The Lonely Shepherd

Saturday 6th August 2006

We met in the village of Llanelly for a 10 mile walk. Before we started on the actual walk we visited the churchyard to see two crosses that have some historical significance for the village.

The first is a large rugged cross that has a carved dog sitting at its base. It was done for an army officer. The second is as large but is ornately decorated and is surrounded by low cast iron railing with the pattern of the carving repeated in the design on the railings.

The seven walkers then left the village church of Llanelly to walk to an old disused quarry and its landmark called the 'Lonely Shepherd' via fields and old green lanes which are becoming overgrown and whose walls are falling down in places.

The last green lane led onto bracken covered open space, near a gas pipe pumping station. The last time I was here they were just finishing off laying the pipes to the pumping station. As we took a rough track up towards the Lonely Shepherd at Darren Disgwylfa we stopped to admire the views and also to catch our breath.

At the lonely shepherd we stopped for morning break after which we carried on around the side of the hill following a footpath which broadened out into an old tram track. We left this old track to make our way to the trig point and cairns at Hen Dy-aderyn, we had to adjust out route to make sure that we walked to a break in the fencing which the pipe laying company has left behind. At the trig point someone at placed a sheep's skull on top of it. Looking to the north the trig point provides fine views of the surrounding hills including Sugar Loaf, Pen Cerrig-calch and further in the distance Castell Dinas.

Heading north we rejoined a footpath that goes to the disused quarries at Darren Cilau where adults were showing children how to rock climb. From here we then walked along a fairly flat footpath into the nature reserve of Craig y Cilau with its rare trees and other plants. The nature reserve also has a series of caves - Eglwys Faen and Agen Allwedd - the entire cave system stretches for 18 miles. We stopped for lunch below one of the main caves before venturing into the largest cave to have a quick look, going no further 20 feet into it. The temperature difference was really noticeable and as I walked out of the cave my glasses immediately steamed up which forced me to stop, and wait for my glasses to clear, as the path down from the cave is steep and well warn.

The nature reserve is one of the hidden jewels of this area well hidden from and may it remain so. We didn't walk further into it today but walked back along the footpath we came in on. This path then turned into a very minor road, which led us back to the gas pipeline station. It had been mostly cloudy up to this point but now the sun was fully beaming down upon us and we could feel the temperature rising. From here we retraced our steps back to Llanelly.

It was between 9 and 10 miles long with some rough moorland stretches. A walk with good views that needs good visibility especially on Mynydd Pen-cyrn unless you are used to navigating with a map and compass.