Countryside roads and lanes explored in storm aftermath
ON Sunday, November 28, the day after storm Arwyn passed over, Noeline Thomas and David Luxton led the Carmarthen Ramblers on a 7.5mile walk on the network of country roads and lanes in the countryside to the north of the A40. There was light cloud cover with a gentle breeze and the temperature reached seven degrees C at noon.
The walk started at Whitemill from where they took the country road for a mile up to Capel Gwyn then northward to Pencnwc. Here they located a track and walked through the beautiful Hidden Valley beside Nant Penycnwc. The track headed in a north easterly direction for about three quarters of a mile passing a shooting range, man-made lakes and as they walked up the valley a magnificent view of a herd of deer appeared on top of the hill on the skyline.
At the top end of the valley they passed through a couple of fields before passing through the farmyard of Black Bush to reach a lane again.
Turning eastward they followed the road passed Briste to the next junction and turned southward for about half a mile to the junction at Brynhawddgar and continued passed Haulfryn to reach the highest point of the day at a height of 200 metres. From this point there were great views across the Towy valley to the south east to the Black Mountain with Garn Goch in the foreground.
A quarter of a mile down the road just after Coed y Berllan, the road ended and became a rough track with slippery exposed bed rock that led downhill for about half a mile into the farmyard of Penbwlch Isaf.
Changing to a southwesterly direction the lane led then to Carregllys and they reached a country road and turned left along the road for just over a quarter of a mile to reach the church at Llanfihangel-uwch-gwili where they stopped for lunch.
In the afternoon, a noticeable breeze picked up as they retraced their steps back to the last road junction. Here they left the road and turned southwards as they started a climb up through a couple of fields to then pass through the yard of Waunyr-afr and then followed its lane westwards with the views now down the Towy valley towards Abergwili and the unmistakeable Merlin’s Hill.
They picked up a service road that led passed Penybryn turning left at the next junction to meet a footpath shortly afterwards.
The party descended the hillside through a couple of fields again to reach the Annell Valley road and from this point there was an easy three quarters of a mile downhill stroll back to Whitemill.
New walkers are always welcome and details of the next walk can be found on the website, www. carmarthenramblers.org.uk