Ebbbry one

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While exploring the Valleys, I couldn't help noticing an opportunity to follow five Slow Ways, one after the other, in little more than 10 miles. The fifth leg was along Ebbbry One, from Brynmawr to Ebbw Vale. Leaving Brynmawr was fine, following the tarmac cycleways 46 and 465. I felt that the route on the map joined the road too early, and should have stayed on the cycleway for longer. A road climbing onto the moors has been blocked by huge boulders to prevent vehicle use, but tractors and scrambler motorbikes still have free range up there, and fly tippers seem to have no problem disposing of waste either. The higher parts of the moorland track have been cut into deep, muddy ruts that would be very unpleasant in wet weather. Normally I would enjoy a short moorland walk, but this moorland had been ruined by littering, fly tipping and inappropriate vehicle use. Things don't get much better on the descent, as you need to pay attention to route-finding alongside a housing estate. A path marked on the OS map is both overgrown and securely fenced-off, so you need to find a paved path and flights of steps alongside the housing estate. The best thing about this route is finishing in Ebbw Vale at their rather delightful steel dragon sculpture, though as I had planned to leave by train, I had to keep walking to reach the station. This could have been a four-star walk if it hadn't been trashed, which is a great pity.

This is a reasonably straightforward route. It is the most logical route to take between these two towns. It involves a climb over a hill, on a path which is rough-surfaced in places with medium-sized stones, which can be a bit hard on the feet - see photo. Part of it follows a byway open to all traffic. It is sometimes used by trail bikes, which can be a bit intimidating.

There are a couple of minor problems with the gpx file. The path leaving the Newtown district of Ebbw Vale does not follow the line shown on the gpx file, or the OS map. At East 317280 North 209948 it skirts the small depression to the north, not to the south as shown on both the OS map and the gpx file. The zigzag which follows is also different on the ground than it is on the map. That only creates potential confusion if you are walking in the opposite direction - from Brynmawr - as I was.

October 2023. Direction: Brynmawr to Ebbw Vale.

A straight forward and functional SlowWay across the hills at the top end of the mountain Mynydd Carn y Cefn. It passes a golf course with the highest altitude hole in the UK.

Photo 1 - The track leading up the mountain from Brynmawr
Photo 2 - The Ebbw Vale Dragon (End / Start of walk).

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