace. After a slow start and a bit of travel admin, we spent the afternoon exploring the Brecon and Monmouth Canal.
The canal was constructed in the late 18th century to transport coal and iron from the mines to the coast. For 35 miles (56km) it cut its way through what is now the Brecon Beacons National Park, and was a vital transport link for both industries. However, by the 1960’s it was no longer viable and was abandoned until the 1970’s when restoration work began. Now it is a recreational area, where the towpath serves as a walking and cycling route and the water is used for fishing and boating.
We choose a particularly attractive stretch starting and finishing at Goytre Warf and were pleased it was predominately flat terrain.

Long boats on the Brecon and Monmouth Canal

Stone bridge over the canal

Brecon and Monmouth Canal

With the weather unsettled for our next day we chose to visit, what is alleged to be the nicest place to live in Wales, the small town of Crickhowell. By the time we arrived the sun was shining which made our exploration of the streets and castle all the more enjoyable.

The Bear pub in Crickhowell

Welsh flags flyings

Castle ruins in Crickhowell

With the weather still in our favour we decided to venture into a more remote corner of the Brecon Beacons in search of an unusual church. Following a very scenic drive, some of it on lanes that were barely wide enough for the car, we arrived at the church of St Martin in the hamlet of Cwmyoy. Cwmyoy sits in a delightful valley and the church is its most prominent feature. Built between the 12th and 13th century, the church is most notable for its extreme tilt, caused as a result of a landslide. This has led to many attempts to strengthen the church and prevent its collapse, through the use of massive tie beams and buttresses. This action seems to have worked for the moment, even though the lean is now greater than that of the Tower of Pisa.

Leaning Church

Leaning Church of St Martin in Cwmyoy

The following day the weather was the best it would be during the whole trip. So with the sun shining and a gentle breeze we headed off for another recommended hike. As with most hikes in the Brecon Beacons the route will almost certainly require an ascent and descent and this one was no different. But what was a pleasant surprise though, was the gentle gradient of the ascent, which couldn’t be said for the descent at the end. Our route took us through a small piece of woodland before emerging into a valley. From here we followed a dry stone wall, gaining elevation as we progressed. This then turned into a slightly steeper slope, which took us to the top of Craig Cerrig-gleisaid, a massive horseshoe shaped rock formation that towered over the valley below. The view from the top was magnificent and included the sight of Pen y Fan, the highest point in southern Britain. It was then that steep descent, before returning back through the woodland to the car.

Stone wall starting our gentle ascent

Hiking in the Brecon Beacons NP

Dry stone walls with Pen y Fan in the distance

On top of Craig Cerrig-gleisaid

Pen y Fan, the highest point in South Wales on the horizon

Peacock Buterfly

The weather now took a turn for the worse as a storm came in across the south west of the UK. This meant that our exploration of the Brecon Beacons was put on hold for a couple of days. Disappointing as this was, it did give us a chance to catch up on some travel planning.
Two days of heavy rain and strong winds finally abated and we were able to get out again. Our location this time was Llangorse Lake and this time a walk that wouldn’t require climbing a mountain. Llangorse Lake is in the north west of the Brecon Beacons and in a lovely setting surrounded by mountains. It is also incorporates a nature reserve, and is home to a rare Dragonfly (or Damselfly) the “Ischnura pumilio”. The “Ischnura pumilio”, also known as the Scarce Blue-Tailed Damselfly, is small and blue and only thought to be found in two places in the UK, with Llangorse Lake being one of them. So when we spotted several on a wet patch of ground close to the lake we felt very privileged. The walk itself took us around the top end of the lake before emerging into a small hamlet and then looping back to the car park where we started. Although we were caught in one heavy shower, the sun shone for most of the time, so we were able to enjoy the scenery all around us.

Swan near Llangorse Lake

Llangorse Lake

That completed our stay in the Brecon Beacons, as the following day we headed back to Hove. A few dental and medical appointments together with a short visit to the New Forest completed this stay in the UK, before the travels recommenced once again.

Personal Observations & Interesting Facts

UK National Parks
The United Kingdom has fifteen national parks.
Two are in Scotland, the Cairngorms and Loch Lomond & the Trossachs, both of which we have now visited.
Three are in Wales, Snowdonia, Brecon Beacons and the Pembrokeshire Coast. With the first already visited, the second on this trip it just leaves the Pembrokeshire Coast for another occasion.
The remaining ten are in England. Four are in the south, the South Downs, New Forest, Exmoor and Dartmoor, all of which we have visited. Five are in the north, the Peak District and Lake District, both of which we have visited, and the Yorkshire Dales, Yorkshire Moors and Northumberland, which we plan to visit in the near future. The last park is The Broads, tucked away in the east of the country, and yet to be visited by us.
So that is ten done five to go.