Cwmbran, a canal, a river, four pubs, and two bugs

In Cwmbran for a couple of days in the sweltering sunshine again, today's plan is an early morning mixed-terrain outing along the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal, and our river the Afon Llwyd. I've arranged to meet up with another runner, abbreviated nickname Shep, at Two Locks on the canal 6:30am. I have about a mile of road work to get to the meeting point and, by design, I am there first. I take a few pictures in the area and watch the canal for a couple of minutes waiting for Shep, he soon arrives from an unexpected direction, he has taken a wrong turn somewhere near the town centre.

Looking north along the canal at Two Locks from the road bridge

The old Ebenever Baptist next to the bridge. 

Looking south from the road bridge

To my left pub number one, The Waterloo

I remember fishing with nets here as a child

Shep arrives from an unexpected direction

We start running to the south along the canal down beside the water feature now at two locks, the actual locks are long gone, this part of the canal is far from navigable on the water. I'm enjoying the lilies on the still water. There is some restoration work on the locks further south. It seems like no time and we reach Pentre Lane. You can turn right here for a long steep ascent to the Castell-y-bwch and Henllys. We turn left for a shorter easier ascent to pass pub number two, The Three Blackbirds. Still on the roads we speed up as we descend again on the old Newport Road toward Llantarnam and pass pub number three, The Greenhouse. Shep comments on the pretty church here. I should have taken a photo for the memory, my brother and me were both christened there.

The water feature at Two Locks from below

Loving the lilies on the still water

Further south there is restoration work on the locks

Turn left to ascend Pentre Lane ...

... to the popular pub Three Black Birds, and  on the roads passing ...

... also popular pub Greenhouse

Now we pass the biscuit factory and share some stories about the bad smells from this place and the mars bar factory in Slough, then over the railway line and the river, and to the left a low section of stone wall. Below to the left are superb small trails through the woods alongside the river. You have to a little bit scramble down and then clamber over a barded wire fence. I get the impression Shep is less used to this kind of action, he feels a sense of adventure, and carries it off with aplomb. Aaah, now this is my kind of running, the sight of the river, and Shep takes a nice picture of the happy old plodder. I pause to admire a small weir and the trees in the parkland. Shep takes the opportunity for some refreshing splashing in the still water above the weir.

Down to the left for super trails through the trees ...

... this is more like it ...

... beside the river ...

... a happy old plodder

Pretty little weir and a nice spot for a paddle ...

... and admire the trees in the parkland.

Just a couple of hundred meters along we pass a larger weir and a briefer pause without paddling. Too soon we're off the trails into a car park, a footbridge over the river, and a minute or so on roads before little old dirt paths between the houses will return us to the trees. We are near to Chapel Lane now and nearby hotel where Shep departs to prepare for a day of work. I continue uphill on Bevan's Lane to return to the canal, and pause on the bridge to enjoy views toward the hills I ran over last weekend.

The second, larger, weir

Old dirt paths between the new houses

Shep departs, the day of work ahead

Uphill on Bevan's Lane

From the road bridge, I'm admiring views towards the hills ...

... and to the south along the canal

The canal here is very peaceful and soon disappears briefly through a tunnel. The water is still in the mooring area and you do see boats here, the canal north is navigable on the water. The pretty white house and reflection in the water are something to behold. Continuing south there is a flight of locks down which are long out of use, and some have been turned into water features. I see a mother duck and three little ones.

The canal is peaceful here ...

... and briefly disappears into a tunnel.

The water is still in the mooring area ...

... and I'm delighted by the sight of this pretty white house.

The flight of locks below is out of use ...

...  it makes a good place for a family of ducks.

The canal disappears underground and briefly reappears again near the shopping centre in Cwmbran. The footpath follows a cycle route although you can scramble down to peer along the water underneath an old bridge. I might explore here one day, but today I return to the cycle path. There's a fork ahead, the left is marked for bicycles, the right for pedestrians and bicycles. I know I must take the left bringing me to pub number four, The Halfway, in Old Cwmbran. I wonder if Shep had taken the right a couple of hours ago.
The canal is soon regained near the old iron arch as the cycle path runs alongside the water.

Peering under old bridge near two centre.

The best choice at the fork  brings me to The Halfway in Old Cwmbran ...

... and passing the old iron arch ...

... the canal is at last regained.

The cycle track crosses the canal at the end of Star Street on a small bridge and I've always crossed here. It looks like there's a nice rough bit of track through the undergrowth before the crossing so I decide to try that way today for a change. Its nice enough until the path becomes overgrown with bushes where I attempt to swerve around, my left foot crosses over in front of my right foot but alas does not find solid ground, I slide a little into the water, my right foot joins my left foot, luckily I can easily pull my way back out and backtrack to the bridge. Oh well, at least this little experience has cooled my feet. I'm soon approaching Two Locks again and back-tracking my footsteps of earlier this morning. There's a shady spot along the hard footpath where I can hop up the bank and over the fields. I can see the pimple atop Twmbarlwm on the horizon and I'm having pleasant memories of running up there last weekend. I just need to turn over the footbridge in the distance and then in a moment I'm dome.

Yay some rough stuff.

Returning to Two Locks

In this shady spot, hop up the bank ...

... and over the fields near the finish.

That was a good early outing today, just under 18km, an undulating route with a small total ascent of about 170m. I met Shep at Two Locks about 6:30am and we ran together for about 10km, which was really nice. Due to a bit of a garmin fail at Two Locks (forgot to restart the thing) I'm guessing my total run time at two hours, never mind, time doesn't matter to me this morning.

Update: Had a nice lunch with family at The Greenhouse!

Enjoy!

Blood, sweat and cheers

I'm in Cwmbran for a couple of days over the weekend and this morning I'm setting out on a hot summer morning for a run over the hills which stand above the town. I can't avoid a little roadwork today but I want to minimize. Yesterday, I had a short recce of some small footpaths I'll use early in the run. Then I'll be on unfamiliar paths through the farmland with frequent short stops to consult the map. I need to end this run a little after 2PM in the village of Henllys where I will meet junior and his grandparents at the village fete this afternoon.

I have just a few hundred meters along the roads before I turn off to the left on Henllys Road, a little grassy up leads to a lovely shady path through the trees. The foxgloves beside the path are big and beautiful. It's mid morning and its getting hot already, could be a tough run today. I guess the heat is the main feature of this run, but stiles and overgrown footpaths are also significant features.

Leaving the roads behind a little grassy up ...

... leads to lovely little woodland footpaths ...

... where the foxgloves are big and beautiful.

This is farmland, many fences, many stiles, most in good condition ...

... but the paths are often overgrown.

The footpath drops me out into a field and two geese choose to run along beside me. Mad! The goats and the sheep have a lot more sense, resting under the shade of a tree. I'm sweating really hard and its shirt-off time for me now. In a moment I'm outside the Castell-y-bwch and down the farm lane opposite. I'm on unfamiliar paths through the farmland now so I'm checking the map and looking for stiles over fences. Some are a bit overgrown here just like the footpaths earlier. Some cows in the opposite field have decided to make like the geese earlier, as I pause to photograph them they are giving me inquisitive looks.

Two geese decide to run along beside me ...

... the goats and the sheep have more sense.

The Castell-y-bwch (pub one)

Down the farm lane opposite and then back over farmland

The stiles are a little camouflaged here.

The cows on the other side of the fence giving me inquisitive looks.

I think perhaps my amusement at the cows has distracted me from navigation. I've definitely lost the line of the footpath and I have to improv over the fences. Sometimes under or through the fences. Here the barbs drew blood in several places and its running down my left leg as I run over the field. The horses on the other side are showing the same good sense as the goats and sheep earlier. I still havent found the path but its lovely running over meadowy fields. Not quite so lovely the flying insects have been feasting on me, perhaps excited by the scent of  fresh blood, ah the dratted little vampires. Then I have sight of the next farmhouse and I know I will be back on route in a moment or two, just as soon as I get past these thistles, they're taller than me. The intended route is regained on a rough track ascending, at first pleasant, the stones got larger and larger, the going got rougher and rougher.

Sometimes fence crossing bites and draws blood

Sensible horses shelter in the shade

Lovely meadowy fields ...

... here the thistles are taller than me.

The route regained a rough track ascending ...

... getting rougher and rougher.

After several ankle wrenching minutes the terrain levels off and eases underfoot for a minute or two before I start the final ascent of the first summit today, Twmbarlwm. Its a bit of a shadeless slog in the sun on the dirt paths up through the land of bracken and foxgloves. There are two mountain bikes parked at the kissing gate, I guess the riders have hiked to the summit area. I am soon at the trig point looking around, ahead the pimple and the two mountain bikers, behind me the masts atop Mynydd Machen over the other side of the valley. I run up the steps to the top of the pimple, a bit of chatter with the bikers, and a photograph.

Final ascent of Twmbarlwm

Two mountain bikes parked at the kissing gate

Summit trig looking toward the pimple

Masts atop Mynydd Machen

Steps up the pimple

Shirtless and sweat bathed at the summit

Just before I leave the pimple atop Twmbarlwm a brief pause to look over the ridge where I'll run to trig two, the summit of Mynydd Twyn-glas. The ground along the ridge is often boggy soggy going but today its dry as a bone. This is simply splendid running for me, except for the heat, we're just a shade under 30C at the time. The views over the valley of the Cwmcarn Forest to my left are just gorgeous. The path is blocked by a herd of cows, and they have calves still suckling, I detour over the rough and rejoin the paths to the radio masts, and then the trig. The pimple on Twmbarlwm looks very far away now. I take a moment to inspect the damage at the barbed wire fence on the way up there about a couple of hours ago.

The ridge from Twmbarlwm to Mynydd Twyn-glas ...

... often soggy boggy today dry as a bone.

The views to my left over the valley of ..

... Cwmcarn Forest and just gorgeous.

Cows with calves block the path, detour on the rough ...

... and then to the radio masts ...

... and the trig where the pimple of Twmbarlwm looks so very far away.

Just taking a moment to inspect the damage.

I'm heading along paths down Mynydd Llwyd and toward Twyn Calch. This is forestry area and there quite a few isolated conifers among the heather which makes for a nice visual contrast. I'll turn right and descend in to the delightful Cwm Lickey, on sometimes challenging ground underfoot. From here a nice easy bit of running down the valley, past the pond and old mine workings, to the Lamb Inn. I planned to refuel the water bottle here and maybe take a break for some fruit juice. Alas I find this place is a pub no more. I have a problem now, in this heat, I am out of water, and I have to make my appointment at Henllys fete in about an hour. I am not able do this in the intense heat without fresh water. I can see some folk in the garden at one of the houses alongside the Mountain Road and ask for help. Bless the generous and friendly ladies and girls at Beech House this afternoon, my bottle is recharged with iced water, and a pint of cold water to throw over my head and cool me down a while.

Isolated conifers among the heather, forestry nearby.

Going down into Cwm Lickey ...

... the path gets tough at the end ...

... its worth it, this is a beautiful little place ....

... the bracken is so verdant.

Running down the cwm past the pond ...

... and old mine workings ...

... to the Lamb Inn (pub two, ex).

Its baking hot alongside the Mountain Road and I'm taking too much from the recharged water bottle. I need some shade. I know a rough track that leads into Coed Gwaun-'fferiad where I'll get some relief under the trees, and the views either side through the woods are wonderful. I look down to my left over disused Blaen Bran reservoir and I can see some kids paddling, cooling, sounds like a great idea, although perhaps a little unsafe, anyway I do not have enough time. There are some strange wooden statues in the undergrowth to my right.

Rough track here will lead to the shade of the trees ...

... where the views to the right ...

... and the left are wonderful.

Looking down over Blaen Bran reservoir where kids are playing, cooling.

I find a field of strange wooden sculptuies.

I'm away from the hill paths and back to the little footpaths around the farmland now. I'm running low on water again and the heat is so intense out of the shade. This has become a tough one today, but I must keep going, I must make it to the fete. It's nice running along the little paths in the shade, but these are often overgrown with thick and thorny brambles, and more blood is shed. I am reaching the next and last farmhouse for the day, Craig Llwyarch. The big black bull seems disturbed by me, he is snorting and shaking his head and pawing the ground with his front hooves. I'm at the gate, left here down the track through the farmyard, then a short steep downhill session on rough asphalt to the Dorallt Inn at Henllys. Its over, and I'm just about on time for the fete meet, taking a moment to celebrate, I pull on my shirt and pop in to pick up a well earned cold pint before I head over to the field and the village event.

Nice running through trees along the small footpaths in the shade around the farmland

The big black bull is snorting and pawing ... eek!

The gate down to the final farmhouse ...

... then a steep downhill on rough asphalt ...

,,, to the Dorallt Inn, and ...

... a well earned pint at the village fete.

Nice hour and a bit at the fete, with a cup of tea and a slice of cake. Returning to the parental home I am still over-heated so junior gets to hose me down, and mum keeps me company. Then relax with a tankard of delicious home-brew thanks to dad. Cheers everyone.

Junior hosing down daddy, nana gets in on the action.

Cheers everyone!

Enjoy!