Rudry Forestry Ridgeway Ride
11.2 miles 2hrs 32min
I’ve visited the forestry’s around Cefn Mably and Rudry many times over the years, having grown up in the area, and was keen to show Juliet the routes. The down side of this ride is the direct route to Coed Coesau Whips forestry, using country lanes with steep hills and zig zags bends which can get quite heavy with traffic. So it pays to keep your wits about you along these roads.
We start from Pentwyn towards Cardiff gate. We head across the roundabout onto Maes Y Bryn road and forward onto Cefn Porth road following on for just under 2 miles until the T junction, taking the left onto Rudry Road. Here, just on your right after the turn, is the Coed LLywn-Celyn car park, entry into the forestry. We follow the path through dense forestry onwards and upwards, onwards and upwards and onwards and upwards! (At this point a dubious Juliet asks where I am taking her, I promise the view at the top will all be worth it!) However after climbing eventually to the top I falter slightly, when I was last up here it was winter, with traces of snow on the ground and clear views. Instead, we find ourselves at the top with no view and two routes, a bridle path back down on our left (great route down for speed demons!) or a slightly muddy over grown track to our right. In search of this magnificent view we head right. This eventually takes us out onto the ridge (which forms part of the Rhymney Valley circular walk) and the view IS stunning. From here you can look out onto Newport, Marshfield and Cardiff. In the distance you can see the Flat Holms and Steep Holmes. We sit here for while picking out landmarks such as LLanishen & Lisvane reservoir, the Millennium stadium and Wales Millennium centre (shaped like a shiny armadillo ;-) ) A good pair of binoculars is handy here.
We continue right along the Ridgeway, passing a trig point and weather station on the left. Also along this route is a natural spring though we were unable to find it, if you pass along this way keep an eye out. Further on the path falls steeply down onto Craig road. Taking a left we continue down Craig road, taking care on the hairpin bend to right. We pass the Ty Mawr pub and across the M4 motorway bridge into Lisvane and bear left onto Llywn Y Pia road. At the junction we take a left onto Hoel y Delyn road, towards the end of the street we spot a footpath sign and follow this onto a housing estate. At this point we’d lost our bearings a little but continue to follow this path through the housing estate and onto Lisvane road where we cross and spot the footpath sign again opening onto fields. These are fields with trails that criss cross in all directions. My instinct was to head diagonally left across these, an apprehensive Juliet follows, fearing that we would have to double back on ourselves across these bumpy paths if we got lost ( As if!!) However, I think we were both gob smacked to find that we came out practically on our door step! The fields, which form part of the Nant Fawr Corridor, back onto the Llanishen and Lisvane reservoirs. Which was just as well as our stomachs were grumbling for food by then! We cross a small stream and follow the path into Cyncoed and onto Pentwyn road.
