Out in the Valleys

Posted on by Brian Scott

I think we’re suffering from multiple beds syndrome! Pretty weary, didn’t sleep particularly well last night, although the bed is really comfy, we’ll probably settle more today/tomorrow, no moves until the 21st! 👍

We collected our wee lassie from her place up the valley and headed for Abergavenny. We all love it there, essentially a single, wide shopping street with a great mix of shops but, I took the ladies up to Llanfoist first, for a wee walk.

We parked just outside the village and walked up the very old Church Lane, which passes a very old church! Never? No, really! St. Faiths

The lane runs uphill through trees, next to a tumbling stream and ends at a set of steps leading up to the wharf on the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal

There’s a wonderful peaceful feeling up there, I always planned to boat or walk the length of the canal but, as ever, never did ….. yet.

I spotted and almost managed to photograph a Beautiful Demoiselle at the foot of the steps. I don’t think we get them up our way. 😥

Into Abergavenny after that and a steady stroll through town, stopping to eat in the sunshine at the Portico Lounge, we all thoroughly enjoyed our food and the staff were great, check one out, they’re all over the place. 👍

After lunch, we bought a few plants at a stall that always has really nice and unusual plants, then headed back up the valley.

Part way up the toad, I pulled off to visit the Clydach Gorge Ironworks. Ever since work started on the Heads of the Valleys Road, I’d wanted to visit the Clydach Gorge so this was a short dip into it, hoping to walk all of it before we head home.

Wales is awash with industrial remains and I absolutely love it all, I wish it was possible to preserve and maintain it all but there’s no profit so, who would bother????

So a few shots for me, a wander by the stream, where there’s a beautiful rocky pool that people swim in, we didn’t have time to explore the entire gorge. 😳

Back to drop off the wee lassie, then back to our BnB.

5 thoughts on “Out in the Valleys”

  1. What a beautiful walk! I’m absolutely obsessed with old ruins, and those ancient churches and chapels — St. Faith’s sounds like a real gem. And the industrial remnants in the Clydach Gorge… totally my thing. Wales really has so many hidden treasures in the landscape. Gorgeous shots, made me want to lace up my walking boots right away!

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    1. Thank you, I’m the same and when we lived here I’d search them out and most often photograph them, I wish I had blogged then. As is often the case, many local people didn’t know anything about most of it, not their thing but sometimes these sites just raise more questions. When? Who? There’s a huge old photograph printed on the wall of Tesco in Merthyr Tydfil of a beautiful, glass roofed station, long gone but, built or designed by IK Brunel. Gone? What a shame.

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  2. Beautiful. No wonder you’re tired, doing so much, you haven’t stopped. Making most of visit. It’s true, most locals don’t know of all that surrounds them, it’s usually tourists who hunt them out. So thanks for sharing and capturing lovely photos. I feel I’ve visited sites with you! Lol 😂 Being a qualified Heritage Manager, old ruins, church’s, SSSI’s, landscapes, really appeals to me. So much history to unfold and photograph. Shame you didn’t catch the Beautiful Demoiselle. Blessed to see it though. Good memories. Hope you get some rest and sleep better tonight. Have another good day folks

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    1. Good morning and thank you, I absolutely loved the modern and ancient ruins scattered all over Wales, we walked on the reclaimed mine, now a park and it is beautiful, lots of wildlife and reminders of the past. They had written notes from those times carved into huge flat rocks scattered around the site and extremely moving to read. About to head back now for a wee photo grab, we’ll see if I get it 👍🤞👋

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  3. Good morning folks. So interesting and as you say, moving, so much history and many stories to unfold. Can imagine the inscriptions on the rocks, very touching. Like me, you obviously appreciate and are grateful to walk the paths others trod all those years ago and how life was like for them. Lovely to hear it is a park with lots of beautiful wildlife. The creatures of land, sea and air only to return to positive sites. You don’t see much in areas of toxic and negative energies. As proven by the rarity of the Beautiful Damoiselle, which is predominantly found spread across Wales and South West. You’re in the right place. Right time. There are few in northern England and West Scotland, rarely seen, so do hope you manage to catch some photos of their iridescent wings, esp if sun shining. Mind you, you’ll have to be quick, they hang around by streams and rivers, males resting on vegetation waiting for the females. Then they’re off! Typical lol 🙄😄🤭 good luck! 🤞👏📷

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