We are the Taff Ely Ramblers. We open the way for everyone in our local community to enjoy the pleasures of walking.
We start from the lower end of the car park in the grounds of Castell Coch. begin with a short climb up to Castell Coch and then follow fairly level forest paths through Fforest Fawr. We continue north following the track of a disused railway before we have one more climb, quite steep at first but then with a gentler gradient, up on to the Craig yr Allt ridge (we’ll stop for a break on the way). From there we go on up to Caerphilly Common where we will have lunch at the summit. The return route is mainly steadily downhill, beginning with crossing fields and then descending, via narrow paths to the valley floor between Forestganol and the Wenallt. The final section involves walking along an easy forest path before we return to the start.
Potential hazards
There is a short lane to walk along after the descent from Craig yr Allt ridge. We cross over the main A469 road twice at Caerphilly Mountain so great care is needed here. There is one other very short stretch or road to walk along and cross before we return to civilisation in Tongwynlais, where we walk along the pavement and cross the road back to the castle grounds.
We go through one field with sheep and young lambs. There are a few stiles, almost all on the return. We only recall seeing one with a dog gate. The stiles are not in tip-top condition, but none is very hazardous or very high.
There are one or two slightly boggy patches, which will obviously be worse if it rains just before Sunday. On the quite long but steady descent through dense woods, a few stretches of path are narrow, muddy (so slightly slippery) and overgrown. Walking poles are advisable; shorts are not!
It is probably best not to bring dogs because of the field with sheep and lambs, the stiles and some narrow paths.
When we did the recce, the toilets at the Caerphilly Mountain Snack Bar were out of use and looked as if they had been for some time, so don’t bank on being able to use them.
