Barry and District Ramblers Report:

Ten walkers plus dogs Douglas and Bracken joined Naomi from Penarth and District Ramblers at Pen-y-Turnpike Road, Dinas Powys for an evening stroll in the area in beautiful June sunshine.

Setting off across the bridge over the Cadoxton River they tramped the footpath towards the Millfields passing two ponies contentedly grazing in the adjoining field strikingly painted bright yellow with tall buttercups.

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Making their way into the beautiful woodland with its collection of tall copper beech trees and onwards through the wooded steep sided Cwm George created during the last Ice Age, where they passed many local dog walkers, upon exiting from the wood a farm track led them on past a huge barley field with grand views towards the dark hump of Garth Hill to the north and Michaelston-le-Pit to the northeast.

Re-crossing the Cadoxton River and joining Cwrt-yr-Ala Road, they made their way up past The Dairy following the public footpath past its boundary fence to reach the Salmon Leaps beneath Cwrt-yr-Ala House.

The first Lord of the Manor of Michaelston was Walter de Reigny in the 13th century and Cwrt yr Ala house is named after the Ralegh family who owned the estate in the 14th century, their most famous noted family member being Sir Walter Raleigh (1552-1618) from the Somerset side of the family. After the Civil War the estate was purchased by Colonel Philip Jones a trusted councillor of Oliver and his son Richard Cromwell. Robert Rous had a house built there in 1805 and in a memorial to him in the nearby St Michael and All Angels Church it records he was wounded at the Spanish Battle of Corunna in 1809. In 1937 the house was purchased by Herbert H Merrett, Chair of Powell Dyffryn who had the house demolished in order to build a new mansion house designed by the architect Percy Edward Thomas.

Gazing across the stunning lakes held back by a series of weirs they made their way into woodland heading uphill on a worn path beside the Wrinstone Brook that feeds the lakes, to emerge into a field containing three ponies that totally ignored their presence and continued grazing. Then past the immaculately white painted Wrinstone House built on the site of an old gamekeeper’s cottage with its two turrets that were added in the 1980’s, to cross the Wrinstone Brook and follow a rough dirt and stony track for the short ascent to Beauville Farm.

Following the quiet lane which overlooks the northern part of the Dinas Powys golf course and passing some ugly illegal fly-tipping, which has since been reported to the Vale Council, upon reaching the One O’Clock Gate still bathed in the warm evening sunshine, a pause to take on liquid and give some water to the dogs that were also thirsty.

Then it was time to continue downhill across the manicured Dinas Powys golf course with its wonderful collection of trees, carefully avoiding players taking advantage of their new freedom and the weather. After the club’s opening in May 1914 as a 9-hole course and with an extra 9-hole extension being added in 1921, on land that had contained Highwalls Farm on Cwrt yr Ala Estate land, hard to imagine nowadays but the land was surrendered during both World Wars for growing potatoes.

Some pavement pounding led them along Highwalls Road for the steep descent via Heol y Cawl, which is soup or broth lane, in order to pass the impressive St Peter’s Church for the return to their start point, after which several of the group adjourned to the local hostelry for some liquid refreshment in the fresh air to round off a lovely evening.

You can follow the group’s exploits before, during and after lockdown on Facebook.