Walk No. 37, Peterston Super Ely

Ridge & ValleyDistance:Whole walk 7 miles,

northern loop 4 miles, southern loop 3 miles.

FOLLOW THE COUNTRYSIDE CODE

• Be safe, plan ahead and follow any signs

• Leave gates and property as you find them

• Protect plants and animals and take your

litter home

• Keep dogs under close control

• Consider other people

WALK FEATURES

• Peterston Castle & Church

• Wyndham Park & Moroccan Houses

• St. Nicholas

• Pont Llanbedr

• Lanlay Meadows

• Country Views

• River Ely Meanders

Ely River Meanders

WALKLOCATIONINRELATIONTOVALEWAYS’ MILLENNIUMHERITAGETRAIL

Valeways’ Millennium Heritage Trailcovers a distance of over100km,spanning over 6,000 years of history.It wends its waythrough a variety of beautiful landscapes.At its northern edgethere are panoramic vistas of the Blaenau Morgannwg,whilein the south it skirts a spectacular cliffed coastline.

The Trail is split into 16 easy to follow sections,each ofwhich can be walked within a few hours.The surroundings arediverse,often spectacular and steeped in history.

Those who have never visited this part of Wales will enjoywalking through fertile,lowland countryside adjoining thespectacular Heritage Coast with its beautiful beaches.Theroute includes many fascinating historic features,fromprehistoric burial chambers to magnificent castles,churchesand mansions.

Valeways has published a guide to the Millennium HeritageTrail.This colourful book describes the 16 sectionswhichmake up the Trail and comes in a package with 16 separateA3 maps.The guide can be obtained from Valeways for £8.49including post and packing.

Peterston Super Ely and Wyndham Park

Pont Llanbedr

A quiet stretch on the River Ely

A bend on the River Ely

The Church - St.Nicholas

Main Avenue,Wyndham Park

Moroccan Houses,Wyndham Park

Photograph © Barbara Palmer

Photograph © Vale of Glamorgan County Council

Photograph © Vale of Glamorgan County Council

Photograph © Alan Wilson

Photograph © G.Woosnam

Photograph © G.Woosnam

Photograph © Alan Wilson

Photograph © G.Woosnam

Valeways is a registered charity working in partnership with thecommunity to reopen existing footpaths to create a network of

enjoyable circular walks across the Vale of Glamorgan, linkingtowns and villages to the surrounding countryside and points ofinterest.We are indebted to the many volunteers who give up

their time freely to provide this walk for your enjoyment.

Registered Charity No. 1062031 Registered Company No. 3330088

Valeways Partnership - Many thanks to the Vale of Glamorgan Counciland the Countryside Council for Wales for their continued support.

Valeways, Unit 7, Barry Community Enterprise Centre,Skomer Road, Barry CF62 9DA

Telephone/Fax: 01446 749000E-mail: info@valeways.org.uk

Website: http//www.valeways.org.uk

Leaflet revised November 2011

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which becomes a tarmac lane.Youwill then reach a road junction, wherethere is a chapel on your left. Nowturn right and follow the road acrossLlanbedr bridge � back to yourstarting point. If tackling the wholewalk proceed through the kissinggate that you pass on your left tocontinue the walk.You are now onthe northern loop.

The Northern Loop.

From the starting point near thefootbridge walk south westwardalong the road (i.e. away from theSportsman’s Rest) until you reach akissing gate on the right hand side ofthe road. Pass through this and headfor the top right hand corner of thefield to a gate that leads you on to aroad.Turn left to reach a row ofcottages. Here you turn right and viagates cross the mainline railway (heedthe signs!).Turn left to reach a smallsleeper bridge and stile. Once overthese keep right to the next stile inthe corner of the field. Now keepingthe hedge line on your right through-out, you cross a series of stiles andone gate as you proceed up and overthe brow of a hill.You then emergeon to a track.Turn left downhill tothe next stile on your right.

A further series of stiles, more orless in a line, lead the path into alittle wood where you would be wiseto use the sleeper board walkway.On leaving the wood, cross the fieldto a stile that takes you on to a road.Turn left and follow the road crossingboth railway and then the river.Walkon past Duffryn Mawr Farm to astile on the left. Once over this bearslightly right to a stile next to a fieldgate that leads you on to a trackFollow this track round towards BrynFarm, but before you reach it, takethe stile that appears on the left.

Leave the track and cross the fieldto a stile near its far left hand corner.

At this point you will pick upMillennium Trail markers. Asuccession of stiles leads you on overthe flat open fields of the river’sflood plain.The river twists and turnsas it crosses these moors, while thepath, not always on the riverbank, isnever far away.Take care as youapproach a stile and footbridgeparticularly close to the river.Further on a small metal footbridgemarks the boundary of LanlayMeadows Nature Reserve. Followthe Millennium Trail markers throughthe reserve, crossing two woodenbridges on the way. Follow the nowwell-worn path to exit the reserve

through a gate on to an approachroad that leads to a house.Turnright, then left to cross an old stonebridge and reach the end of thewalk.

Walk No. 37 Peterston-super-Ely

A Ridge and Valley WalkAs this walk has the shape of a figure of eight, it comprises two distinct sections.There is a loop of the walk north of Peterstonand another to the south.The one feature common to these loops is that they share a rough similarity in length; in all otherrespects they are very different.The northern loop is a gentle, but interesting, river valley walk that includes the intricatemeanders of the Ely and a nearby site of special scientific interest (SSSI).The southern loop takes you on to a ridge, which, aftersome not too hard climbing, gives you the bonus of excellent views and the opportunity of seeing that part of the village of StNicholas tucked back from the A48.Distance Whole walk 7 miles; northern loop 4 miles, southern loop 3 miles. Note that the northern loop has 28 stiles.Map OS Explorer 151 Cardiff and Bridgend.Parking Limited parking near the footbridge at Peterston; small car park near the church at St Nicholas.Public Transport Service No 320 Talbot Green - Cardiff serves Peterston. Service X2 Cardiff - Bridgend serves St Nicholas.Refreshments The Sportsmans Rest and Three Horseshoes in Peterston.Toilets at the refreshment locations.

START The route outlined below begins at Peterston Grid Ref. 081761. However you may pick up the route at any point thatsuits you.

PLACES OF INTEREST

� Peterston-super-Ely and itsChurchPeterston has several features ofinterest (see below) but also notethat it is the primary outdoorfilming centre for Pobol y Cwmand holds an Arts Festival in theautumn.The church dates from theC15th though there are records ofthe existence of a church hereback to 1254.The church wasrestored in the C18th.

� Peterston CastleThere are fragmented remains ofthe Norman castle of Robert leSor. Reputedly, it was, destroyed byOwain Glyndwr in 1403.

� Remains of an old bridge This bridge once linked Glyn Cory(Wyndham Park) to Peterston. Itwas replaced by the present bridgein 1973

� Wyndham ParkOriginally called Glyn CoryGarden Village this developmentwas begun in 1909.The initialdevelopment was started by Johnand Reginald Cory to designs byThomas Adams and ThomasMawson.Amongst the earliest builthouses are the so- calledMoroccan houses.

� & � are viewpoints

� St NicholasSt Nicholas.This village contains a14th century church and has asmall village green. It also possesses avery old nonconformist chapel,Croes y Parc Welsh Baptist church.This was first built in 1777 andmodified in 1877. Changes to theparish boundary mean that it isnow in the parish of Peterston-super-Ely.

� Pont LlanbedrThis is the old stone bridge overthe River Ely, rebuilt in 1869.

Lanlay MeadowsThese form a S.S.S.I..The area isowned by the National Trust. It hasa rich wildlife for it is an area ofhay meadow and pasture that hasbeen virtually untouched bymodern farming methods involvingfertilisers, pesticides etc.Thus it isas close as one gets to what was.

Photograph © Ray Price

SCALE (APPROX):

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1 Mile

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THE ROUTE

The Southern Loop

Cross the river Ely footbridgeand proceed into the wide tree linedMain Avenue � of Wyndham Park.Atthe top of the gentle climb turn intoDuffryn Crescent and continue untilyou see a stile on your right.Theensuing narrow path leads to asecond stile and open fields.

Continue uphill to a stile on theleft. Cross it and bear right to thenext stile. Continue straight aheadover the rise, and then keep to theleft of the trees in the hollow toreach a double stile in the field corner.Cross it, turn left and almostimmediately right, to progress uphillwith the hedge now to your right �.

You pass to the left of Homri Farmand come on to, via a kissing gate, atrack. Bear left and keep to the track� as it wends its way uphill. (Notethe ever-increasing panorama behindyou stretching from the wind farmabove Brynna in the west on toLlantrisant, the Garth Mountain andnorth Cardiff).

The track becomes a narrow laneas it nears St Nicholas �. On enteringthe village take the second rightturning to pass between the churchand the village green with its warmemorial and old pump set againstthe churchyard wall. (The C17thcottages are on the nearby mainroad). Continue right round thechurch (old school over to left) toreach the new village school. Go

through the kissing gate to the rightof the school and follow the paththat runs alongside the playing field.You now will cross a stone stile andbearing left across the field’s corneryou will arrive at another stone stile.You cross this, and keeping in thesame general direction, two morestiles to reach a lane.

Turn right and follow the lane untilyou reach a stile that is in front ofyou as the lane turns right. Climbthe stile and follow the footpathalong the side of Cottrell golfcourse. Keep to the right of the 7thtee and take the path, that runsdownhill, from behind the tee,through some woods.At thebottom a stile leads you onto atrack. Bear left and follow the track

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Cottages at St. Nicholas