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Cerddwyr Ramblers Rhif 50, Haf/Hydref 2019 Summer/Autumn, no. 50 Cylchlythyr Cerddwyr Grŵp Aberystwyth / Aberystwyth Ramblers’ Group Newsletter

Reporting problems on rights of way I have found this system easy to e all enjoy walking on our use and usually get a response wonderful network of public from a member of the Public W paths and bridleways in the Rights of Way Officer’s staff Aberystwyth and within a day or so of reporting a area. Many of these paths, like problem. I can advise ramblers the Coast Path and the to on the use of the problem Devil’s Bridge path, are reporting website if they wish to prioritised by Ceredigion County report a problem. these rights of way by reporting Council for maintenance work Bill Green. problems encountered on walks and are well waymarked and in Aberystwyth Ramblers to the County Council using the good condition. However, Footpath Officer. problem reporting system on problems can be encountered [email protected] their website: on rights of way, particularly http://www.ceredigion.gov.uk/r those in outlying areas, such as esident/contact/problem- locked gates, obstructions, reporting/ damaged stiles etc. Members of the Group can help to maintain

Walking in the Greek Islands

Many of you will have been on Dave Taylor’s walks in various Greek Islands over the last decade or so. Having retired last year, I finally went on one of Dave’s trips in September 2018. Here are some photos from that trip which I hope you will find interesting.

Top left: Looking back at the harbour on Seriphos when the ferry is coming in. Because of the calm sea, you can see the wake stretching back miles. I don’t think you’ll see this in the Irish Sea! Middle: Where we used to have supper on Milos: the harbourside restaurants at night. Top right: It was hot. Whenever there was a wind, the goats would stand on top of the walls to keep cool. Bottom left: I was very interested in the geology and took hundreds of photos of the rocks to share with my local geology club. I’ll just include one here: a road cutting we came across on Kimolos. In the centre is my walking pole for a scale. The islands are volcanic in origin. This shows successive layers of tuff – fine powdery material which spewed out of a volcano, went high in the air and then fell down as an ash layer. As more material built up on top, the fine ash became a layer of rock. Each episode of volcanic eruption gives a clearly defined ash layer with different colours and composition. Chris Simpson.

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treasurer, Roger Fisher, running a lovely 7 mile circular Brynbeidiog, , walk led by Wyck Gerson LLANBERIS Our Aberystwyth, SY23 4SS. Lohman. The walks are free but WEEKEND week booking is advisable at Last year’s very successful week AWAY end www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cwmty end away catered for 55 11-13 October du-scenic-walk-tickets- members, however, this year 2019 away 58851214567 Registration for this we only have accommodation the walk is at 9.30am with the year will for 45 members so I would commencement of the walk at be at The Royal advise you to book early. 10am. There will be Victoria Hotel in the heart of the refreshments available. majestic scenery of . There will be a selection of walks of all grades over the week-end and the hotel is Day Trip by Coach to ideally situated with lovely Crickhowell views of the surrounding area Saturday 22 June 2019 and within comfortable walking Our annual day trip by coach is distance of all the amenities and to Crickhowell in the heart of attractions of Llanberis. These The Royal Victoria Hotel, the Brecon Beacons, there will include the Snowdon Mountain Llanberis be a choice of walks of 3 grades Railway, the Electric Mountain, and a supper at the Elan Hotel Llyn Padarn and the museums in on the return depicting the local history of the journey. The trip has proved Slate Quarries and the way of very popular and the coach is life connected to them. almost full. Price is £28 per The cost of the week-end for 2 person to include transport, a nights dinner, bed and breakfast guided walk and a buffet is £125 per person and there supper. A reminder to those are 6 single rooms available booked that payment is due by with no supplement. The dinner th June 15 , cheques made will consist of a choice of three Coast Path Festival payable to ‘Aberystywth courses and will be followed by Ceredigion Event, Saturday 11 Ramblers’ and sent to Roger tea/coffee. There is ample May at Cwmtydu Fisher, Brynbeidiog, parking on site as the hotel is This year instead of the Big Llangwyryfon, Aberystwyth, situated in its own attractive Welsh Walk, Ramblers Cymru SY23 4SS grounds and the area has a are running a Coast Path wealth of walks with the Festival to celebrate the 7 year stunning backdrop of the anniversary of National Park. the opening of To book your place first contact the Wales Coast Path. Dwynwen on Crickhowell High Street [email protected] or on During the 01970 820166 by June 10th. A month of May there will be deposit of £25 per person will events at seven coastal venues Facebook be needed before June 15th. in Wales with the Ceredigion Aberystwyth Ramblers Group now has a Facebook page. Thanks to Sue Harries for Cheques for the deposits to be event based at Cwmtydu on th volunteering to run it. Through Facebook the made payable to ‘Aberystwyth Saturday 11 May. There will group hopes to make itself known to a wider Ramblers’ and sent to our be 4 walks on offer and Aberystwyth Ramblers are audience and draw in more members, as well as serve and please current members. Our Facebook page is easy to find, just go to: https: www.facebook.com/Aberystwyth- Ramblers

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ISIT TO ABERYSTWYTH BY THE KRONBERG WALKERS The walks are listed on the V And dinner on Consti Summer Programme, On Sunday 7th July Penny however, if you would like to Miller is leading the walk to We will be welcoming 22 have a seat on the coach that the Source of the Severn from walkers here in Aberystwyth the Kronberg Walkers have the Hafren Forest and we from Kronberg, between 3rd – booked for the walk to the would be grateful for offers of 10th of July. Many of our Elan Valley on Saturday 6th help with lifts for our members have had enjoyable July, please contact Dwynwen. Kronberg visitors from visits to Kronberg in the past Aberystwyth to the start of the and we had the pleasure of the walk and of course back to company of some walkers Aberystwyth. If you can help from Kronberg during their with offering a lift please last visit here in Aberystwyth contact Dwynwen. in 2014. A programme of walks has been arranged for Königsbanner them and it is hoped that Aberystwyth Ramblers will Also, there will be a dinner at join in these walks. the restaurant on Consti on Tuesday 9th July at 7pm. The cost of the dinner is £16 per head which will include a ride in the train up to the Ceredigion coat of arms restaurant on Consti as well as the evening meal followed by To reserve a place on the tea or coffee. A delightful coach to the Elan Valley Kronberg summer evening venue, and/or to book a meal at the bookings for the dinner to be restaurant on Consti please in by 26th June. contact Dwynwen on [email protected] or on 01970 820166.

Have you ever been to Egypt? Dave Taylor thought for a second he was in that country when he saw this sight. But he wasn't, instead he was in Snowdonia. A Sphinx-like mountain in Wales (editor).

Strata Florida kindly led by Haydn/Tim and are afoot to develop it by the Strata The last programme (Nov2018- Rob/Mary. I thought it worth Florida Trust. April2019) featured 2 walks that recalling the history of this Firstly, there's the name. I've included , significant site, especially as plans always thought that despite being www.ramblers.org.uk Elusen Gofrestredig 1093577 Registered Charity

in the heart of Wales, it doesn't notable burials include Prince the building materials used to build sound very Welsh. The Gruffydd ap Rhys II and the poet Ty Abaty (a house Welsh translation is Abaty Ystrad Dafydd ap Gwilym. for the local gentry whose Fflur. Strata Florida is a Latinisation Strata Florida becamean important ownership included the Powells of of (valley of flowers). and powerful religious centre. Nanteos and John Vaughan of The Welsh word 'ystrad' is Prince Llywelyn ap Iorwerth held Trawscoed) and the Parish church synonymous with strath and dale council here and Welsh leaders of St Mary that stands while 'fflur' is also the name of the acknowledged his son Dafydd as to this day to retain a religious nearby river. rightful successor in 1238. The presence on the site. The foundation of the Abbey most important primary historical It wasn't until the 19th Century that occurred in 1164 by the Cambro- source for early Welsh history, the historical interest in the site began Norman Knight, Robert Fitz Brut y Tywysogion was compiled at with Stephen Williams, a railway Stephen. Cistercian from Strata Florida. engineer, whose archeological Abbey, Narberth, The Abbey's demise began in the association leased the site for started to construct a religious 15th century. In 1401 (the early extensive archeological digs with settlement on the banks of the years of Owain Glyndwr's an aim to improving public interest Afon Fflur. rebellion), King Henry IV seized the and accessibility. This was at a time of fast expansion abbey as the monks were deemed Taking us to the present day, the of the Cistercian Order, originating to be sympathetic to Glyndwr. They Abbey acquired Scheduled Ancient in Citeaux, Burgundy, France (hence were evicted and the abbey was Monument status in 1919, then it the name). The Old Monastery, a plundered. It became a military was put in the care of and short distance from the present base. After the rebellion, it was now the Strata Florida Trust, whose site, later developed into the Abbey returned to the project aims to improve public of Strata Florida, founded through around 1415, however, the well knowledge and access to the area. patronage by . known dissolution of the This organisation acquired Lord Rhys reaffirmed the site as a monasteries began Mynachlog Fawr (the historic monastery with a further charter in in 1539 with Henry VIII (he was buildings just south of the Abbey) in 1184. peeved that the 2016 and has the support of many Several descendants of the Lord wouldn't allow his divorce at the local and national governing bodies. Rhys are buried at the Abbey time). The building and its contents A happy ending then, to a site including 11 princes of the Welsh were sold off with, it is believed, steeped in history! royal house of Dinefwr . Other Will Johnson.

How Strata Florida would have looked in the 12th century

Our walk leaders outside the abbey on the -Teifi Pools-Strata Florida walk on Saturday 6/4/2019

Walking and thinking, In the series put down much of the great literature Great walks in history ; no. 5. and innovations of creative people to I’m not referring here to any specific their walking, including William walk that someone may claim to Wordsworth, Charles Dickens, have had a baring on history but Virginia Woolf, the Bronte sisters, rather how walking was an habitual Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Henry David activity for many of the world’s Thoreau and Steve Jobbs just to greatest thinkers and writers. Many name a few. You may like to read on of these people claimed that some of BBC online an article called ‘The their best ideas or thoughts came to slow death of purposeless walking’, By Haydn, editor. them whilst walking. Thereby we can dated 1 May 2014. It’s still viewable.