The second Elan Walking Festival will take place in early September. There will be a great variety of free, guided walks for all abilities over nine days. You can get more information, or book a place on any of the walks by ringing the Visitors Centre on 01597 810880. Walkers will need suitable clothing and footwear depending on the length of the walk, the weather and the surfaces to be encountered. Longer walks might require you to bring appropriate food and drink.
The walks vary from the very gentle Village Tour (10th September), a mile long stroll from the Visitor’s Centre learning about the history of Caban Coch dam and the worker’s village, that will come right by our house; to much more strenuous walks such as the Garreg Ddu Roundabout (4th September); taking in enclosed farmland, up onto open hill and down to the reservoir fringe.
The whole programme is:
3rd, 10am, Cwm Elan Mines Experience, 5 mile circular walk from Nantgwyllt Church car park and including the remains of the Elan Copper Mines.
4th, 10am – 4pm, Garreg Ddu Roundabout (see above)
5th, 10am -3pm, Navigation Workshop: map and compass reading with practical application in the countryside, starts from the Visitor’s Centre.
6th, 2pm – 5pm, Dambusters walk: 4 mile guided walk that stretches the lungs, and includes the Nant y Gro Dam used for tests by Barnes Wallace, before the WW2 Dambusters raid on the Ruhr.
7th, 10am, The Foel Experience: energetic 7 mile walk up on Y Foel, the hill opposite Ty Olaf, great valley views!
8th 10am – 12pm, Railway Ramble: the 3 miles from the Visitor’s Centre to Cwmdauddwr, return lift available.
9th, 10am – 2:30pm, Medieval Monks Trod: the Trod joins the Medieval, Cistercian, Abbeys of Abbey Cwm Hir and Strata Florida, but this walk covers just 6 miles from the Vistor’s Centre, and after a 150m ascent follows the footsteps of the monks along hill tops.
9th, 6pm – 7:30ish, Walk the Solar System: Join the “Astro Rangers” to learn about the Solar System, hopefully the Elan Valley Dark Sky will allow for some good views.
10th, 10am, Around the Common: an 8 mile moderate hill walk exploring parts of the Cwndauddwr Common and the Wye Valley boundary of the Elan Estate. Spectacular views!
10th, 1pm – 3pm, What’s that Bee?: a walk along the Y Foel track to learn about bees and how to identify them.
10th, 2pm – 3pm, Village Tour: see above.
11th, 10am – 4pm, Bronze Age Valley: moderately strenuous 5 mile circular hill walk from Esgair Perfedd, looking at Bronze Age sites on the NE fringe of the Elan Estate. They specify “no dogs” on this walk!
Whether you choose to try one of these guided walks or just come and stay at Ty Olaf and explore them for yourself, we hope that you will enjoy walking in this glorious countryside as much as we do.
