Don't come to the South Wales Valleys

Those Green Remembered Valleys   by Meg Gurney

“Me and Jess walked up Mynydd Maen yesterday, from Henllys.   The field on the way up just glowed with knee-high buttercups, beautiful.   Then we sat up by the old mine workings and watched the view for a while to get our breath back.   The day was so clear, you could see the Severn Bridge and even down past Newport to the Bristol Channel.   We could see the sun shining on the water while the clouds shadows glowered on the fields.   There’s so much green space surrounding Cwmbran New Town.   I never get tired of that view.  

Jess, my collie, was watching two heifers dancing and playing in the lush grass, Welsh Blacks they were.   Their mum was too intent on chewing the mountain grass to take any notice of us.

We walked up the gentle slope with Twmbarlwm in the distance, but then dropped down through the bluebell wood and back.   It was glorious;  no-one else around, only the birds in the trees.   We said we’d do it again in the autumn when the beech trees turn, it always makes the wood magical.”

Pettingale Bluebell wood

“Bluebells, you say, Pettingale Woods is the place for bluebells, we went there last week.   Knock spots off Henllys, that will.   Blue as far as the eye can see.   Then you’ve got the view of Llandegfedd Reservoir through the trees, beautiful;  fantastic!   After all that rain this last couple of weeks, its really full, the water lapping round the willow trees.  

What you scribbling at when I’m talking to you, anyway?”

“Well, I have to do this travel piece on South Wales, so I’m writing about Cardiff Castle and the city.”

Tower at Cardiff Castle with gold leaf

“Everyone knows about those places.   Why don’t you write about where you live, here, in the Valleys?    It’s got it all, man, it’s wonderful.   Tourists would really like it.”

Mon & Brecon Canal, Griffithstown

“What, and have hundreds of them tramping along our canal towpath, feeding the ducks, and sitting in my seat in the Open Hearth of an evening;  crowding the bar when I need to get a drink;  queuing in the fish shop when I want to buy my supper?   Don’t be daft.”

Mon & Brecon Canal

“I see where you’re coming from.   Perhaps you’re right.   It is nice to have all these places to yourself.   Mind you, took our kid to Big Pit yesterday, top of Blaenavon.    Didn’t realise the guides that take you down the pit, are all ex-miners.   Our bloke knew his stuff though, he reckoned it was the largest umbrella in South Wales on a wet day.   They get crowded out by all the groups who’d planned to go kayaking or trekking as well as the families who’d just planned a day in the hills.   Dew, them miners had it hard;  seemed to enjoy a joke though.   We went down in the cage and then he explained it all when we got down in the pit.   Turned the lights out and all, he did.   Then we had a welsh-cake and a cup of tea in the cafe.”

“Welsh-cakes, I love welsh-cakes warm from the bakestone.   Our mam made the best welsh-cakes you ever tasted.   
 Let me see now – ‘Cardiff Castle’s impressive Victorian facade...”

Cardiff Castle

“You could tell them about Aberdulais Waterfalls, Fantastic place to go, that is.   Went there last summer, really cool on a hot day.   We had a picnic.   It’s environmentally friendly, you know, using water power and that.   It’s been used since fifteen hundred and something.   That’s far enough away, isn’t it?”

One section of the Aberdullais Waterfalls

“Not if they’re touring round and about.   Think, man.   It’s only a few minutes in a car along the Heads of the Valleys Road.   They could be here in no time.   No, the idea is to keep them in and around the City Centre.   That way, they spend their money in the shops and attractions and stay away from us, keeping the Valleys peaceful, see.   ‘...encloses a Norman Motte and Bailey and open to the public most days.   It is well worth a visit whilst spending time in the city of Cardiff...’”   

“Did you know Brynmawr is the highest point on that road?   Over thirteen hundred feet, the sign says.   I’d not noticed that till the other day on my way to Merthyr.   That’s high that is.”

“Oh, stop blethering, you and your statistics.   Let me concentrate.   I’m trying to write.”

Greenhill Road, Sebastopol circa 1912

“You could say something like – ‘Sebastopol, not an exotic destination in far off Russia, but..’.”

“Sebastopol?   Sebastopol?    Who on earth wants to read about Sebastopol?

“The people who live in Sebastopol in Russia?   After all, they don’t name places after Russian towns these days, do they?    Something to do with the Crimea, I think it was.   You could say it’s within twenty-five minutes drive of Cardiff.   Not far, really.   Then there’s Pontypool.   It’s got the old market hall, and the museum...”

“And Tesco’s, I told you, they’re not coming here if I have anything to do with it.”

“Well, you could take them up to Twmbarlwm from the other valley.   Earth works, glorious views, fresh air – that would be good.   They could drive up through Cwmcarn Forest Drive.   They’re not going to climb down this side if their car is on the other side, are they?   They might even enjoy mountain biking over there, and camping.   Someone said it’s one of the leading tracks in the UK now.   It’s even been in the cycling magazines.”
"Or the Skirrid.   Now there's a place.   Fantastic views."

“Once you encourage them to move out of the City Centre, with our improved road system, then who knows where they’ll end up?   The Brecon Beacons, Caerphilly Castle, Sebastopol?   I just don’t intend to start spreading ideas.    Where was I, ‘...ample parking is available...”

“Well I think you’re being selfish, trying to keep all this to yourself.   These valleys are so beautiful and we have so much heritage on our doorstep;  ironworks, scourings, miners’ institutes, all sorts.      People would be really interested.   Blaenavon is a World Heritage site.    I’m proud of the part we played in the industrial development of the world today.  We mined coal and forged iron to make steam ships to sail the seas.   Those ships carried coal and rails across to India so they could have steam trains.”

“Very poetic, you’ll be standing and singing the Welsh National Anthem next.   Look, what people don’t know about, they don’t worry about.   The beauty of the Valleys is the best kept secret about Wales.   I don’t intend to be the one to spill the beans, okay?   Alexander Cordell had it right.  

“That author chap?   Marvellous, his books have sold all over the world.   Great publicity...”

“Yes, but he knew how to keep this area to himself.   That’s why he wrote about the heavy industry, the pollution, the poverty and suffering of the poor, so people wouldn’t expect it to be beautiful.”

“Well, he helped raise awareness of the place.   Put us on the map, so to speak.   It just seems a shame you want to keep people away.   Everyone around here is so friendly.   They’d enjoy the chance to talk to tourists.   Orators, that’s the word;  Aneurin Bevan, Lloyd George.   Valley’s boys can be great orators.   Do you know, we have more poets per square foot of land than anywhere else in Britain?  That’s something to be proud of.    A fair few of them live around here, you only have to go down the pub to hear them.”     

“Talking about going down the pub...”

“I thought you were writing?”

“Well, perhaps those orators of yours’ll give me inspiration.”