Post 60 Travelogue

Walking, Wildlife, the Wales Coastal Path and others, all with photographs.

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  • This is my Travelogue
  • Walks
    • Castle Howard
    • Newby Hall and Gardens
    • Lockdown Walks
    • Scampston Hall, the Park and Gardens
    • RHS Harlow Carr
    • Kenfig Pool Walk
    • Llanrhidian to Llanmadoc Walk
    • Burry Port to Pembrey Country Park
    • Peterston Wentloog to Dyffryn Newport
    • Loughor Estuary part 4 – Pwll to Burry Port
    • Loughor Estuary part 3: Machynys to Pwll – Llanelli by the Sea
    • Parc Slip Nature Reserve
    • Lougher Estuary Part 2: Llanelli Wetlands to Machynys and Bwlch y Gwynt
    • Penclawdd to Llanrhidian
    • Oxwich to Port Eynon
    • Lougher Estuary Part 1: Lougher to Llanelli Wetlands
    • A Walk Around Llangynwyd Village
    • Loughor Castle to Penclawdd
    • Pengam to Peterstone Wentlooge
    • East Moors to Pengam
    • Port Eynon to Rhossili
    • Cowbridge Oasis
    • Castle-upon-Alun and Coed-y-Bwl Nature Reserve.
    • Three Cliffs to Oxwich
    • Caswell Bay to Three Cliffs Bay
    • The Mumbles to Caswell Bay
    • Swansea Marina to The Mumbles
    • Somerset Views
    • Jersey Marine to Port Tennant
    • A Stroll around Cosmeston Lakes
    • Further trips to Cwm Colhuw and Nature Reserve
    • Aberavon to Baglan/Briton Ferry
    • Visit to Dinefwr
    • Kenfig Pool to Margam
    • Cardiff Bay to Penarth Cliff Top
    • Rest Bay, Porthcawl to Kenfig Pool
    • Newton Point to Rest Bay, Porthcawl
    • Ogmore to Newton Point
    • St. Andrew’s Major Circuit Photos
    • Penarth to Sully Walk
    • Porthkerry to Fontygary Walk
    • Fontygary to Gileston,Limpert Bay Walk
    • Limpert Bay, to Summerhouse Bay Walk.
    • Summerhouse Bay to Cwm Colhuw Walk
    • Cwm George and the Salmon Leaps Walk
    • Cwm Colhuw to Nash Point Walk
    • An Interlude at Cefn Onn
    • Nash Point to Dunraven Bay Walk
    • Aberthaw Nature Reserve
    • Dunraven Bay to Ogmore Castle Walk
    • Barry Island to Porthkerry Walk
    • Return to Cwm Colhuw Nature Reserve
    • An Evening Return Visit to Aberthaw
  • Photo Galleries
    • Castle Howard Photos
    • Newby Hall and Gardens Photos
    • Scampston Hall and Gardens Photos
    • RHS Harlow Carr Photos
    • Kenfig Pool Photos
    • Llanrhidian to Llanmadoc Photos
    • Burry Port to Pembrey Country Park Photos
    • Peterston Wentloog to Dyffryn Newport Photos
    • Loughor Estuary part 4 – Pwll to Burry Port Photos
    • Loughor Estuary part 3: Machynys to Pwll Llanelli by the Sea Photos
    • Parc Slip Nature Reserve Photos
    • Penclawdd to Llanrhidian Photos
    • Lougher Estuary Photos Part 2: Llanelli Wetlands to Machynys and Bwlch y Gwynt
    • Lougher Estuary Photos Part 1: Lougher to Llanelli Wetlands
    • A Walk Around Llangynwyd Village Photos
    • Loughor Castle to Penclawdd Photos
    • Pengam to Peterstone Wentlooge Photos
      • East Moors to Pengam Photos
    • Port Eynon to Rhossili Photos
    • Cowbridge Oasis Photos
    • Oxwich to Port Eynon Photos
    • Castle-upon-Alun and Coed-y-Bwl Nature Reserve Photos
    • Three Cliffs to Oxwich Photos
    • Caswell Bay to Three Cliffs Bay Photos
    • The Mumbles to Caswell Bay Photos
    • Swansea Marina to The Mumbles Photos
    • Somerset Views Photos
    • Jersey Marine to Port Tennant Photos
    • A Stroll around Cosmeston Lakes Photos
    • Further trips to Cwm Colhuw and Nature Reserve Photos
    • Aberavon to Baglan/Briton Ferry Photos
    • Visit to Dinefwr Photos
    • Kenfig Pool to Margam Photos
    • Rest Bay, Porthcawl to Kenfig Pool Photos
    • Newton Point to Rest Bay, Porthcawl Photos
    • Ogmore to Newton Point Photos
    • St. Andrew’s Major Circuit
      • Cardiff Bay To Penarth Cliff Top Photos
    • Penarth to Sully Photos
    • Porthkerry to Fontagary Photos
    • Font-y-gary to Gileston Photos
    • Limpert Bay to Summerhouse Bay Photos
    • Summerhouse Bay to Cwm Colhuw Photos
    • Cwm Colhuw to Nash Point Photos
    • Cefn Onn Photos
    • Nash Point to Dunraven Bay Photos
    • Aberthaw Nature Reserve Photos
    • Dunraven Bay to Ogmore Castle Photos
    • Return to Cwm Colhuw Nature Reserve Photos
      • Cwm George and the Salmon Leaps Photos
    • Barry Island to Porthkerry Photos

Cwm George and the Salmon Leaps Walk

On a Valeways Walk from Dinas Powys along the lovely Cwm George, we start at St. Peter’s Church on Mill Road. Cwm George is a glacial valley.The Cwm George was the site of a Celtic Hill Fort, long now disappeared but excavation in the 1950’s uncovered various items of high status value.  It is now a site of outstanding beauty, with meadows of grasses and wild flowers and also a large Beech wood.

The first part of the walk takes us between open meadows and a brook overhanging with mixed trees and bushes, many of which are smothered in Ivy.Buttercups in field The fields are full of Red and White Clover (Trifolium repens), old Cowslip stalks, Ribwort Plantain, Yellow Rattle (Rhinanthus minor) and Buttercups. In fact one field is carpeted from end to end in Buttercups: a haze of speckled yellow. Fields of meadow flowers are soon overtaken by fields of cereal crops. The path meanders through these; grasses, old rape flowers, Mayweed (Chamomlia recutita ), Wild Honeysuckle and Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria)  are arrayed along the path edges and hedges.

Before we arrive at one field you can hear sheep bleating, “baaaaaa…..baaaaaa….”. They are making a right hullabaloo. As we enter the field it is evident that the farmers are rounding the sheep up and inspecting them before setting them on their way. Lines of sheep snake their way to the other side of the field, well away from the pens and the farmers.

Sheep and farmers
Sheep lines

We take a right at a gate towards woods, over a stream and onto the road. This is a tranquil spot, the quiet stream banks brimming with grasses ferns and Irises and the sunlight piercing the overhanging branches leaving dancing reflections in the water. Turning left here and up the hill through part of Michelston-le-Pit village; houses to the right, a field with ponds backed by trees to the left. On previous walks I have seen Herons here, but no such luck today. The road border has masses of Ransoms lining it. Although the flowers have all faded there is still a very pungent scent in the air. Before reaching the top of the hill is a kissing gate on the left. We exit the road here. This path takes you towards the salmon leaps.

Woods
Brook

Brambles, Hairy Broome Grass, Nettles, Foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea), Marsh Thistles, Wild Carrot (Daucus carota), Water-cress (Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum) and reeds line the path. Sunshine upon the leaves highlights an assortment of insects: Bees, Hoverflies, Speckled Wood and Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris) Butterflies and Common Blue Damselflies (Enallagma cyathigerum ).

Wild carrot (2)
Salmon leaps

walk At the top of the path is a large sign stating the land is private and there is no fishing. Here you can overlook the salmon leaps and the ponds. The Salmon Leaps are formed by weirs on the Wrinstone Brook.These are full of little fish and pond weeds; the whole area is swarming with blue damselflies and Mallards are swimming in the water between the rafts of Duckweed (Lemna minor). In the water are mats of Hydrilla weed (Hydrilla verticillata) . The banks are strewn with Water-cress, Irises and Hawkweed (Hieracium species). The hill in front is covered with Foxgloves, both pink and the occasional white.

main foxglove
Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos)
Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos)

We retrace our steps until we cross the stream again and carry on straight along the path, not turning left back into the sheep field. House Martins are skimming the cereal crops and meadow grass as we approach the Beech woods.

The woods are alive with bird song, although I cannot distinguish one bird from another. However, one bird that is singing its heart out is a Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) which I manage to take a photograph of. There are a number of Speckled Wood butterflies about and a pair are performing a wonderful acrobatic dance, one minute amongst the Brambles, then up into the air: mesmerising. Inside the wood the undergrowth is quite dense with the usual shade-loving plants; on the margins are Hedge Woundwort (Stachys sylvatica ).  Beech treesThe wood then is populated with only Beech trees. The undergrowth is not as dense and comprises of mainly Ransoms which is all too evident by the aroma pervading the surroundings. Rays of light pour through the canopy, highlighting the straight silvery grey trunks of the trees.Valeway walkers As we leisurely walk down the avenue of trees patches of sunlight spread lines and patterns on the ground. It is almost like a game I played when I was a child and tried to avoid the cracks in the pavement. To the left of the path it is possible to see the defensive banks of the of the Iron Age Hill Fort.

Once through the wood we return to the path between meadow and brook overhung with mixed trees and bushes. A pair of Robins call to one another, one on a Curled Dock (Rumex crispus ) in the meadow while its mate replies from an ivy clad tree. Soon we have returned to the road and another adventure has ended.

Many Thanks to Valeways, especially Babs and Jan who led the walk.

A guide to a longer self-led walk can be found on a Valways leaflet Walk No. 36, Dinas Powys. Also on a similar leaflet supplied by the Vale of Glamorgan, Vale Trails No. 6.

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