Dincar three

Verified Slow Way

Verified by 75.00% of reviewers

March 2024. Direction: Cardiff to Dinas Powis.

As per previous reviews, a walk of two halves - the long stretch of Penarth Road including some of the back streets and then the rural section between Llandough and Dinas Powis. A very good Slow Way and the most direct route of the 6 Dincar routes to date. Of the three I have walked so far, I would say DIncar 1 was the most enjoyable and varied, but a long way around (Dincar6 being the other one). This one loses a star for me for the Penarth Road section.

Overall it was easy to navigate and the only problem was terrain related. Although it had been around 5 or 6 days since the last heavy rain, the fields and woodland paths were still very boggy - Ok in boots, but hard going. Thoroughly enjoyable through the rural section though.

Photo 1 - View towards Dinas Powis after crossing Pen y Turnpike Road.

Between Dinas Powys and Llandough this is a lovely scenic route however from Penarth Road it's much more urban (but easier terrain). I caught the train to Dinas Powys and walked back but you could catch the train at Grangetown to make it a shorter walk and cut out some of the more city part.

The route is accurate and easy to follow using gps on organic maps although I was glad of the GPS because there is a set of stairs I nearly missed at Dinas Powys, a footpath between two houses in Llandough I nearly missed and I could see how I could have gone wrong at the golf course because it doesn't immediately look like the right way.

There are stiles, kissing gates and large stretches of the route between Llandough and Dinas Powys are on uneven ground on grass and mud. The route was VERY muddy when I went, it nearly went over the top of my hiking boots and it was very squelchy! However this is after the wettest February on record so far. There are some sections where there is very narrow pavement and some short sections on country roads where there is no pavement.

There is a long downward hill section through a small woodland from Llandough down to Penarth road. This was very steep, narrow and very muddy. I nearly fell over several times trying to get down.

Very close to Penarth Road as this footpath leaves the woodland there is a stretch of path that goes alongside the fence of the industrial estate. This is a very narrow path and there is a tree growing at one point. I'm 5'6 and a size 12/14 and I was able to walk through but my shoulders were touching both the railings and the tree - as the tree grows this could become impassable and I didn't see an easy way around the tree.

First half very straightforward; second half maybe fine in summer but in winter very muddy and slippery underfoot. Also some unavoidable stiles and a little tricky to find the path after the old pumping station on Penarth Rd!.

This is a route of 2 halves. The Dinas Powys and Llandough section is pretty rural and can get quite muddy in wet weather. The Cardiff section is more urban and slightly monotonous when walking down Penarth Road but picks up a bit when you get to the Taff embankment.

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