Photograph (c) G. Woosnam Walks derived from Nos. 57, 58 and 59 In and About Welsh

The settlement of has existed since pre Norman times. It was called Welsh, some believe, because the soils where it is located were not in Norman times deemed suitable for arable farming. So it remained in Welsh hands, outside the Norman sphere just to the south. Even in the mid 19th century its inhabitants were overwhelmingly Welsh speaking. The addition of Welsh to its name also conveniently distinguished it from its namesake on the coast. Development of the village has been slight. It has its church and village hall but no other amenity. It exists as a grouping of well-appointed residences in an unspoiled, attractive part of the Vale. The level nature of the land on which it is sited belies the fact that at almost 400 ft above sea level, it is one of the higher settlements in the Vale. Because of footpath blockages in some places and a lack of Rights of Way in others there is no obvious complete circular walk around Welsh St Donats available within the distance parameters that we have adopted. Thus this lea et/web item departs from the format used in previous examples. It describes two walks, for the most part within the Welsh St Donats area, that can be used as standalones or, if so wished, linked up by the walker, using the appropriate O S map. Distance Walk A 4 miles. Walk B 7½ miles. Map OS Explorer 151 & . Recommended. S Start Parking To match the Route Guide below: for Walk A, park roadside in Welsh St Donats itself; for Walk B park at Hensol Forest Walk A car park. Grid Ref ST 031 768. Since both walks are circular the walker may join the route at any convenient point. Walk B Public Transport A limited two a weekday V5 service, runs to/from /Barry Spur or Diversion Refreshments None on either of the two routes. Road IndustrialRiver or Stream Estate Wooded Area Railway You then reach a stile leading you into a Built-up Area field. Maintain direction through two more FEATURES OF INTEREST stiles./gaps to enter the Vale Resort Golf Individual Building 1 St Donats Church. This church Course (6). Church dedicated to St Donat is over 800 years Lake Turn right and follow the footpath along the old. The earliest record of it was in course’s perimeter (there is an attractive lake to the right) to reach a stile that takes 1153. It is Early English in style with you out of the course. Now bear left to skirt a pre reformation sanctus bell. the boundary of Home Farm and its The church was restored in 1891 S Start outbuilding developments. First you pass Path Golf Course the entrance to the Coed Llwyn Rhyddid (7) 2 Ham Farm 6 Church Farm. This is one of the few Short Route heronry on your right, then the entrance to Llwyn Yoy Ty Deg Cymru. Continue, curving right, to long, low Welsh farmhouses still in alternative route to avoid hill Spur or Diversion Driving Graig Pond reach the Farm drive and then a country Road 7 Range occupation. It has early origins. It is built Penllyn Home lane. Here you turn right. River or Stream Catreglas Those wishing to acquaint themselves with of local limestone and has an internal 5 Wooden Area Farm 4 the Hensol Vale Hotel Resort area should winding staircase Railway 3 continue ahead for a short distance, passing Built-up Area 3 Caecady House. A house of this the well known golf buggy store to take the Individual Building Church & Court stile on the left. The Public Footpath name has existed here since medieval Church 4 continues to the left of the changing rooms Refreshments through the lower area of the car park and times, probably named after a family Gallops on to the drive that bears off left through called Caddy. The existing house was what was Hensol Hospital N B changes to built in the latter half of the 18th century Tre- the route of the public footpath are liable to Pen y lan by a Lewis Jenkins. He was the last Dr. Salmon’s Wells Coed Dodridge occur here). 6 On the main walk, after turning right, 2 y Marlau male of the Jenkins line; a family who continue along the well-defined track to had lived here for centuries. reach a slightly higher grade of country road. Turn right. You soon reach a gate on 4 Llwyn Ddu. This owes what fame it Penllyn 5 the left that allows you into a field (if locked Trebettyn Bryn y has to the fact that the celebrity Tom S Hensol Forest take the stile a little further along). Keeping Ddafod to the left of the field you progress to a Jones owned it for much of the 1990s. Newton second field via a gap. Cross this field House diagonally right to pass under transmission Because of security issues the 7 Farm lines and reach a stile that gives onto footpaths crossing its land were diverted Penllyn Castle another minor road. to a much more circuitous route that has Turn left and walk gently downhill to reach Prisk 1 a stile on the right that leads you into a field proved difficult to maintain. 3 Caecady Welsh St Donats/ with its gallops, associated with the nearby 8 5 2 S Llanddunwyd Hensol racing stables. Cross the gallops via the Hensol Forestry. As on most 9 Forest gap provided and head downhill, bearing Forestry Commission land this area right with the gallops, to exit the field. was planted with quick growing conifers. WELSH ST DONATS C Pisgodlyn (You are now in Tre Dodridge with Rose A48 Course of former railway Cottage to your left). Now however the trees are being Llwynhelig Farm SCALE (APPROX): Warren Hill Turn left to a road junction. Here turn right replaced by what are deemed native Llwynhelig House to soon arrive at a stile on the right. Take 1 Kilometre Farm species such as oak, birch, rowan and SCALE (APPROX): this and bear left (ignore stile down to the ash. This increases flora and fauna 1 Kilometre 1 Mile right) to climb, diagonally, to the top right diversity. The southern part of this 1 Mile 1 hand corner of a large field. Here cross the corner of the next field via two stiles and forest is now an open, on foot, access School continue along a partly fenced track, turning area. S Cowbridge ROUTE GUIDE FOR WALK A Follow the road, which lies straight ahead, ROUTE GUIDE FOR WALK B left then right, towards Ty Fry Farm that you A48 gently downhill to a stile on the right, just Walk starts at Hensol Forest (5) car park. will see ahead. When you reach the farm 6 Vale Resort and Golf Course. The walk starts at St Donats Church. beyond Bwlch Gwyn Farm. Now follow a drive proper, turn left along what is a A leisure complex that has been Grid Ref. ST 027762 route that swings right round the fence of Facing away from the road take the left permissive path to reach at Ty Fry Lodge (8) hand track out of the car park that heads developed on the site of the former the electricity sub station to a gate in the a minor road. Cross it to a stile directly field boundary on its far side. slightly uphill into the forestry. When you Hensol Hospital. The complex contains opposite. Now bear right across a large Enter the churchyard via the main reach a crossing of tracks turn left along two golf courses, a 4 star hotel with entrance and head with care to the stone Once through this bear right and walk up an almost flat, direct route that takes you on field to a stile adjacent to a gap, which stile on the yard’s edge to the left of the the slope towards the pylon in the extreme to a country lane. There is a choice here. To leads you into a second field. Head downhill many other leisure facilities, a Grade church itself.(1) (N B the official route for top right hand corner of the field. Cross the walk the full distance turn left and walk on to the bottom right hand corner passing 1 listed building () and is the footpath is around the adjacent Church stile here and turn right to walk along a past the entrance to Llwyn Ddu to reach, a through attractive, hummocky terrain. Take little further on, a stile on the right. To shorten the training centre for the RFU Farm but locals rarely use this). narrow passageway between two fences. the stile or gate here and head uphill to the (2) the walk a little turn and follow the road as well as The Blues and Cardiff Proceed across the rather bumpy field to a This takes a somewhat angular course but right right of Warren Hill Farm that you will see gently downhill. Pass the entrance to stile in the far right hand corner. Once over, eventually you will arrive at a stile leading above you. Cross the stile here and turn City FC. Catreglas to arrive at a stile inset from the turn immediately right to another stile next you on to a road. Turn left to pass the road on your left. right. Head to the right of a hollow and to a gap in the field boundary. Now turn left. entrance to Llwyn Ddu (4) before you Now follow this route 7 Coed Llwyn Rhyddid heronry. reach a track into Hensol forestry (5) on guide from the below. approach gradually towards the edge of Continue through the next two fields, the forestry that lies to your right. Here you Bought in 1990 this is one of Wales’s keeping the hedge to your immediate left, your right. Follow the track for about 600 yards to turn right at a meeting of paths. Those who have turned left will now cross the will find a gate that leads you into the most important heronries. 28 heron then cross a third field, keeping to the right stile mentioned above and then will follow a of a pylon, to a stile that leads you on to a Follow this path downhill to the forestry car forestry along a well-marked but narrow pairs were reported in 2005. They nest park and exit on to the road. Now take the corridor pathway between metal fences. This path. You will emerge at a bend in the road road.Take the road directly ahead of you, path which has sharp angled bends runs on the Scots Pines. Entry is very road forward left, downhill then up to reach near a house. (Owl’s Lodge, though still passing the rear of Caecady House (3), through the grounds of Llwyn Ddu which you the Welsh St Donats road sign. Here turn called Forester’s House on many restricted because of a long breeding and a little later Duffryn House to reach a may glimpse to your right at times. Some 50 right into a minor lane. Follow it around O S maps.) Turn right into the forestry and stile on the right. (Those who wish to may yards short of a pylon that you will see ahead, period. back to the church and your start. N.B. keeping to the path on the right you will make a small walk extension by going on you arrive at a stile on your left. Cross this into the Great House is on the other side of a few yards to take the left fork into the (9) a field. Turn right and walk on along the edge reach Pysgodlyn Lake on your left. You 8 Ty Fry Lodge. This is a 19th the road. hamlet of Prisk). of the field to reach two close-together stiles. now skirt around this lake, crossing a small century example of a lodge, in this Once over the stile, proceed gently Take the first of these on your right to then dam en route, as you bear gradually left. case built for the country estate of the downhill, keeping parallel to the field’s left rejoin the angled corridor path. Continue Continue to hug the north eastern banks hand boundary to a stile in the field’s along this with Llwyn Ddu to your right to of this lake until the footpath leads you Insole family. It is Grade 2 listed bottom left hand corner. Now turn left along reach a stile directly ahead of you. Cross it gradually away from it, forward right. because of its picturesque nature and a broad track to soon turn right over a stile into an open field heading for a gap in the far After a short distance you will arrive at a into a large field. Cross it and the next field architectural character. left corner. Once through this take the second road. Cross this directly on to another heading just to the right of the pylon that gate on the right and proceed straight ahead forestry track. Follow this track and it will you will see ahead of you. Just past this through two more fields (Catreglas Farm is up 9 Great House, Welsh St Donats. take you to another road that you will cross you reach a stile. Take it and maintaining to your right) reach a stile that gives onto a Built as a gentleman’s residence, it was direction cross two more fields, via a gap country road. Turn left. to reach yet another forestry track. You will in the intervening boundary, to arrive at a follow this broad track all the way back to the home in the 18th century of the stile that gives on to a country lane. Continue downhill (Good views of Talygarn Hensol Forest car park where you started Llewellin family, one of whom was a Turn left and follow this lane until just past Manor forward left) and as the road bottoms the walk. High Sheriff of . A noted Bryn y Ddafod House. Here take the stile out you pass two stiles on your left and one agriculturalist, W. V. Huntley, lived here on your left and climb directly up the field on your right. As the road bends right you to a stile in the field’s top boundary. reach a second stile on the right that you for much of the 2nd half of the 19th cross onto a path through woodland. century.

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Keep dogs under close control close under dogs Keep

Telephone: 01446 749000 01446 Telephone: countryside access and walking and access countryside

• • VALEWAYS Protect plants and animals and take your litter home litter your take and animals and plants Protect

Skomer Road, Barry CF62 9DA CF62 Barry Road, Skomer

• • Leave gates and property as you find them find you as property and gates Leave

Valeways, Unit 7, Barry Community Enterprise Centre, Enterprise Community Barry 7, Unit Valeways, cerdded yng nghefn gwlad nghefn yng cerdded

• • Be safe, plan ahead and follow any signs any follow and ahead plan safe, Be

FOLLOW THE COUNTRYSIDE CODE COUNTRYSIDE THE FOLLOW

G. Woosnam G. (c) Photograph

Steve Curtis Steve (c) Photograph

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

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

this walk for your enjoyment. your for walk this

• •

Ty Fry Lodge. Fry Ty volunteers who give up their time freely to provide to freely time their up give who volunteers

and points of interest.We are indebted to the many the to indebted are interest.We of points and

• •

Walk B Walk 7½ miles. 7½ Coed Llwyn Rhyddid heronry. Rhyddid Llwyn Coed

linking towns and villages to the surrounding countryside surrounding the to villages and towns linking

Walk A Walk 4 miles. 4

of enjoyable circular walks across the Vale of Glamorgan, of Vale the across walks circular enjoyable of • • Vale Resort and Golf Course. Golf and Resort Vale

the community to reopen existing footpaths to create a network a create to footpaths existing reopen to community the

• • Hensol Forestry. Hensol

Valeways is a registered charity working in partnership with partnership in working charity registered a is Valeways Welsh St Donats St Welsh

• • Llwyn Ddu. Llwyn

countryside access and walking and access countryside

In and About and In

VALEWAYS • •

Caecady House. Caecady

58 and 59 Ystradowen 59 and 58 cerdded yng nghefn gwlad nghefn yng cerdded • • Church Farm. Church

Walks derived from Nos. 57, Nos. from derived Walks

• • St Donats Church. Donats St

WALK FEATURES WALK

WALK LOCATION IN RELATION TO VALEWAYS’ MILLENNIUM HERITAGE TRAIL

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

Photograph (c) Steve Curtis

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. 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 (c) G. Woosnam

Photograph (c) Steve Curtis St Owain’s Church and Motte