Glamorgan 2011
Canals and hills on the southern-most peninsula of Wales.
The hills around Newport, with Lodge Wood (119 metres) and Brynglas (82 metres) on the left, Wentwood (309 metres) in the distance, and Graig Ddiffaith (109 metres) on the right.
Twmbarlwm (419 metres) and Mynydd Twyn-glas (472 metres).
The top of the Fourteen Locks, Lock 21. This is a series of very closely spaced lock gates on the Ebbw Vale branch of the Monmouthshire And Brecon Canal, completed in 1799, climbing a total of 50 metres. This is the only standard lock gate in the entire system, with a normal pair of gates.
Cogs for raising the sluices.
Undefined weight limits for a canal bridge.
Starting at the pond below the top gate, a series of overflows direct water into the reservoir ponds below, which ensure there is enough water to supply each lock.
Lock 20, which takes its water from the pond in the canal above.
Lock 19 begins immediately below lock 20, without enough room for boats to pass each other.
The outflow from Lock 20 passes through the arch into Lock 19 Pond, which is also topped up as needed by the overflows. The water in that pond then supplies Lock 19. Lock 19 has its own top gate (instead of sharing it with Lock 20), so it does not need to wait for water to pass through Lock 20 in order to operate.
Below Lock 19 is the Lock 18 Pound, where boats can pass.
Lock 18 Pound also serves as a reservoir to supply Lock 18.
Lock 18.
Lock 17, nicely showing the wooden buffers that try to prevent the boats from being damaged on the lock ends.
The arch taking the water in and out of the Lock 17 Pond, currently empty.
Gates of Lock 17.
Below Lock 17, the canal is dammed, and the lower locks are dry, awaiting restoration.
Locks 16 and 15.
Bridge below Lock 13.
Locks 12 and 11.
Lock 11 features additional shelves at different heights, whose purpose is not known. Perhaps they could allow boats to pass, but would essentially act as a temporary dry dock for the boat that was not in the main part of the lock. Lock 10 begins immediately after Lock 11, without any passing space.
Locks 8 and 9 are almost invisible in the undergrowth below, but would have been similar to the other double locks above.
Duckweed in the lower canal.
Below the locks, the canal continues more normally, eventually joining the main branch.
Koi carp. Definitely does not belong here. Someone's pond sprung a leak, perhaps.
The canal above the locks.
Ivy flower on the banks.
Bitter vetch, a wild member of the pea family.
Such features are going to make restoration extremely hard.
Moorhen and chick.
Nesting female mallard
Carp, about a foot long. It would have been bigger if it had got away, of course.
A shoal of rudd.
Small lilly pads with a blue damselfly.
Upper bridge, and end of our route along the canal.
Private public footpath.
The hills around Risca; Fox Hill (131 metres), Coed Mawr (214 metres), Mynydd Machen (362 metres) and Mynydd y Lan (381 metres).
Lesser Garth and the village of Pentyrch, at the northern edge of Cardiff, seen from the Garth slopes.
Summit of the Garth Hill (307 metres).
View from the Garth summit. On the left is the mouth of the Ogmore valley. After that is the Ely valley, and its pass into the Rhondda Valley. The deep valley in the middle is the Taff Valley, with the mouth of the Rhondda on its left.
Distant view up the Taff Valley to the main Brecon Beacons peaks; Corn Du (873 metres), Pen y Fan (886 metres), Cribyn (795 metres) and Fan y Bîg (719 metres).
Burial mound on the Garth ridge.
View from the East edge of the Garth, over Nantgarw and Taff's Well; Cefn Eglwysilan (382 metres), Mynydd Meio (322 metres), the Caerphilly valley (backed by Mynydd y Grug at 370 metres, and Mynydd Machen), Craig yr Allt (273 metres) and Caerphilly Common (271 metres). On the left is Pontypridd, and on the right is Cardiff.
View from the crags above Gwaelod-y-garth.
Taff's Well from the crags.
Southern slopes of the Garth.
Shakehole on the slopes of the Garth. This looks like a collapsed mine, right under the road and the parking area for the nearby houses. The large hole is easily big enough to swallow a car.
Grasshopper nymph (juvenile).
Distant view of the Flat Holm and Steep Holm islands in the Severn Estuary. Despite both looking close to the shore, these two islands are approximately 1/3 and 2/3 of the way across the estuary respectively.
Penarth Head from a high power speedboat. This is the last picture taken at almost standstill.
Sully Island and Lavernock Point.
Flat Holm (32 metres), whose rocky outcrops are the most southerly part of Wales.
Seemingly nearby Steep Holm (78 metres) in England, showing why you should not take pictures from a speedboat. The border makes its way between the two islands.
Matthew and Ruth in Cardiff Bay.
Flotilla of sailing boats in front of Penarth.
Accompanied by wing walkers. They're supported by posts and straps. Not really wing walking. Quite tame really. Wusses.
The hills around Newport, with Lodge Wood (119 metres) and Brynglas (82 metres) on the left, Wentwood (309 metres) in the distance, and Graig Ddiffaith (109 metres) on the right.
Twmbarlwm (419 metres) and Mynydd Twyn-glas (472 metres).
The top of the Fourteen Locks, Lock 21. This is a series of very closely spaced lock gates on the Ebbw Vale branch of the Monmouthshire And Brecon Canal, completed in 1799, climbing a total of 50 metres. This is the only standard lock gate in the entire system, with a normal pair of gates.
Cogs for raising the sluices.
Undefined weight limits for a canal bridge.
Starting at the pond below the top gate, a series of overflows direct water into the reservoir ponds below, which ensure there is enough water to supply each lock.
Lock 20, which takes its water from the pond in the canal above.
Lock 19 begins immediately below lock 20, without enough room for boats to pass each other.
The outflow from Lock 20 passes through the arch into Lock 19 Pond, which is also topped up as needed by the overflows. The water in that pond then supplies Lock 19. Lock 19 has its own top gate (instead of sharing it with Lock 20), so it does not need to wait for water to pass through Lock 20 in order to operate.
Below Lock 19 is the Lock 18 Pound, where boats can pass.
Lock 18 Pound also serves as a reservoir to supply Lock 18.
Lock 18.
Lock 17, nicely showing the wooden buffers that try to prevent the boats from being damaged on the lock ends.
The arch taking the water in and out of the Lock 17 Pond, currently empty.
Gates of Lock 17.
Below Lock 17, the canal is dammed, and the lower locks are dry, awaiting restoration.
Locks 16 and 15.
Bridge below Lock 13.
Locks 12 and 11.
Lock 11 features additional shelves at different heights, whose purpose is not known. Perhaps they could allow boats to pass, but would essentially act as a temporary dry dock for the boat that was not in the main part of the lock. Lock 10 begins immediately after Lock 11, without any passing space.
Locks 8 and 9 are almost invisible in the undergrowth below, but would have been similar to the other double locks above.
Duckweed in the lower canal.
Below the locks, the canal continues more normally, eventually joining the main branch.
Koi carp. Definitely does not belong here. Someone's pond sprung a leak, perhaps.
The canal above the locks.
Ivy flower on the banks.
Bitter vetch, a wild member of the pea family.
Such features are going to make restoration extremely hard.
Moorhen and chick.
Nesting female mallard
Carp, about a foot long. It would have been bigger if it had got away, of course.
A shoal of rudd.
Small lilly pads with a blue damselfly.
Upper bridge, and end of our route along the canal.
Private public footpath.
The hills around Risca; Fox Hill (131 metres), Coed Mawr (214 metres), Mynydd Machen (362 metres) and Mynydd y Lan (381 metres).
Lesser Garth and the village of Pentyrch, at the northern edge of Cardiff, seen from the Garth slopes.
Summit of the Garth Hill (307 metres).
View from the Garth summit. On the left is the mouth of the Ogmore valley. After that is the Ely valley, and its pass into the Rhondda Valley. The deep valley in the middle is the Taff Valley, with the mouth of the Rhondda on its left.
Distant view up the Taff Valley to the main Brecon Beacons peaks; Corn Du (873 metres), Pen y Fan (886 metres), Cribyn (795 metres) and Fan y Bîg (719 metres).
Burial mound on the Garth ridge.
View from the East edge of the Garth, over Nantgarw and Taff's Well; Cefn Eglwysilan (382 metres), Mynydd Meio (322 metres), the Caerphilly valley (backed by Mynydd y Grug at 370 metres, and Mynydd Machen), Craig yr Allt (273 metres) and Caerphilly Common (271 metres). On the left is Pontypridd, and on the right is Cardiff.
View from the crags above Gwaelod-y-garth.
Taff's Well from the crags.
Southern slopes of the Garth.
Shakehole on the slopes of the Garth. This looks like a collapsed mine, right under the road and the parking area for the nearby houses. The large hole is easily big enough to swallow a car.
Grasshopper nymph (juvenile).
Distant view of the Flat Holm and Steep Holm islands in the Severn Estuary. Despite both looking close to the shore, these two islands are approximately 1/3 and 2/3 of the way across the estuary respectively.
Penarth Head from a high power speedboat. This is the last picture taken at almost standstill.
Sully Island and Lavernock Point.
Flat Holm (32 metres), whose rocky outcrops are the most southerly part of Wales.
Seemingly nearby Steep Holm (78 metres) in England, showing why you should not take pictures from a speedboat. The border makes its way between the two islands.
Matthew and Ruth in Cardiff Bay.
Flotilla of sailing boats in front of Penarth.
Accompanied by wing walkers. They're supported by posts and straps. Not really wing walking. Quite tame really. Wusses.