With our employment situation here in Wales, it is important we encourage and develop tourism in this beautiful country of ours.
Many travellers have visited Snowdonia or St Davids in Pembrokeshire. Both, indeed, are very beautiful places and deserve to be visited and recommended.
BUT this does not detract from the SOUTH WALES VALLEYS. Situated in the south east of the country and with a more or less north-south orientation, we have a huge variety of both landscape and activities available within a few miles drive.
A thirty minute walk from most village centres will see you sitting on top of a mountain admiring, on a clear day, a landscape of valleys, mountains, lakes and towns, disappearing into the far distance.
If cycling is your 'thing,' the Cwmcarn Forest Drive is the place for you.
For archaeology, under the shadow of Twmbarlwm's large earthworks, "Ancient Cwmbran," (see their Facebook Page), are busy excavating around the area of St Derfil's Chapel. Many parallel walls of dressed pudding stone around the area remain a huge mystery. A silurian village, perhaps?
Lakes and ponds are everywhere in this lush countryside, fed by rivers, glistening silver. Most valleys have a river or a stream at its lowest point.
Industrial Heritage is visible around every corner from the original rusting rails and wheels of tramroads to the pristine modern memorials created in the past fifity years since the pits closed.
Often it takes a tragedy to change things. Since the Aberfan disaster, many of the huge black slag tips have been removed or landscaped and those remaining are greening over. Disturbed only by the off-road motorcyclists illegally creating ruts.
A disaster of a different kind, the foot-and-mouth epidemic of a few years ago sadly removed farm animals from our countryside. But this provided a breathing space which allowed saplings to grow freely without the mastications of hungry sheep. These trees now soften and envelope what had been bare hillsides.
Its important we see and appreciate the value of what we have around us everyday. Everyone should be invited to see our beautiful, varied countryside and enjoy the activities available.
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| Pembrokeshire cove |
Many travellers have visited Snowdonia or St Davids in Pembrokeshire. Both, indeed, are very beautiful places and deserve to be visited and recommended.
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| Bluebell wood |
A thirty minute walk from most village centres will see you sitting on top of a mountain admiring, on a clear day, a landscape of valleys, mountains, lakes and towns, disappearing into the far distance.
If cycling is your 'thing,' the Cwmcarn Forest Drive is the place for you.
For archaeology, under the shadow of Twmbarlwm's large earthworks, "Ancient Cwmbran," (see their Facebook Page), are busy excavating around the area of St Derfil's Chapel. Many parallel walls of dressed pudding stone around the area remain a huge mystery. A silurian village, perhaps?
 |
| Severn Bridge into Wales View from Aust |
Lakes and ponds are everywhere in this lush countryside, fed by rivers, glistening silver. Most valleys have a river or a stream at its lowest point.
Industrial Heritage is visible around every corner from the original rusting rails and wheels of tramroads to the pristine modern memorials created in the past fifity years since the pits closed.
 |
| View of the Ryder Cup course at Celtic Manor |
Often it takes a tragedy to change things. Since the Aberfan disaster, many of the huge black slag tips have been removed or landscaped and those remaining are greening over. Disturbed only by the off-road motorcyclists illegally creating ruts.
 |
| Guardian, Six Bells Memorial |
Its important we see and appreciate the value of what we have around us everyday. Everyone should be invited to see our beautiful, varied countryside and enjoy the activities available.
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