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Summer 2005 Pilgrimage

In the summer of 2005, a group led by landscape historian Maddy Gray will walk the whole of the route. We will start by joining the annual pilgrimage from Llantarnam Abbey to Penrhys, then continue through south Wales to Tenby. After a break, we will start agan at Tenby and walk up through west Wales, along the coast to the north and down the borders.

We will using this site to maintain a Web log of our journey.

We welcome anyone to join us, for a few miles, a few days or as long as you have free. We have not made any firm arrangements about accommodation, as we do not know how many we will be at any point. However, we are making approaches to local communities and enquiring about church halls, hostels and bed & breakfast. We can advise individuals, and we can make full arrangements for organised groups. If you let us know what you need, we will do our best to help.

 

Outline Route

• 28 MayStart at the chapel of the Convent of St Joseph of Annecy, Llantarnam, on the site of one of the most important Cistercian abbeys in medieval Wales. Walk past the ruined Celtic chapel at Llandderfel and over Twmbarlwm (a dramatic Iron Age hill fort) to Risca. 16 km.
• 29 MayStart at the old stone bridge in Pontymister, Risca; walk along the ridge of Mynydd Machen past Bronze Age burial mounds, visit the medieval church at Bedwas, the Methodist chapel at Groeswen (the ‘Westminster Abbey of Welsh nonconformity’) and the hilltop settlement of Eglwysilan, and down the pretty Ely valley to the rapids on the River Taff above Pontypridd. 20 km
• 30 MayFrom Pontypridd (where the Welsh National Anthem was written) through the woods above Ynysybwl, past the picturesque old church at Llanwynno with its holy well, to the Rhondda Valleys and the old shrine of the Virgin Mary at Penrhys. 12 km.
• 31 May Start at St Mary’s Well, Penrhys; walk up the ridge between the Rhondda valleys then along a Dark Age trackway above the crags of Cwm Ogwr and Cwm Garw to Llangynwyd (home of the Maid of Cefn Ydfa, commemmorated in the famous folk song ‘Watching the White Wheat’). 25 km
• 1 June A short day: from Llangynwyd past the Romano-British settlement at Caer Blaen-y-cwm and down the hollow ways through Margam Park to the abbey church: a perfect example of an early Cistercian church with a nearby museum of Celtic carved stones . 7 km
• 2 June From Margam through the woods to the Afan Argoed Country Park then up the Gwenffrwd valley and down through the picturesque gardens of the Gnoll to Neath Castle and Abbey. 30 km
• 3 June Past the Neath Abbey ironworks and up the pretty Clydach valley to Pontardawe, then over Mynydd Gellionen, past Bronze Age burial cairns and the precipitous castle mound at Penlle’rcastell to Ammanford. 25 km.
• 4 June From Ammanford through Tumble and over Mynydd Llangyndeyrn with its Stone Age settlement then up to Carmarthen. 26 km
• 5 June From Carmarthen to Llangain, past the standing stones at Myrddin’s Quoit and the pilgrim churches of Llandeilo and Llanfihangel Abercowin to St Clears. 21 km
• 6 June From St Clears through Marros to the Pembrokeshire Coast Path and Tenby: 28 km

Possible visit to Caldey Island, home of the modern Trappist community.

• 17 July From Tenby along the coast path to Penally (superb Celtic carved crosses) and up the pretty Ritec valley to St Florence and Gumfreston with its triple holy well, then back to the coast path at Saundersfoot. 20 km.
• 18 July From Saundersfoot along the coast path to Amroth then along the Knights’ Way through the pretty woodland garden at Colby and through the rolling South Carmarthenshire countryside to Whitland, where we hope to stay with the nuns of Holy Cross Abbey. 25 km
• 19 July From Holy Cross to the ruins of the medieval abbey at Whitland then along the Landsker Trail to Llanboidy and through the lanes to Llanwinio. 22 km.
• 20 July From Llanwinio through more gentle rolling countryside to the old weaving towns of Dre-fach and Felindre, ‘the Huddersfield of Wales’. Walk along the weavers’ trails. 28 km.
• 21 July rest day in Dre-fach and Felindre: possible local pilgrimage to Capel Mair, where the church is on the site of a grange chapel
• 22-23 July Through the old village of Llangeler to Pencader, over Mynydd Llanybydder and through the Brechfa Forest to Lampeter, home of Wales’s oldest university. 50 km.
• 24 July From Lampeter through Silian and along a ridge with lovely views to the splendid Victorian mansion of Llanllyr, an organic farm on the site of the medieval Cistercian nunnery. 18 km.
• 25 July From Llanllyr through Llanddewi-brefi, site of St David’s most famous miracle, where he caused a hill to rise under his feet so that his sermon could be heard; along the Red Kite Trail to Tregaron, home of the famous pacifist Henry Richard. 20 km
• 26 July From Tregaron into the hills and along the Cambrian Way to Strata Florida: 16 km
• 28 July From Strata Florida to Ffair-rhos and through the famous landscaped park of the Hafod (option to spend more time exploring the waterfalls) to Cwmystwyth: 18 km
• 29 July From Cwmystwyth along the Cambrian Way, past the lead mines of Ystumtuen to Ponterwyd: 15 km
• 30 July From Ponterwyd up the valley of the Nant-y-moch (optional diversion over Pumlumon, one of Wales’s highest mountains) and through spectacular craggy hills and woods to Machynlleth, where Owain Glyndwr held the first Welsh Parliament. 25 km
• 31 July Rest day in Machynlleth
• 1 Aug From Machynlleth past the Centre for Alternative Technology (time for a visit if wished) to Corris. 10 km. (Alternative route over Cader Idris, another of Wales’s highest mountains, can be arranged.)
• 2 Aug Through the slate quarries above Corris and over the shoulder of Cader Idris to Dolgellau. 15 km
• 3 Aug Past Cymmer and through the Coed-y-Brenin Forest, along the line of Sarn Helen, the old Roman road named after the mother of Constantine, past farmsteads connected with the Welsh Catholic martyr St John Roberts, to Trawsfynydd, home of the First World War poet Hedd Wyn. 22 km.
• 4 Aug Rest day in Trawsfynydd: explore local heritage.
• 5 Aug From Trawsfynydd along Sarn Helen and past the Roman fort of Tomen-y-mur (setting for the legend of Lleu Llaw Gyffes in the Mabinogion), through spectacular mountain scenery and past the great slate quarry at Manod then down the lovely green valley of Cwm Penamnen to Dolwyddelan. 22 km
• 6 Aug From Dolwyddelan along Sarn Helen to the Miners’ Bridge over the rapids at Bettws-y-coed, then through the forests to Gwydir Castle and Llanrwst. 15 km
• 7 Aug From Llanrwst to Maenan, where the hotel is on the site of another Cistercian abbey; over the magnificent viewing point of Cadair Ifan Goch and down the valley to Conwy. 24 km.
• 8 Aug A long day’s walk but mostly on flat ground and well-surfaced paths. From Conwy around the Great Orme, which inspired part of Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’, and along the North Wales Coast Path to Rhyl. Up to 40 km., depending on the route around the Great Orme.
• 9 Aug From Rhyl up the Vale of Clwyd, through the pretty market towns of Rhuddlan and St Asaph (where William Morgan, who translated the Bible into Welsh, was bishop) and over the foothills of the Clwydian range to Caersws. 25 km.
• 10 Aug A short walk through the lanes from Caersws over Holywell Common and past Holywell with its famous well dedicated to St Winifred, ‘the Lourdes of Wales’, to Basingwerk. 12 km.
• 11 Aug Rest day in Holywell
• 12 Aug From Holywell along the start of the medieval pilgrimage route to St David’s, over the pass through the Clwydian range with glorious views of Snowdonia, to Denbigh. 20 km.
• 13 Aug From Denbigh around the Vale of Clwyd with its glorious medieval churches (as featured on the BBC series ‘Bread of Heaven’) and the pretty market town of Ruthin. 20 km.
• 14 Aug South of Ruthin, along lanes and footpaths and past some more of the lovely old churches of the Vale of Clwyd, over Mynydd Llantysilio to the abbey at Valle Crucis: then on to Llangollen, home of the International Eisteddfod. 25 km.
• 15 Aug Rest day in Llangollen
• 16 Aug From Llangollen south over rolling hills and through pretty stream valleys on the line of the Ceiriog Way to Rhydycroesau: this area is the setting for the Brother Cadfael novel ‘Dead Man’s Ransom’.15 km
• 17 Aug From Rhydycroesau to join the Offa’s Dyke path along the old fortified frontier between England and Wales, over the craggy hill fort on Llanymynech Hill and down to Llanymynech. 15 km
• 18 Aug From Llanymynech along the Montgomeryshire Canal – now a nature reserve with wild life including nesting swans – past another abbey site at Valle Crucis and into Welshpool. 19 km
• 19 Aug Rest day in Welshpool
• 20 Aug From Welshpool we can walk to the medieval nunnery at Llanllugan or travel on the Llanfair Caereinion Light Railway then walk on to Llanllugan on foot. 25 km.
• 21 Aug From Llanllugan along the Roman road, the ‘Sarn Sws’, and over the hog’s back of Mynydd Clogau to Caersws with its Roman fort. 15 km.
• 22 Aug From Caersws through one of Wales’s biggest wind farms on the ridge above Llandinam and over hills with superb views over rolling countryside to Abbey Cwm-hir – burial place of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, last Welsh Prince of Wales. 25 km
• 23 Aug From Abbey Cwm-hir along the Glyndwr Way and over the rolling hills of Maelienydd to the pretty valley of the Ithon. 14 km
• 24 Aug From Llanfihangel Rhydithon along the great ridge of Cefn Grug and past the spectacular waterfall of Water-break-its-neck (one of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd’s hideouts in the final struggle for Welsh independence) to Llanfihangel Nant Melan. 14 km
• 25 Aug From Llanfihangel Nant Melan through ‘Kilvert Country’ – over Newchurch Hill, Kilvert’s ‘long green ride stretching over the hill like a green ribbon between the dark heather’ to Clyro and Hay, the famous Welsh book town. 20 km
• 26 Aug rest day in Clyro and Hay: visit the book shops.
• 27 Aug From Hay up the Gospel Pass and over the magnificent ridge of Rhiw’r Fan then down the pretty valley of the Nant Bwch to Father Ignatius’s monastery at Capel-y-Ffin and so down the Hoddni valley to Llanthony. 18 km
• 28 Aug From Llanthony along the western scarp of the Hatterall Ridge, past the strange church at Cwm-iou, twisted out of shape by a landslide, and along the Offa’s Dyke Path to Llanfihangel Crucornau. 12 km
• 29 Aug From Llanfihangel Crucornau along the Offa’s Dyke path to Llangattock, where the church has recently discovered some lovely medieval wall paintings; on through the rolling countryside of Gwent to Llanfihangel Ystum Llywern. 18 km
• 30 Aug From Llanfihangel Ystum Llywern back on the Offa’s Dyke Path to the site of another Cistercian abbey, Grace Dieu, then through the woods to Monmouth, birthplace of Henry V. 10 km
• 31 Aug From Monmouth down the Wye Valley to the sublime ruins of the Cistercian abbey at Tintern, subject of Wordsworth’s famous poem. 15 km
• 1 Sept From Tintern through Chepstow Park and the ancient forest of Wentwood, along ancient pilgrim trackways to the Roman fortress town of Caerleon. 25 km.
• 2 Sept A short day’s walk to finish: from Caerleon over the Iron Age hill fort of Lodge Hill (it was reoccupied after the Romans left – was this Arthur’s Camelot?) and back to Llantarnam. 8 km.