Cerddwyr Aberystwyth Ramblers - Rhif 50, Haf/Hydref 2019 Summer/Autumn, no. 50
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www.ramblers.org.uk Elusen Gofrestredig 1093577 Registered Charity
Cerddwyr Aberystwyth 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
W e all enjoy walking on our
wonderful network of public
paths and bridleways in the
Aberystwyth and Ceredigion
area. Many of these paths, like
use and usually get a response
from a member of the Public
Rights of Way Officer’s staff
within a day or so of reporting a
problem. I can advise ramblers
the Coast Path and the Borth 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 aberpaths@gmx.com
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.
www.ramblers.org.uk Elusen Gofrestredig 1093577 Registered Charity
treasurer, Roger Fisher, running a lovely 7 mile circular
Brynbeidiog, Llangwyryfon, walk led by Wyck Gerson
LLANBERIS Our Aberystwyth, SY23 4SS. Lohman. The walks are free but
WEEKEND week booking is advisable at
end Last year’s very successful week www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cwmty
AWAY
end away catered for 55 du-scenic-walk-tickets-
11-13 October
away members, however, this year 58851214567 Registration for
2019
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 Snowdonia.
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 Rhayader 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
th
with no supplement. The dinner June 15 , cheques made
will consist of a choice of three payable to ‘Aberystywth
Wales Coast Path Festival
courses and will be followed by Ramblers’ and sent to Roger
Ceredigion Event, Saturday 11
tea/coffee. There is ample Fisher, Brynbeidiog,
May at Cwmtydu
parking on site as the hotel is Llangwyryfon, Aberystwyth,
This year instead of the Big
situated in its own attractive SY23 4SS
Welsh Walk, Ramblers Cymru
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
Dwynwen on Coast Path.
Crickhowell High Street
dbelsey@hotmail.co.uk or on During the
th
01970 820166 by June 10 . A month of May there will be
deposit of £25 per person will events at seven coastal venues Facebook
be needed before June 15 .
th in Wales with the Ceredigion Aberystwyth Ramblers Group now has a
event based at Cwmtydu on Facebook page. Thanks to Sue Harries for
Cheques for the deposits to be th
Saturday 11 May. There will volunteering to run it. Through Facebook the
made payable to ‘Aberystwyth
be 4 walks on offer and group hopes to make itself known to a wider
Ramblers’ and sent to our
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
www.ramblers.org.uk Elusen Gofrestredig 1093577 Registered Charity
V ISIT TO ABERYSTWYTH BY
THE KRONBERG WALKERS The walks are listed on the
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
dbelsey@hotmail.co.uk 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 Abbey 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 Strata Florida Abbey, 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 Ystrad Fflur (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 monks from Strata Florida. engineer, whose archeological
Whitland Abbey, Narberth, The Abbey's demise began in the association leased the site for
th
started to construct a religious 15 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 Cadw 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 Cistercians project aims to improve public
of Strata Florida, founded through around 1415, however, the well knowledge and access to the area.
patronage by Rhys ap Gruffydd. 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 catholic church 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
Pontrhydfendigaid-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.
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