A Walk From Ysbyty Cynfyn.

The day began with a wet morning followed by better and better weather until by the time I got home at 6.00 it was sunny and hot.

Today's walk began at Ysbyty Cynfyn near Devil's Bridge. The circular wall indicates that it was a pre-Christian place of worship though there is debate about the placement of some of the large stones included in the wall. You can read more about it here and even follow the route we took on the included video.

 

The footpath runs between the stone wall and the wire fence but our walk leader thought it looked too overgrown so decided to climb the barbed wire fence, cut across the field and climb the fence again at the bottom. But by this point some of us were quite far behind and we opted for the footpath. You can just about make out Pete (our leader not my Pete) waving his arms wondering what we were doing. The footpath turned out to be okay though being the only one in shorts I made sure to constantly check my legs for ticks. So far I've never found any but it is sheep country and they are numerous this year.

Soon we followed a steep downhill path to a footbridge (Parson's Bridge) above the River Rheidol. The river had carved an impressive gorge on it's way down to Devil's Bridge. I have crossed the Rheidol many times but this is the nearest I've been to the start of the river.

Then it was up the very steep sided valley (there were even warnings about it on the information board) through Coed Rheidol to farmland above. Some of us lagged behind to pick and eat bilberries /whimberries and to collect some of the chanterelles that grew along the path.

We passed the village of Ystumtuen before stopping to eat our lunch amongst the stones of a ruined building.

From there we headed upwards again into a landscape of small lakes that had been created to provide hydro power for lead and silver mines in the 18th and 19th centuries.

We then dropped down towards the stone circle of Dol Y Gamfa, right where the brown cows are in the photo below. These cows were a bit of a worry as not only was there a bull them and a cow with young calves but we also had a dog (on the lead) with us. As we approached the field the bull was actually standing inside the swinging footpath gate that we needed to go through. He moved away and along with the other cattle stood right on the stone circle. 

Some of the group still went up to the stones while the rest of us looked at the stones from a distance before going through the next gate. Discretion being the better part of valour and all that. The stones are only a few feet high and are believed to be part of a Bronze Age cairn rather than a ceremonial circle.

From there we followed an even steeper path down through the woods back to Parson's Bridge clinging gingerly to every tree and tiny sapling to avoid slipping or falling. Then it was back up the other side of the steep valley to the church and our parked cars and away home.