28th October 2017 - Twmbarlwm Hill Fort

Today’s walk is one to do on a clear day. It covers the high ground to the north of Risca and Crosskeys and commands incredible views of the whole Severn Estuary. We set off from Twmbarlwm Car Par which is free but sadly a magnet for fly-tippers. We didn’t head straight up to the hill fort as I thought it would be best to save this until last. It was incredibly windy up on the ridge so we dropped down into the woods. Even up here though the views are stunning.

Lots of ferns on top.

The woods here are incredibly dense and the path follows next to them. You can’t see more than about 20 feet into them before it is pitch black. Once we got to the end though the wind came back with a vengeance. There is a car park with some picnic tables up here but I’m not sure how to get up here. It does offer an easier route to the hill fort for the less active. It also overlooks the reservoir which we didn’t go down to.

About to head off down the track.

Next we followed the route around Cwmcarn forest. This is a round route of a couple of miles. The woods are quite cut back so the views here are also very good. There are also some mountain biking tracks which honestly only look suitable for those with suicidal tendencies. They look more suitable for climbing gear than bikes.

A big log in the picnic area.

As we came around the southern edge we could see Mynydd Machen where we went a few weeks ago. I do enjoy this aspect of walking in the hills, seeing walks from a different perspective and picking out a walk you want to do from the actual ground, rather than just from a map. The woods really drop away at this point and there is some very interesting new plantations. The new firs looks oddly like cactus bringing about an almost North American dessert type appearance.

The view over Risca.

The final part of the walk is up to the hill fort itself. This impressive structure apparently kept the first Roman conquest of Britain at bay for 25 years. It’s not hard to see why when you get up to the top. It’s very steep and the view is truly spectacular. You can see all the way from the new M4 bridge to past Western-Super-Mare. 

Heading up to Twmbarlwm fort.

It was ideal weather too. Very clear but cold with low pressure giving great visibility. From here it’s just a quick drop back down to the car. This walk is ideal in clear weather, not one for when it’s raining. It’s also great if you just want a short walk but can also be drawn out for much longer as it is a very large area. I have feeling we will be returning here.

On top of Twmbarlwm.