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

St. Andrew’s Major Circuit

Hills, Stiles, Hills and more Stiles…

St. Andrew’s Major, Dinas Powis Common

I joined the Valeways walkers on a sunny afternoon at the end of March on the road opposite Tynwyn, Dinas Powis. There were a number of cars already parked and people were donning their walking boots. The trees on the Common were starting to come alive after their long dormant winter. Buds were beginning to fill out and would soon unfurl their delicate leaves. We leave the Common and the views of the rugby club and walk up Tynwyn road. At the top we take a left past Long Mead, Long Drive and The Spinney. Puff and PantThe hill then becomes much steeper. Hedges and houses are on both sides. Again signs of Spring life are all around. Our merry little group puff and pant as we make the ascent, testimony to the fact that we have also been dormant during the long Winter. Periwinkle, Comfrey, Celandines, cultivated Daffodils, Clevers, Ivy and Lords and Ladies are all growing in small clumps. Halfway up the road there is a seat, most welcome, where views of Dinas Powis and Barry are possible on a clear day. The houses have disappeared and Ivy clad trees emerge at the sides of the road. In the shade Wood Anemones are emerging. As the sun reaches them they unfurl their petals and glorious bright, white stars appear.

Dinas Powis
Barry

We soon turn left into the trees following the Public Footpath signs. Ferns, Male and Hart’s Tongue, and Ivy predominate. Over a stile and into a field bordered left and right by trees. Catkins are hanging from the branches of the Hazel trees, a sure sign thatFuzzy trees Spring is on its way. The trees have some “fuzziness” about them; they seem to be preparing to burst into leaf but not just yet. The branches no longer look so stark and skeletal. The trees to the left appear to be mostly Oaks, if the layers of leaf litter are anything to go by, whereas, the trees to the right are a mixed bunch: Hazel, Beech and some Sycamore. In front of us we see a large house with an equally large garden and a fairway and green belonging to Dinas Powys Golf Club. At the bottom of the field is another stile. The ground in front of the stile is covered with big pine cones from a Pine tree.Snaking path The path then snakes around the large house and gardens, which are hidden behind a Laurel hedge festooned with Ivy. Under the hedge there are patches of Dog’s Mercury, Wild Garlic and Herb Robert. Also a Periwinkle, which has escaped from the garden the other side of the hedge, sprawls across the path. In places a Fir or Spruce has also shed its pine cones, these being much smaller than the previous ones encountered. Yet another stile, which has to be clambered over, leads us onto a road. The trees here are certainly gearing themselves for the oncoming season.  Pale floppy leaves are emerging from large bulbous swellings at the end of the branches. These are mainly Sycamore trees. Cheery yellow Celandines are arrayed along the banks of the road.

St. Andrew's ChurchWe walk past St. Andrew’s Church, which is over 600 years old, before turning right onto a narrow road which rises steeply  in front of us. It was time to gird our loins once again and forge upwards slowly but steadily, thinking to ourselves that “What goes up must come down again”. Areas of the moss covered banks are clothed in delightful lemon primroses and blue, white and pink Spanish Bluebells. The woods to the right belong to a large house, where Ivy, Ferns and cultivated Daffodils are emerging. Moss and Lichen are growing on the trunks. A turn in the road and we are still climbing. A rest, I think , is called for.

a turn in the road
a rest is called

 We talk to some horses in a field next to the road which has eventually flattened out, then pop over another stile onto a path through some fields which border the St. Andrews Golf Course. The route is a little muddy in places but we all have sturdy boots. So traversing the spot is a piece of cake. Primroses and Lords and Ladies in the undergrowth and magnificent views over the surrounding area are the rewards for the uphill climbs. It’s downhill from here, hooray!!! Although a little hazy, on the right, you can see Dinas Powys, Barry, with the Dow Corning Chemical works, and the Bristol Channel. If it were clearer you could see Somerset on the other side of the channel. To the left, a fine view of St. Hilary, the BBC television mast, Llantrithyd and the hills towards the Rhondda.

 

Views 1
View 2

As we stood admiring the view a large, but friendly, black sheep came trotting up to us. It seemed to be all alone in the field. We crossed another fence or was it a stile which was a little worse for wear. Then onto more fields which circumnavigated the Golf Course. interesting noticeAn interesting notice was displayed here. The fields were full of sheep with lambs. The lambs were gambolling all over the place or sitting quietly with their mums, some partaking of well deserved sustenance. Talking of lambs and their wagging tails many Catkins were also wagging or blowing in the wind, some yellow some orange and some green: Hazel and Alder trees. We soon saw why the Golf Club notice was strategically placed, as the field seemed to contain a number of golf balls, some of which we returned over the hedge to a fairway or green. There may be a few puzzled golfers about when they encounter them.

Architectural trees 2Another stile and we are back on a road through the woods. The buds are bursting here too. This time the Sycamore leaves are red or bronze. Elder are also starting to sprout. Some Holly berries still cling to the Holly trees. The majority of the trees are still bare; they are showing their magnificent architecture. Their branches loom above us. The small ones looking like fingers stretching out to snare us. Brown dried leaf litter is everywhere, an ideal place for creepy crawlies.

We retrace our steps after the Public Footpath sign which we turned in at on the outward journey. A few Wild Strawberry plants and Field Pansy can be seen flowering in between the Celandines as we descend towards our starting point. I must have missed these on the way up. Too busy catching my breath!

The scientific names of the flora and fauna can be accessed via the photo galleries.

Many thanks to Valeways for another interesting walk led by Babs and Jan.     

 

 

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