Barabe one

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Barabe here.

September 2023. Direction: Bargoed to Abertillery.

This would be a 5-star route for scenery, especially the part after crossing the River Sirhowy going up the mountain through woodlands, fields and eventually lanes near the top. However, there were some access and navigational problems along the way...

From Bargoed, it is very straight forwards until the footpath going over the fields from Bedwellty village. It is clearly signed here, with a kissing gate, but after this point there are no further signs. Also, after the first field, the path is blocked by a fence, although the fences to the side have been trampled down allowing access. There are other very old cast iron kissing gates (Photo 3) to show the way down into Argoed.

From High Street in Argoed, the route then doubles back on to a cycle path (looks like a former railway line or tram road path). The path down to the cross the River Sirhowy is not signed and there are a few minor paths to choose from, so care is needed here.

After crossing the River Sirhowy, there are several paths and I took a wrong turn here and ended up walking up a fantastic green lane through the woods and joined the main path further up the mountain.

At the top of the mountain and out on the lane (Manmoel Road), the route clearly passes through Pen y Fan Farm, but walking this way, one of the residents (not sure if this is still a farm of part of the local equestrian centre) told me that the bridal way had been re-located, starting at the gate opposite the entrance to the Pen y Fan Caravan Park, around 300 metres down the lane. Although the gate is accessible, there are no signs to show this is now a public access route. Looks like another case of land owners not wanting the public on their lands, but I continued along the bridal way footpath anyway (Photo 5).

The final problem came Pentrapeod. Although I hadn`t seen any waymarking sign for a long time, I suddenly came upon the work of art shown in Photo 6. I followed the sign to Aberbeeg, but I must have missed another turn off (no more signs) and ended up on a forestry track heading towards Ebbw Vale, so I took an alternative and longer route into Aberbeeg.

After Aberbeeg, the route to Abertillery is straight forward following the 465 cycle route all the way. I probably covered around 90% of the planned route and despite the above problems it is walkable (can`t vouch for the very short section down into Christchurch, Aberbeeg, although one of the locals I met along the way told me it is an active route that he uses regularly - just need to know where the turn off is !). I`ve flagged this as a "possible" route just to identify the above issues.

Photo 1 - The Rhymney Valley from Bargoed
Photo 2 - Aberbargoed clock
Photo 3 - Typical old kissing gate between Bedwellty and Argoed
Photo 4 - The River Sirhowy
Photo 5 - The bridal path lane between Pen y Fan Farm and Pentrapeod
Photo 6 - The signpost at Pen y Fan Fach Farm.

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