Everything in one place !

South Wales Valleys are B E A U T I F U L !!

 

Abertillery Valley from the base of Guardian

They have everything !!

Coastal and inland scenery unsurpassed anywhere.
Huge beaches and tiny coves.
Tropical temperatures (well this summer, anyway!)
Short walks, long walks, upland walks, flat walks.

The largest miners' memorial in the world.

Guardian, Six Bells, (tall as Angel of the North, 20 mtrs.)

Excellent food.
Cream cakes, fresh fruit and veg., even a chocolate factory.
Good pubs with unusual local brews.
Variety of places to stay from camping to luxury hotels.
Waterfalls
Canals
Leaning Tower (more than Pisa)

Caerphilly Castle, home of the leaning tower

Cycle paths and off-road tracks

Sheep (not that many cows, but alpacas).

 Wide roads with easy driving and narrow roads with passing places.

Cultivated parks and gardens and wild mountainsides and common land.

Steam trains.

 

Shopping in cities or in small local boutiques and markets.
Towns with free parking.
Wonderful wild flowers and exotic cultivated species.

Nantyglo Round Tower

Castles and Manor Houses (ruined and otherwise)
Friendly people willing to chat, and those who are less so, (you get them everywhere).
Industrial heritage.
National and local museums.
Underground experiences with a fully trained coal miner.

Busy places.
Quiet places to be alone to think.

All this

concentrated

within an hour or two's drive.

View of Kidwelly

 

You can travel from Kidwelly in the west to Pontypool in the east in around one and a half hours. But think of all the wonderful places you'll pass by if you do that. 

http://www.fieldsintrust.org/Default.aspx

 

Caerphilly

Caerphilly is the birth place of the epic comedian Tommy Cooper, and a statue now takes pride of place, unveiled by another famous Welsh personality, Sir Anthony Hopkins.

a floor plaque near the statue of Tommy Cooper

Recently the home of the annual "Big Cheese" Festival, the town has given its name to the white, crumbly Caerphilly Cheese.  The town surrounds the castle which is the second larges in Europe and caters for weddings and functions.  It has an extensive moat providing opportunities for local fishermen, and its tower leans at a greater angle than that of the "Leaning Tower of Pisa," and yet is not so wellknown.

Caerphilly Castle showing its leaning tower

 

The entrance to the castle, one of the largest in Europe, is at the end of a long causeway separating the road from the moat.

 

The causeway between the castle moat and the road

 

 

It'll never replace Barry !

In the newspaper this week is the announcement that Blackwood, Gwent (Caerphilly), on
29th and 30th July is to hold a beach party !!

This may come as a surprise to anyone who knows Blackwood as it is situated well away from the coast, deep in the welsh valleys.

Blackwood High Street will be tansformed into a bustling Beach Party for the annual

Blackwood Summer Festival

Families are invited to pull up a deckchair while the children make sandcastles and enjoy a donkey ride. Favourite TV Characters, fantastic food and craft stalls and a  funfair add to the party atmosphere. 

Contact the Event Hotline on 02520 880011
or e-mail events@caerphilly.gov.uk

 

I like to ride my bicycle

With all its hills and mountains, Wales may not seem the place to own a bicycle.  But more and more people are looking for the thrills and spills of mountain biking and rough terrain.

Caerphilly has a world renowned venue at the foot of Twm Barlwm (well on the side, actually). Cwmcarn Forest Mountain Bike Trails, near Crosskeys.

The 'Twrch Trail' route is on a purpose built singletrack.  In places the trail hugs the sides of some very steep wooded side slopes, demanding concentration, whilst in others it sweeps along open groung giving you the change of dramatic views of the Bristol Channel.

Leaning tower of Caerphilly Castle

The 'y Mynydd Downhill' is one of the best downhill venues in the UK and not for the faint-hearted.

Motorists can also enjoy Cwmcarn Forest Drive. The roadway zigzags amongst the forest giving spectacular views and tempting picnic areas.

Cwmcarn Forest is part of Cognation, mtb trails South Wales. 

For mountain biking info:  www.cognation.co.uk

www.cwmcarnforest.co.uk

 www.mbwales.com

For Cwmdown MTB Uplift Service:  www.cwmdown.co.uk

For more leisurely pursuits:  www.visitcaerphilly.com