Garth Circuit 2009
Up a hill and down a mountain.
The first part of this walk followed my cycling route, while the second part is only a walking route. See that cycling route for more information about the legend of the summit.
Our route started at the Tynant Inn in Morganstown in Cardiff, taking the path at the end of the car park into the forest, and turning left to continue along the forest.
Garth Wood. Lesser Garth Cave is up in the woods to the right.
Remains of the old railway line that once led to Barry, passing through Lesser Garth. Our path led up over the bridge.
Collapse in the tunnel, caused by the increased depth of the quarry.
Holly. Well, it is Christmas.
Remains of recent snow on the fields by Morganstown.
When the main path turns right, we crossed a field ahead, turning gently right.
Small quarry near the top of Lesser Garth.
Lesser Garth fields.
Tree tunnel. At the end of it, our route turned left.
Crossing the fields to reach Pentyrch.
View over Cardiff. The far shore of the Severn Estuary can be vaguely made out in the distance.
The Garth Hill (307 metres). The artificial summit can be clearly seen on the left, and the obvious crag overlooking the Taff Valley can be seen on the right. On the far right is Craig yr Allt (273 metres).
At Pentyrch, we turned right, towards Garth Hill, then at the base of the main hill, turned right again. A branch left then took us steeply up onto the hillside. Finally, the weather broke, and poured loads of rain onto us. Cardiff disappeared, leaving only a view of Lesser Garth.
Stormclouds and light over the islands in the Severn Estuary.
Garth summit. From here, our route headed right, to the end of the ridge, then right again to reach the crags.
Superb rainbow over the Taff.
Double rainbow.
Craig yr Allt.
Clouds lifting below the crags of Garth.
At the crags, the path turned right, and descended to a small road. At the road, we turned left, then right through a kissing gate into Coed Rhiw'r Ceiliog.
Mossy tree. The first of the oddities in a coniferous forest.
The second.
Third. At a junction of paths, we then turned right.
Which led to more mossy trees, and the edge of Georgetown. Here, we turned right to head back to Morganstown.
At the junction with the main road, we turned left, then took a little track to the right, heading up into the forest, surrounded by hart's tongue.
Remains of the railway bridge support, being reclaimed by vandals and nature.
The old viaduct supports, dating to the industrial revolution when the local docks were one of the World's major coal ports, supplied using the railways.
Other end of the tunnel from the start of the walk.
With no more path, we had to invent a way down through the undergrowth on the side of the railway.
Lost and forgotten, an entertainment of times past.
All shall be reclaimed.
Castell Coch, at the edge of the Fforest Fawr by Tongwynlais.
Quarry above Taff's Well. This is home to Ogof Pen-y-Craig, which almost connects to Lesser Garth Cave.
TWQ (Taff's Well Quarry?), the remains of lime kilns on the roadside.
Just past the lime kilns, we took a path to the right, past the old quarry buildings, which eventually leads back to the start of the walk.
The old quarry face.
The larger quarry face is now used as an access route into the main quarry, with a tunnel passing under the cave systems.
Our route started at the Tynant Inn in Morganstown in Cardiff, taking the path at the end of the car park into the forest, and turning left to continue along the forest.
Garth Wood. Lesser Garth Cave is up in the woods to the right.
Remains of the old railway line that once led to Barry, passing through Lesser Garth. Our path led up over the bridge.
Collapse in the tunnel, caused by the increased depth of the quarry.
Holly. Well, it is Christmas.
Remains of recent snow on the fields by Morganstown.
When the main path turns right, we crossed a field ahead, turning gently right.
Small quarry near the top of Lesser Garth.
Lesser Garth fields.
Tree tunnel. At the end of it, our route turned left.
Crossing the fields to reach Pentyrch.
View over Cardiff. The far shore of the Severn Estuary can be vaguely made out in the distance.
The Garth Hill (307 metres). The artificial summit can be clearly seen on the left, and the obvious crag overlooking the Taff Valley can be seen on the right. On the far right is Craig yr Allt (273 metres).
At Pentyrch, we turned right, towards Garth Hill, then at the base of the main hill, turned right again. A branch left then took us steeply up onto the hillside. Finally, the weather broke, and poured loads of rain onto us. Cardiff disappeared, leaving only a view of Lesser Garth.
Stormclouds and light over the islands in the Severn Estuary.
Garth summit. From here, our route headed right, to the end of the ridge, then right again to reach the crags.
Superb rainbow over the Taff.
Double rainbow.
Craig yr Allt.
Clouds lifting below the crags of Garth.
At the crags, the path turned right, and descended to a small road. At the road, we turned left, then right through a kissing gate into Coed Rhiw'r Ceiliog.
Mossy tree. The first of the oddities in a coniferous forest.
The second.
Third. At a junction of paths, we then turned right.
Which led to more mossy trees, and the edge of Georgetown. Here, we turned right to head back to Morganstown.
At the junction with the main road, we turned left, then took a little track to the right, heading up into the forest, surrounded by hart's tongue.
Remains of the railway bridge support, being reclaimed by vandals and nature.
The old viaduct supports, dating to the industrial revolution when the local docks were one of the World's major coal ports, supplied using the railways.
Other end of the tunnel from the start of the walk.
With no more path, we had to invent a way down through the undergrowth on the side of the railway.
Lost and forgotten, an entertainment of times past.
All shall be reclaimed.
Castell Coch, at the edge of the Fforest Fawr by Tongwynlais.
Quarry above Taff's Well. This is home to Ogof Pen-y-Craig, which almost connects to Lesser Garth Cave.
TWQ (Taff's Well Quarry?), the remains of lime kilns on the roadside.
Just past the lime kilns, we took a path to the right, past the old quarry buildings, which eventually leads back to the start of the walk.
The old quarry face.
The larger quarry face is now used as an access route into the main quarry, with a tunnel passing under the cave systems.