Taff Trail from Brecon back to Merthyr Tydfil

The lady at the Borderers B&B kindly served me an early breakfast as today's walk was 26 miles long and with sunset at 5:30 pm, I needed to get going. The Taff trail starts from the canal basin, marking the terminus of the Monmouthshire and Brecon canal. From here I walked along the canal through lightly falling flakes of snow, to Talybont on Usk. The cycling version of the Taff trail makes a diversion along roads via the village of Llanfrynach, but if you are walking rather than cycling, I would stick with the hikers' version along the canal all the way to Talybont. Today it was looking beautiful, the light snowfall picking out the leafless branches of the trees, which were in turn reflected in the still waters of the canal. It also meant crossing the River Usk with the canal on a 200 year old stone aqueduct. The concept of water flowing above water is one I have always found a little strange.

Canal basin in Brecon, start of the Taff Trail

Brecon and Monmouth Canal in February

At Talybont there is a little cafe where I stopped for tea and banana and nutella cake (as interesting to eat as it sounds). The pubs looked attractive as well, but it was a little too early for them. From Talybont the Taff trail climbs the old Brinore tramway. In the 19th century it brought limestone and coal down to the canal in horse drawn trucks. I made the mistake of turning off the tramway too soon at the "Usk Valley Way" sign; the correct turn off is clearly marked as the Taff Trail and takes you down to the bed of the old Brecon and Merthyr railway. The path up the old railway bed takes you to the top of the valley, slowly climbing, with views of Danywenallt reservoir. It was a popular route for people today with many enjoying the walk, or less commonly, the cycle ride. One family was well prepared with a tarpaulin to eat lunch under. Near the top you can see the tunnel that once took the railway to the other side of the mountain, however the path climbs over the top of the saddle. As I reached the top I could see periodic clouds of steam, and hurried over just in time to see a steam engine pull away. This was the narrow gauge, Brecon Mountain Railway which runs on the next section of the old Brecon and Merthyr railway, taking people up and down the valley using restored steam engines.

Brecon Mountain Railway

As I missed the train I continued my walk along the Taff Trail which makes a long switchback through conifer woods, before joining the road beside the first of two reservoirs. When you reach the second reservoir the Taff Trail turns uphill through the trees, eventually giving good views across the Pontsticill reservoir. The thin layer of soft snow squeaked underfoot, showing clear imprints of my boots and the many others plus a few tracks of bikes that had passed this way earlier. Leaving the woods I crossed the reservoir dam, just in time to see the steam train arrive at the station nearby.

Pontsticill reservoir

My footprint in the snow

After a short section of road walking it was a final stretch along the bed of the Brecon and Merthyr railway, in a sylvan valley of deciduous trees, across another viaduct by a pub and then past housing and a nature reserve as the winter light started to fade. The modern concrete span of the Head of the Valleys road indicated I was close to rejoining yesterday's outward route from Merthyr, although to save time I headed back through the town.

At 43 km this is really too long for one day and previously I have spent the night at the Dalywenallt Youth hostel which is on route. The total ascent is 587m. A gpx file of the route can be found on wikiloc. The route is also on Viewranger under shortcode johnpon0018.

Taff Trail from Merthyr Tydfil to Brecon via Storey Arms

From Merthyr Tydfil there are two routes to Brecon, both marked as the Taff Trail. The route to the west, via the Storey Arms, is a walkers' only track, while the easterly route, via Talybont-on-Usk, is also suitable for mountain bikes. My plan was to go from Merthyr to Brecon on the western path, which follows the Taff to its source, and then return to Merthyr via the eastern routing. On this occasion I completed the loop over two days staying at a Bed & Breakfast in Brecon overnight. This involves two long, tiring days; previously I covered the same distance in three days, staying at the Brecon Beacons and Danywenallt Youth Hostels - a much more sensible option, especially as you can now buy a beer at these places.

Starting from the Merthyr Tydfil railway station I crossed the adjacent shopping area and bridge over the Taff to rejoin the Taff Trail by the weir. I followed it past housing to the first of the historic sites in the environs of Merthyr. This was Chapel Row, a line of terraced houses built for iron workers in the 19th century when the iron industry was booming in the area. One of them was the birthplace of Welsh composer Joseph Parry and a small museum (no, I had not heard of him either). Remains of the Glamorgan canal lie to the front of the terrace.

The second historic site on the Taff trail is the remains of the Cyfarthfa iron works, which date from the 18th century. Once among the biggest in the world, it declined as local sources of iron ore were exhausted. The trail passes the remains of a series of blast furnaces, built into the side of the valley, somewhat spoilt by more recent rubbish. The third historic site is an early iron bridge dating from 1793, so not as old as the more elegant Telford ironbridge. Finally as we leave the more built up area of the Taff valley we cross the elegant Cefn Coed viaduct, built in 1868 to carry the Brecon and Merthyr railway. The line was closed in the 1960s and I will be following the old railway bed on my return to Merthyr tomorrow. Beyond this point an illustration of the viaduct is used on the Taff Trail waymarks.

Cyfarthfa Blast furnaces

Cefn Coed Viaduct

After the viaduct the start of the western route is well hidden, going through a damp underpass below the "Head of the Valleys" main road, after which the waymarking is relatively good although not comprehensive. From this point the Taff valley looses its urban aspect and the valley becomes one of rough farmland, trees, moors and reservoirs (we pass three of them). The A470 main road only slightly distracts from the views across the valley. In Penmoelallt woods, a sign explains that it contains one of Britain's rarest trees, Ley's Whitebeam. All 17 examples of this tree are in the woods here.

After passing the first reservoir on a small road, I reached the Garwnant visitor centre, where I enjoyed a pleasant coffee and toasted teacake. The Taff trail continues off the exit road from the visitor centre. Not long after I missed a turnoff while dreaming of something else and had to retrace my steps. With tiny flakes of snow falling I walked past two more reservoirs, fir trees and some moor to arrive at the Storey Arms, at the watershed between the Taff and tributaries of the Usk. Despite the name this is not a pub but an an outdoor education centre. If you are however in need of refreshment, there is a trailer serving coffee, tea, burgers and various other things in the car park opposite. The breakfast rolls are enormous.

Unexpected Sculpture on the Taff Trail

Walking down from Storey Arms

From here it is downhill to Brecon. After the turnoff to the Youth Hostel, it is mainly on quiet, single track roads, with an excursion through some muddy farmland, where sheep looked at me balefully, maybe hoping for some food. Brecon itself is a pleasant market town with a cathedral and a pedestrian shopping area.

The route today was 33.7 km long, with a total ascent of over 600 metres. A gpx file of the route can be found on wikiloc, click here. It can also be obtained from Viewranger johnpon0017.

Taff Trail from Pontypridd to Merthyr Tydfil

Today's walk along the Taff trail took me from Pontypridd railway station to Merthyr Tydfil railway station. It was easy walking largely on tarmaced paths, mainly following old tramways and railways. On route, there was a great deal of history, from the industrial revolution to more recent events, in particular the Aberfan disaster.

As with many towns on the route, the Taff Trail bypasses the centre of Pontypridd, and so misses some of the atmosphere of the Taff valley. If you are walking I would do as I did and visit the centre of Pontypridd. This has a high street (appropriately called called Taff street) which recalls the high streets of 50 years ago, with small shops including an old fashioned cafe (The Prince's) and a shop for aspiring artists etc.. From Taff street I crossed over the river into Ynsangharad Park, which has the "National Lido of Wales", daring from 1927. The cafe looks very Art Deco in architecture, but is in fact fairly recent, but the rest of the Lido is original. From here it was along streets of terraced houses typical of the Welsh valleys, although looking smarter than I remembered last time I walked here. Then it was along a tarmac path beside the river. Although the busy A470 road was up a bank to the right it was still very rural. I watched two sheep (rams I guess) head butting each other over something, I would like to think a ewe, but a man also watching thought it was over some bread he had left for the birds. His dog checked whether I had anything to eat. The people along this section were very friendly saying hello and commenting on the weather - not yet raining despite the forecast. Catkins gave a hint that we were over the worst of winter.

Cafe in centre of Pontypridd

Just after the Navigation pub (named as the Glamorgan canal once passed this way) there is a commemoration to Richard Trevithick. Trevithick built the first steam locomotive, well before the more famous Stephenson, and ran it on the tramway that the Taff Trail now follows. The locomotive successfully pulled 10 tons of iron and numerous passengers from Merthyr Tydfil. Sadly it had a breakdown and broke some of the rails, so was slower than the horse drawn wagons normally used on the tramway, so it was a technical rather than a commercial success. However, the first time any new invention is tried, it usually fails; success comes by learning from these failures, for example replacing brittle cast iron rails by wrought iron (and later steel).

The next section was along a quiet road following the old tramway. A tarmaced path followed, taking me around an incised meander in the river by Quakers Yard. After an old bridge, the stone blocks acting as the "sleepers" of the 200 year old tramway were intermittently visible, showing the marks where the rails were attached. The tramway appeared well made, cut into the side of the valley and made for easy walking. I left the tramway at Pontygwaith with the Taff trail, although the tramway can be followed on the east side of the valley, returning to the Taff Trail near Merthyr Tydfil.

Old Tramway

Marks where rails were attached

Leaving the tramway I crossed Pont-y-Gwaith, the "work's bridge", built in 1811 on the site of an earlier wooden bridge and used to provide access for workers to the local iron works. Iron working was the earliest industry in the area, before it was replaced by coal mining. The Taff Trail now goes alongside and slightly above the A470 - a busy, noisy road, eventually reaching Aberfan.

Aberfan is famous for a disaster in 1966 when a slag heap (a mountain of waste rock separated from the mined coal) slid downhill covering a school and killing 116 children and 28 adults. The children were aged 9 or 10, the same age as me at the time. As the Taff trail passes the cemetery where the children are buried, I walked up to their graves and associated memorial to pay my respects. Some of the children's graves had fresh flowers on them. As if to emphasize the depressing nature of the scene, rain started to fall heavily and the white memorial enclosure by the graves gave me some shelter to pull on my waterproof trousers.

Graves for victims of Aberfan disaster

Further on the trail follows the line of the Glamorgan canal, which is filled in along this stretch, past two traditional looking pubs. I admit to being tempted, but drinking in the middle of the day tends to making walking afterwards a bit more difficult, tending to have an unwanted soporific effect. There was also an informative sign on Saint Tydfil, who gives her name to Merthyr Tydfil (Merthyr meaning martyr in Welsh). Saint Tydfil established an early Celtic Christian community, helping sick humans and animals, and treating the local inhabitants with compassion. She was killed around 480 by Pict and / or Saxon raiders.

Reaching the outskirts of Merthyr, I past under a railway bridge, now lacking a railway, and various large chain outlets came into view (McDonalds, Travelodge etc.). Further on I came across various bridges across the Taff. An effort has been made to use interesting designs, pleasing for an engineer. There was also a weir. After being polluted by the iron and then the coal industry for many years, wildlife is now returning to the Taff, and a fish ladder and a route for otters has been added to the weir.

I was hoping to visit Cyfarthfa Castle and Museum and so headed along the trail to the north side of Merthyr. However, it was closed on Mondays. Although the "castle" has crenelated towers designed to make it look ancient, it was actually built in 1825 for one of the people (William Crayshaw) made rich by the iron works. Sadly the cafe was also closed but the park in which the castle sits is attractive, complete with a lake. Finally, I headed for the railway station past closed up buildings to a bustling town centre. The railway station is behind a modern shopping arcade and I arrived with 3 minutes to spare to catch my train home.

Cyfarthfa Castle

Omitting my diversion to Cyfarthfa Castle, the route today was 24 km long, railway station to railway station, with very little climbing. The gpx file of the route can be found on wikiloc (or click here). The route is also on Viewranger under short code johnpon0015.

Taff Trail from Cardiff Bay to Pontypridd

The Taff Trail is 88 km (55 miles) long from Cardiff Bay to Brecon, a route you can walk or cycle. Hikers can add an extra 32 km by walking back from Brecon to Methyr Tydfil along a different route, giving a total of 120 km. The trail is attractive because it is so varied. It starts in Cardiff, capital city of Wales, full of people going somewhere, whether work, shops or cafes. Then there is Taff valley north of Cardiff, full of history from the industrial revolutions. The path takes you along riverside paths, along old railway lines and older canals. Finally there are the forests and mountains of the Brecon Beacons. This post describes the first day of my walk from Cardiff Bay Railway Station to Pontypool Railway Station.

I started early arriving at Cardiff Bay while it was still dark. Green lights on the Millenium Centre, red lights on restaurants and white lights elsewhere, gave the square by the Bay a serene beauty, only disturbed by a lorry unloading supplies for the day. Cardiff Bay is full of cafes and restaurants, but I delayed my morning coffee to head west to the River Taff. On joining the river, the first brown Taff Trail signs appear, taking you along paths and roads beside the Taff, past rows of houses, Victorian and more modern. On the opposite bank the Brains brewery comes into view and then the Millenium Stadium. On other trips I have crossed the bridge here to walk beside the stadium (possible when there are no events on) reading the names of the Rugby -  playing nations in mosaics in the pathway. Today I stayed on the west side of the river passing backpacker hostels before crossing beneath one more bridge and entering Sophia Gardens (and Bute park on the other side of the river). Cardiff Castle is in Bute Park, an ancient Roman and Norman fortress, "restored" by the 3rd Marquess of Bute in a Victorian Gothic style. The Marquess of Bute's family made lots of money developing Cardiff docks for the coal trade in the 19th century and there is further evidence of their contribution later on the walk.

I walked past the Glamorgan cricket ground and Pontcanna playing fields, along the riverside path. There was a steady stream of people heading to work, some walking, some cycling, multiple lights and bells highlighting their presence in the overcast dawn. Cycling by the river must be safer for the cyclists, avoiding Cardiff''s heavy traffic, by maybe not so much for pedestrians. When I moved sideways to avoid a large puddle I heard someone say "beep beep" and then they narrowly missed hitting me with their bike.

At Blackweir I crossed over the Taff on a pedestrian suspension bridge and continued up the path on the east side of the river. At this time of day people were still heading into town, but later I knew there would be students heading the other way to Cardiff's Metropolitan University. Where the river crossed under Western Avenue, I turned off for quick coffee at the 24 hour Tescos. On resuming my walk it had started raining.

Fortunately the rain was not too heavy as I continued up the river. Although  have walked this route often it is constantly changing and not only with the seasons. I had been thinking of all the renewable energy being wasted at weirs in the river, then what do I see, but a brand new hydroelectric plant, a sign of changing times for three reasons. Firstly, it is an example of river power being used again after falling out of favour in the later parts of the industrial revolution, Secondly, it was opened by Councillor Ramesh Patel, a sign of a more multicultural Wales. Thirdly rather than a conventional high speed turbine to generate power, it appeared to use a large screw, possibly to avoid damage to fish and a sign of recent environmental awareness.

New hydroelectric scheme

I continued along the river into Hayley park. After the park there is a short section of road from which you can see a restored beam pump that supplied water for the Glamorganshire canal. The canal closed in 1944 (after briefly being owned by the ubiquitous Marquess of Bute) and only a few sections still remain. Continuing along the riverside I went under the M4 motorway before turning inland to the village of Tongwynlais. From here there are two routes: one by road along the narrow gap created by the Taff through the ridge that forms the southern edge of the South Wales Coal field, the other going over the hill beside the valley. I preferred the latter as it takes you passed Castle Coch and through some pleasant woodland away from road pollution. Castle Coch is also a "restoration" by the Marquess of Bute in a Gothic revival style that puts you in mind of King Arthur and the knights of the round table. It was, however, closed for maintenance when I passed  by today.

Castle Coch

I climbed up the steep path and then down forest tracks on the other side of the ridge, the trees bare of leaves at this time of year, and like me getting increasingly wet. At the base of the hill I joined one of the old railway lines.  Now no longer needed with the end of coal mining in South Wales, many have been converted to walking and cycle paths. There were few bikes on this section but several people walking their dogs. Dogs as well as owners were wrapped up against the rain in their coats.

Walking along an old railway line

The rain was now becoming heavy. Fortunately the going was easy along the gentle gradients with tarmac or gravel underfoot, and I made good time past the urban ribbon development along the river valley, barely visible through the waves of rain. After crossing a few roads I eventually reached the turn off for Pontypridd and was glad to reach the shelter of the station.

The days walk was 26 km long. You can shorten it by starting or stopping at one of a number of railway stations close to the route. There is only one steep slope, just behind Castle Coch. A gpx file of the route I took can be found on wikiloc.com. The route can also be found on Viewranger under short code johnpon0016.