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Home , Boverton, Colwinston, Corntown, Cowbridge, Ewenny, Fonmon

• • Registered Charity No. 1062031 No. Charity Registered www.perfectlysimpledesign.co.uk by Print & Design Consider other people other Consider

• • Keep dogs under close control close under dogs Keep Registered Charity No. 1062031 Registered Company No. 3330088 No. Company Registered 1062031 No. Charity Registered

Website: www.valeways.org.uk Website: litter home litter

E-mail: [email protected] E-mail:

• •

Protect plants and animals and take your take and animals and plants Protect countryside access and walking and access countryside

Telephone: 01446 749000 01446 Telephone:

VALEWAYS

• • Leave gates and property as you find them find you as property and gates Leave Skomer Road, Barry CF62 9DA CF62 Barry Road, Skomer

Valeways, Unit 7, Barry Enterprise Centre, Enterprise Community Barry 7, Unit Valeways, • • Be safe, plan ahead and follow any signs any follow and ahead plan safe, Be

cerdded yng nghefn gwlad nghefn yng cerdded

and the Countryside Council for for their continued support. continued their for Wales for Council Countryside the and

FOLLOW THE COUNTRYSIDE CODE COUNTRYSIDE THE FOLLOW

Valeways Partnership - Many thanks to the Vale of Council Glamorgan of Vale the to thanks Many - Partnership Valeways

Photograph © G. Woosnam G. © Photograph

Photograph © Alan Wilson Alan © Photograph

• • The Star Inn Star The

their time freely to provide this walk for your enjoyment. your for walk this provide to freely time their

• • St Mary’s Church Mary’s St

interest.We are indebted to the many volunteers who give up give who volunteers many the to indebted are interest.We

• •

Cwrt towns and villages to the surrounding countryside and points of points and countryside surrounding the to villages and towns

• • Mary St enjoyable circular walks across the , linking Glamorgan, of Vale the across walks circular enjoyable

community to reopen existing footpaths to create a network of network a create to footpaths existing reopen to community • • Lead mine stack mine Lead

Valeways is a registered charity working in partnership with the with partnership in working charity registered a is Valeways

• • St Canna’s Church Canna’s St

Distance: 3½, 5½, and 13 miles. 13 and 5½, 3½, Distance:

• • The Carne Arms Carne The

Village Walk Village countryside access and walking and access countryside

• • St Tydfil’s St

VALEWAYS

• • The Holy Trinity Church Trinity Holy The

The Six The

• • Pwll y Wrach y Pwll

cerdded yng nghefn gwlad nghefn yng cerdded

• • Baptismal Pool Baptismal

14 and 15 15 and 14 • • The Sycamore Tree Sycamore The

Walks Nos. 11 (modified), 11 Nos. Walks • • St Michael’s and All Angels All and Michael’s St WALK FEATURES WALK

WALK LOCATION IN RELATION TO VALEWAYS’ MILLENNIUM HERITAGE TRAIL

Pencoed Llanharry M4 15 Pontyclun 35 Talygarn 34 33 14 Hensol St. Fagons 1 Priory 16 Court Museum Peterston Penllyn Super Ely 13 Castle 12 Cowbridge St. Brides Major 2 Dunraven Castle 7 Duffryn House Broughton 11 5 Monknash 8 6 Photograph © G. Woosnam 3 Photograph © G. Woosnam 10 Nash Llantwit Lighthouses St. Athan Merthyr St. Donats Major Dyfan Castle 9 Castle Barry St. Donats KEY 4 Millennium Trail Channel

Valeways’ Millennium Heritage Trail covers a distance of over 100km, spanning over 6,000 years of history. It wends its way through a variety of beautiful landscapes. At its northern edge there are panoramic vistas of the Blaenau Morgannwg, while in the south it skirts a spectacular cliffed coastline.

The Trail is split into 16 easy to follow sections, each of which can be walked within a few hours. The surroundings are Photograph © Alan Wilson diverse, often spectacular and steeped in history. Photograph © G. Woosnam

Those who have never visited this part of Wales will enjoy walking through fertile, lowland countryside adjoining the spectacular with its beautiful beaches. The route includes many fascinating historic features, from prehistoric burial chambers to magnificent castles, churches and mansions.

Valeways has published a guide to the Millennium Heritage Trail. This colourful book describes the 16 sections which make up the Trail and comes in a package with 16 separate A3 maps. Information on purchasing the guide can be obtained by contacting Valeways.

Photograph © Alan Wilson Photograph © G. Woosnam The Six Village Walk - Walks Nos. 11 (modified), 14 and 15 Cowbridge The Vale of Glamorgan has many attractions ranging from its splendid coastline, its pleasant rolling landscape to its many sites of historical interest. However, for many it is its villages that have a special appeal with their churches, their inns, their varied housing styles and other features of historical interest. This walk allows you to visit six of them, or to be more precise five villages and two hamlets. The complete walk is almost thirteen miles long but there is ample scope for breaking this up for shorter walks. Some of these are shown on the map by the use of different colours. Distances: Northern Circulars 3 and 4 miles; Southern Circular 5½ miles; whole walk 13 miles Map: OS Explorer 151. Parking: Roadside in whichever village you start from; some car parks in Colwinston Public transport: Bus services V3 and V4 operate over some parts of the route. Refreshments: Sycamore Tree (Colwinston), Carne Arms (), Star Inn (Treoes) START: The Route Guide, below, starts at Colwinston (see map). Obviously as it is a circular walk, the start location can be the walker’s choice. 11 Bear slightly right to find the next Walk on in a similar direction Alternative Dry Weather route. Penymynydd stile at the top of the slope. Cross keeping above a rather sharp slope the corner of the following field down to the right to bisect a line of Please note that the two easternmost to a stile leading to a winding trees in front of a farmhouse (Court fields of this route are often very boggy. path through a recently Farm). Continue along a well defined, established wood. Exiting the Continue along the road and take the Treoes gated and stiled track and when you wood you see the next stile to first left (Nant Canna) to turn left St Mary Hill enter a wider area maintain direction 12 your left. Once over this turn right again at a road junction. At the end of and follow the rough lane that along the left hand hedge to cross two the row of houses take the stile on the Cwrt 10 leads you to the A48 at Pentre stiles and reach the road. right hand side of the road. Walk Meyrick. Now turn left. Soon you will pass the along the left hand side of this first (If walking the southern shorter Treoes road sign and then, if walking field to a stile in the far left corner. Do the main walk, you should turn left at 8 route turn left along the same exactly the same in the next field. This rough lane which soon becomes a stile adjacent to a gate. Of course leads you into a smaller field which an imposing tree-lined avenue. you may take the opportunity of you cross to enter a larger field via a You will pass a stile on your right. refreshing yourself in the village or stile. Maintain your direction and you This is the point where the main indeed of returning to Llangan using will reach a rather complex stile and S Start 9 the alternative route (see map and Complete walk walk joins route your route. So ditch. Once over this continue now go to the final paragraph of route guide in this colour below). Note forward, slightly right, to another stile Southern short circular this route is boggy in places for much Northern short circular the main walk notes to complete that leads you into the final field. Here of the year. Dry weather route your shorter walk.) you head diagonally right to reach a ‘A’ Road At Pentre Meyrick cross the A48 Once over this stile head forward, gate that gives on to a road. Here turn Other Roads to walk on, northward, along the slightly right, to pass through a gap left. Just before you reach the ‘Entry Wooded Area road signposted St Mary’s Hotel and into a second field where you target a to Llangan’ sign, turn right along a Built-up Area Golf Course, passing Cross Farm stile visible in this field’s right hand surfaced lane. To continue your walk Individual Building A48 and then the road junction for corner. Go over this and turn left, refer to the text that follows the Church Tewgoed keeping to the hedge line, to a double Penllyn on your right. Soon you will above. * stile. Now turn slightly right and Pentre reach a stile on your left. Cross the Meyrick continue up the slope to a stile on the FEATURES OF INTEREST double stile and, in the field that field’s far boundary. Continue in the follows, head just to the right of an same direction to a stile in the right Colwinston COLWINSTON island of trees visible on the near hand (eastern) corner of the next field. 1 St Michael’s and All Angels. This is a horizon. Grade 1 listed Church. It was built in 1111 in S Now turn right to pass over a series of the Early English style. 4 You then reach a stile that takes stiles and go through a gate. You then 1 2 2 you on to a quiet country lane. walk around the back and side of a The Sycamore Tree was built Cross the stile on its other side before1650. 3 B4268 property, Cwrt 10 to reach a surfaced and walk on, bearing slightly road. 3 This Baptismal Pool was used until the left, to enter and then leave, via Follow this for about 300 yards to late 19th century by the local Ebenezer stiles, a more wooded area and reach the gate on the right that you Baptist Church. enter an open field. Llangan can crossed walking up from Llangan. 4 Pwll y Wrach is a 17th century Manor be seen directly ahead. Cross it and reverse the route guide House that was rebuilt in 1770 and further Continue to the bottom left hand given above to return to this village. considerably changed when the Prichard corner of this open field and turn This means walking down the field to family took possession in the late 19th left around a pond. a gap in its boundary. Then turn right century. Did have an extensive parkland Go through a gate and follow a 6 7 along the hedgerow to a stone stile. garden much of which has reverted to well-defined track for some 250 Keep in same direction to cross the farmland. Now produces high quality yards to reach an elevated stile in footbridge. Now walk up the field that livestock. Llysworney the hedge on your right. This follows to the stone stile in the top takes you into a field where you right hand corner that takes you into 5 The Holy Trinity Church is a listed Llandow head for a gap on the other side. the churchyard. 12th/13th century building. Ahead you will see two stiles. 5 Once on the road outside the church Follow the route that they LLYSWORNEY turn left and follow the road to a indicate and cross a third stile 6 St Tydfil’s was first mentioned as a junction. Turn right at the red Route Guide in Llandow. Its church 5 is a short tucked into the right hand corner church when under the aegis of Tewkesbury telephone kiosk. Continue along this Abbey. It contains a large pre Reformation S Start either at St Michael’s distance away to the right. You of the next field. Continue in the road as far as Preswylfa House. bell, Bristol made in the 15th century. Like so church 1 or the Sycamore Tree turn left and follow the road out same direction along the hedge Here you turn left down a surfaced many churches it suffered from inn 2 depending on parking of the village. Just after a line to turn right at a stile that lane. unsympathetic Victorian restoration. availability. Walk from the church up right-hand bend you leave the leads you to a broad track. Turn road by turning left to cross a left to soon reach the main road. Just* past the property named the gentle hill past the inn. Continue Manderley take the second track off to 7 The Carne Arms is more than 400 years stile into a field. Follow its left Turn left and follow this road through eastward for some 350 yards until the right. Carry straight on via gates old. Its name is derived from the local family boundary and exit via a stile into Llangan to reach St Canna’s Church 8 you reach on your right the drive of and stile, past a barn. You now begin of that name who were very influential in this a road where you turn right. on your right. Enter the churchyard a residence, Heddfan. Follow the to climb uphill along an almost straight area. property’s right hand boundary After 300 yards climb a flight of (near by the Celtic Cross) and route Keep the field boundary to your to descend a stepped stone steps on your left and immediately turn right over a stone right (ignore rectangular extension) LLANGAN stile into a field. Continue down cross the stile. Go straight 8 St Canna’s Church is of a 12th century stile and then left as you move and cross two single stiles to reach a slope to a double stile on the across the field, over one stile foundation. It underwent a complete external through a large field. Move to the double stile. Maintain direction across right, past an attractive pond and then another on your right restoration in 1856. In the churchyard there 3 (once a baptism pool), over on to a farm track. Follow this right hand side of this field as you this final field to reach the A48 via a are two features of considerable interest. wooden and stone stiles then track, into the village of go downhill to the bridge over Nant double stile. Firstly there is a 9th century Celtic Cross uphill to a double stile to the right Llysworney. Canna. Then take the stone stile Cross the main road directly to a depicting the crucifixion and secondly a rare, of a gate. Continue over the If you wish to visit the Carne directly ahead of you. Walk on with a minor road and continue heading unaltered, completely medieval Cross and crest of the next field and follow Arms 7 continue ahead to the hedge to your left, targeting a south for some hundred yards to a Calvary. stile on the left. This takes you the line of the overhead wires to main road. Otherwise turn left conspicuous dead tree some way downhill between the church 6 through a narrow belt of woodland to 9 Lead mine stack This is what remains of a stile. Aim for a stile towards the ahead. Just before reaching this tree and a picturesque pond. At the a stile that leads into a field. Turn right the Llangan lead mine that operated from bottom right hand corner of the turn left and head up through a fairly crossroads turn left along the and walk along the edge of the field. 1855 – 1879. The largest lead mine in the following field. (The actual Right large field to a gate that you will see lane signposted to Colwinston. Soon it turns sharp right. Continue Vale existed in the 17th and 18th centuries of Way follows a curved downhill just to the left of a house. This gives course to your right.) Now turn At a left bend in the road turn along the field’s edge to the bottom of near this walk route at Tewgoed (see map). right over a stile next to a field on to a road. Turn right, then first left, the field where you reach a stile and left along a road for a short then left again at the Coach House, distance before turning right over gate. Walk a short distance up then a major track. ST MARY HILL quickly to turn right uphill along a 10 Cwrt This is a small group of buildings the stile at Stembridge Brook the slope and pass through a Here turn right and, with those clear track. Carry on along this track that stands a little west of St Mary . Pumping Station. Follow the path kissing gate (from here a short walking the shorter southern option, past three barns and over two stiles. Hill. The buildings date from the 15th century. to a nearby second stile and diversion along a path to the left follow the track and its Millennium Proceed on, ignoring the stile on the There is some evidence of a former fulling then walk straight ahead, leads to an information board) Trail waymarks back to Colwinston. left, passing transmission towers to mill. passing a stunted tree on your into Worney Wood, created in After crossing a cattle grid just before the right while keeping the hedge to right, until you reach a footbridge. 2000 by the Woodland Trust. farm buildings, Pwll y Wrach 4 bear your left to move onto a major track 11 St Mary’s Church Situated in an area of Continue more or less in a Follow the footpath straight right towards the first of a series of St Mary Hill called Penymynydd, this church ahead to exit the wood via a coming in from the right. Turn left to a straight line, uphill at first stiles. The fourth of these takes you has features from the 13th to 20th centuries. through three fields (via one stile leading to a grassy track. roadside stile then turn left on the road to reach St Mary’s Church 11 left onto a wooded track, now The churchyard contains a medieval cross gateway and two stiles) to a Soon bear right from the track with possibly an original carved head. clump of scrubby trees and a into a field. Follow its left to your right. Just past this church obstructed by collapsed stone walls waymark post at the front and boundary uphill. Continue turn right at a stile and then left. and nettles. So it is necessary to TREOES rear. Descend the short distance ahead through a gap in the Walk on downhill through three fields continue to the field edge, where you 12 The Star Inn Created out of two cottages. to a footbridge leading to the hedge to find a double stile keeping to the left hand edge of the turn right and walk parallel to the official The older cottage was built of local limestone roadside leading into the next field. first two but across the third to arrive footpath into Colwinston. Continue and has a thatched roof; the younger has a at a stile that gives on to an through Colwinston to the START. Welsh roof. entrenched road. Cross this road with care to a stile on the other side.