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Home , Bridgend County Borough, Candleston Castle, Merthyr Mawr, Tondu, Tythegston

Merthyr Warren is a haven for wildlife and Go over the stone stile or through the adjacent A Bettws 4 06 is also the highest dune system in . gate. 3 A 4 8 1 Sand has settled on top of a limestone cliff 6 0 CHOICE! At Point X on the plan you have the option 4 A creating a special habitat for plants (such as 8 to take a route to . If you violets, sea-buckthorn, B4281 T 36 o choose to do this, follow the track to the right. Ca sea rd seaside pansies, summer wan if It is just over half a mile (1.1km). Please note that To S f orchids, autumn gentian 37 part of this track can be very wet at certain times A473 and rosebay willowherb), 35 of the year. and insects, including A4106 A48

A4229 Newton grassland butterflies. Look out for the 4524 red-caped cinnabar B A48 Ogmore moths from May, followed by Sea by the brightly coloured

six-spot burnet moths. B4 26 Birds that can be found 5 Six Spot Burnett moth Photo Courtesy of Mike Clark in the winter pools are mallard, wigeon, teal and shoveller. Merthyr Mawr is also full of human Acknowledgements history. A large part of the reserve is a scheduled 7 ancient monument. Finds have included Mesolithic 8 Thanks to the following for helping to either prepare the walk and text or for sponsoring flints, stone axes, beakers, Neolithic pottery, the leaflet: Age hearths, Bronze Age burial chambers, and Candleston Castle • Groundwork Bridgend and Neath Roman coins. • Countryside Council for Wales Follow the path through a kissing gate, shortly • Merthyr Mawr Council after which there is a fork in the route. Take the To continue on the circular walk bear left and head • Porthcawl Town Council path to the right, which is also part of the towards Tythegston7 . The road follows a ridge Walk. Go through several kissing with good views of the mountains and valleys to gates and follow the path, keeping the stone wall the left and the remains of Saxon workings in the

GROUNDWORK BRIDGEND & NEATH on your left, to the junction where the path meets field to the right. PORT TALBOT PEN-Y-BONT AR A CASTELL NEDD another path from and a permissive PORT TALBOT bridleway. Designed by design@bridgend Tel: 01656 642046

Follow the path to It should be easy to follow the route using the Countryside Code Car Parking the point where map and instructions inside this leaflet. When RESPECT PROTECT ENJOY There is parking provision at the following: you can take a walking the route try and look out for the Walk public footpath logo that will be situated on stiles, gates and • Be safe– plan ahead andfollow on the left hand posts along the route. Directional waymarks any signs • Candleston Castle car park. This car park is open from 9.OOam to 5.OOpm side. Go over with arrows will assist you as to which • Leave gates and the wooden direction to walk in once you are on a public property as you find them in winter and 9.OO am to 7.3O pm in summer. stile keeping the right of way. We also recommend you refer to • Protect plants and animals, A charge normally applies. hedgerow on your the OS Explorer Map 151 and Bridgend. and take your litter home • On-street parking in Newton Village, Porthcawl. right. Follow the • Keep dogs under close control field-edge path to a • Consider other people Stile at wooden stile. Go over Merthyr Mawr Warren the stile and bear Follow the Countryside Code wherever you go. You will left. Follow the defined route through Cwm y get the best out of the countryside and help to Befos. Go over a further two stiles and join maintain it now and for the future. the path towards Newton. From this point simply retrace your steps to Newton Village. Public Transport 9 Advice & Information 10 11 For further information on bus times and service The going is very steep in places and may be numbers telephone Bridgend Council’s, Public Transport Section on O1656 wet. Remember to wear suitable clothes and Wooded walk near Merthyr Mawr 642559 or the Traveline on O871 2OO 22 33 good shoes/boots and take food and drink (www.traveline.info). Cwm y Befos For further information about this walk, to pass on your comments and suggestions Accommodation or to report any practical problems on any of the paths please contact the Rights To make a reservation or to obtain information on of Way Section, Environmental and accommodation contact one of the Tourist Communities Directorate, Morien House Information Centres. These are at McArthur Glen Bennett Street, Bridgend Industrial Designer Outlet off Junction 36 the M4 (tele- phone O1656 6549O6) and at John Street, Estate, Bridgend, CF31 3SH Porthcawl (telephone O1656 786639). Waymark Telephone For further general information about the 01656 642537 or O1656 642593 Bridgend area you can contact us via e-mail at with you and be prepared to get fit! Always [email protected]. Alternatively, you can follow the Countryside Code. When you are or by e-mail at visit our website - which is at www.bridgend.gov.uk walking on minor roads keep to the right and [email protected] The Ancient Briton public house make use of verges whenever you can. This map is reproduced from Ordnance Survey material with permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationary Office, © Crown copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. ( Council Licence Number 100023405, 2007).

Atgynhyrchir y map hwn o ddeunydd yr Ordnance Survey gyda chaniatâd yr Ordnance Survey ar ran Rheolwr Llyfrfa Ei Mawrhydi © Hawlfraint y Goron. Newton to Candleston Walk Mae atgynhyrchu heb ganiatâd yn torri hawlfraint y Goron a gall hyn arwain at erlyniad neu achos sifil. (100023405, 2007).

Tythegston

7 Newton

Cwm y Befos X

5 1 Wig-fach

2 Merthyr Mawr 6 Warren 3 Rifle Range Candleston (disused) Castle 8 Newton Church Newton 4 Sandford’s Burrows Well Car Park

Merthyr MawrWarren 6

1 Newton village dates from the 12th Start the walk at Follow the waymarked sandy track across the century. It was founded as the ‘New Town’ Newton Church dunes, past the hamlet of Wig Fach5 . Turn Introduction close to the Saxon settlement of by and follow Church right and follow the waymarked path across Richard de Cardiff. By the 17th century it was Street past the the dunes This leaflet describes a walk from a thriving port exporting wheat, oats and Jolly Sailor (the leading Newton Village through a unique knitted stockings and importing fruit and oldest pub in towards system of sand dunes. The route is salt. Porthcawl) on the the sea. 1 2 Newton Church. left hand side, on There are approximately 9km (5 /2 miles). The The Jolly Sailor public house to Bryneglwys views of walk should take approximately 3 to 31/2 The magnificent church was probably Avenue. Take the Newton hours to complete however, you founded by the signed public footpath on your left, locally Point to Newton beach should allow a bit more time to enjoy Knights of the known as Puddle Lane, until you reach Birch the west. the views of the countryside and Order of St. John of Walk. Cross the road and take the signposted Along this coast. The route uses a combination of Jerusalem about footpath opposite. At the Burrows continue section you will notice views of the Bristol 8OO years ago. It was along the public footpath directly opposite Channel and Ogmore by Sea. On a clear day maintainable highway, public footpaths and through the A-frame barrier. Follow the Minehead can be seen in the distance. and public bridleway, including a originally a fortress with a tower for look-outs to well-defined, waymarked path that runs From this point onwards the terrain changes, Newton Church section of the Heritage Coast Path. warn of attacks from the behind Lime Tree Way into Newton Burrows. becoming much steeper in places (the 1 2 sea. Inside, look out for the 3 The path is relatively level and the surface is 4 gradient can reach 1:3), and the sandy For convenience the following compact sand. directions are written with Newton unique wall-mounted pulpit. surface is not as compact. After your 4 Village as the starting point but you To the south of the church is Sandford’s Newton Burrows. In 1973, a 3OOO year old descent on the path you will come to a large Well 3 , dedicated to burial tomb was found near here. This was one clearing. Take the waymarked path on the left could equally well join the walk from of many burials in the area associated with hand side. You may notice a disused rifle range Tythegston or Wig Fach. St. John the Baptist. Over the years, it’s the Beaker Folk, so called because they on your right. You are now in Merthyr Mawr 6 been claimed that the decorated pots they made. Archaeological Warren . water has magical, finds also indicate that the Iron Age Celts curative and holy and the Romans settled here. properties. Sandford’s Well