Photo 2 - The forestry path from Abertillery Photo 3 - Abertillery from Cefn Bach mountain Photo 8 - The weir, which the footpath crosses, just after the reservoir access road...

Paul Chilcott

There are several paths, but the one nearest to the planned route, which was a nice wide path at first, just ran out, resulting in a yomp through thick bracken (even in late November)....

Paul Chilcott

There are no signs or waymarkers going up or coming down the mountain, but the paths were obvious until it came to getting down off the mountain and through the fields to the lane on the outskirts of Ebbw Vale. Photo 2 - The grassy mountain path after the forestry overlooking Abertillery Photo 3 - Looking back over Abertillery from Cefn yr Arail mountain...

Paul Chilcott

You can split this walk into 4 sections really (1) North Road between Newbridge and Crumlin - a typical valleys walk urban walk, (2) The closed road between Crumlin and Llanhilleth, (3) The cycle track between Llanhilleth and Aberbeeg and (4) the former railway line path between Aberbeeg and Abertillery. Photo 1 - The road between Crumlin and Llanhilleth (closed to traffic) Photo 5 - The railway line path between Aberbeeg and Abertillery...

Paul Chilcott

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). 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. After Aberbeeg, the route to Abertillery is straight forward following the 465 cycle route all the way. Photo 5 - The bridal path lane between Pen y Fan Farm and Pentrapeod...

Paul Chilcott

The route line could be a little more accurate in places, but just follow the paths on your map. I'd 100% enjoy walking this route again and local people are fortunate to have it!...

danravenellison

This is a great route that's mostly away from the road, easy to follow and surrounded by trees. Walking on the path along the B4471 was fun below Llanhilleth, with the road at tree canopy height....

danravenellison

Particularly in the woodland north of Abertillery where there are numerous tracks and trails in all directions, not all marked on the map and some of these are clearer than those that are marked....

Tim Ryan

At the time of my review I found the woodland north of Trinant difficult as it was very overgrown and the path was far from clear. It is possible. However an option might be to take the B road through Cwm Nant Gwynt to avoid the woodland....

Tim Ryan

A steep and rocky path to the right then leads on to a track and somewhere shortly after, there is another turn off onto the mountain track (which I missed). Instead, I continued along the track and followed the contoured path around the side of the mountain overlooking the Cwmtillery valley. I eventually stumbled on another path heading in the right direction, but it veered away and rather than face another yomp, I followed it, but came out above Blaenavon further south than the planned track....

Paul Chilcott

The path then leads slowly up into the Sychan valley, a steady plod uphill following the upper side of a fence (Photo 1), but as the path deviates and goes up the hill side, there are lots of criss-crossing paths, so some care is needed to keep the heading. Again some great views looking down towards Six Bells in the Ebbw Fach valley (Photo 3). Photo 1 - The path leading up the Sychan Valley...

Paul Chilcott

Heading out of Blaina up the steep street, there was no obvious path to the right, but I eventually came out on a track that then led back to the path. My path then headed straight for some private land, so I had to make a steep detour up the hill until I found what may have been a style to cross the fields. Photo 3 - Beech woodlands on the mountain side between Blaina and Abertillery...

Paul Chilcott

This is a nice steady walk, gradually downhill all the way to Aberbeeg, with the river Ebbw Fach on the right and the "old" road up above on the left beyond the trees. At Aberbeeg, the path goes under the railway bridge then immediately over the Ebbw River (just downstream from the confluence of the Ebbw Fach and the Ebbw Fawr) before passing under the main A467 road. The it`s a bit of a slog uphill on Pant Ddu Road, before turning left just before the road bends around to Aberbeeg church. Then it was just a matter of walking along Park Road into Newbridge and down through the park to the station....

Paul Chilcott

The public rights of way on the OS map do not match what actually happens on the ground and you end up following a track that leads through someone's garden, definitely private land....

grifftinfoilhat

Lovely walk along several old railway lines which I did from Abertillery to Blackwood....

grifftinfoilhat