Sunday 31 July 2011

mountain walk.

Now is the ivy holding the tree up, or the tree the ivy???

After steadily tidying and de-cluttering, by 3pm I'd had ENOUGH!!
So by 3.30 I was on my way, with bag packed with food and drink, map and coat...and an old ice cream box just in case I did a spot of fruit picking!!

Up past Maes Derwen, the usual footpath underneath Rhyswg Fawr farmhouse and along beside Col's fields at Rhyswg Fawr Farm Excuse the power cable in this picture!
Twmbarlwm from halfway up- and plenty of people on the path to the top on a lovely afternoon
Out past Rhyswg Fawr stables and Rhyswg Ganol's top gate to the mountain gate and Comin Mynydd Maen Common.

From above Craig Furnace to Hafod Owen with the pylons in the background
Where sheep have scraped away for a scratching place and a shelter, the soil profile is revealed
Above Hafod Owen. Hafod, the summer farm. Possibly Owen, a name, or Ywen, a Yew- sounds similar.

I couldn't find a trace of the old buildings, despite them being marked on the map. It looked as if something had been here... which is where Col and two fellow workers had parked their landrover, when they were planting trees over forty years ago. It was a hot, sunny, still day, and they left the doors open as they sat and eat their lunch sitting out on the grass....and then the doors both slammed shut!! Col just laughed, but the others insisted on leaving....fast!!
Looking back towards Hafod Owen in the middle
Hello!!!
A tidy dam and foal
The grey yearling on the right.
Those were the only ponies I saw today. It would have been good to see some of the others, but I had to turn to return to the village.

Ah, memories-we nearly got stuck in this one three years ago!!
Estate boundary marker.....this side...
and that side
Looking down from near the source of the Nant Carn to the Western slopes of Mynydd Henllys
The old road down towards Rhyswg Fach and Pen Pant (now ruins, the former an old dairy empty since 1954, the latter since the early 60s, afaik, and both demolished although not in bad condition, as soon as they were empty, by the Forestry Commission)
Pant Gwyn (now ruins) in the middle of the fields on the left, and car park two on the Forest Drive above in the middle, with the top of the Mountain Biking trail above that
Once a beech hedge....
logs from The Lappy
The Lappy.....or Craig Go fapi on the maps!! a new road built up and around then clear felled
An old road up to Rhyswg Ganol

That little walk took until 7.45pm!!

9 comments:

kjsutcliffe said...

Lovely walk and stories with the pictures

Zhoen said...

I would love, someday, to come walk this with you.

Gary's third pottery blog said...

oh gosh, all that and ponies too!

Kath said...

Very enjoyable, I particularly liked the ponies, there is nothing to beat a Native pony and the welsh are so pretty.

Dru Marland said...

I'm sure we saw ponies used to haul timber in the Gwyddon valley, in the early 70s. Or is this one of those false memories, I wonder? -definitely the slightly melancholy sound of countless chaffinches, though. Thank you, it was an evocative read.

gz said...

Dru, I wouldn't be surprised...unfortunately the person I'd ask, I no longer can- but I think I know another who might as he worked with Col planting trees when he left school, as did Col.

julia said...

Beautiful!

and ponies!

Kerry O'Gorman said...

Loved the walk...especially the ponies. Such rugged darlings.

Anonymous said...

I get out of breath just reading about your walks! Beautiful. x