South Wales Walks Options

[coinsky]

Hello,

The boys and I are moving to Pontarddulais (North of Swansea) in a few weeks and although where we will be living has some fields, I was wondering if local peeps have any suggestions of nice walks?

My workplace is surrounded by countryside but there are sheep all over, so the boys will probably have to be mostly kept on a flexi around there.

Any suggestions for sheep free places would be fab (especially any place for swimming so river/lake/reservoir)

[staffymad]

Usk Reservoir, about 40 miles away but well worth a day out. I went with Lilly Loon on friday, pictures here http://www.dogpages.org.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=255417

Then you have loads of the beaches at the Gower, Merthyr Mawr, Oxwich Bay etc, many dog friendly all year round. There is also the country park at Port Talbot (its a deer park but they are fenced in and you can walk anything between 3 and 37 miles around there) with a lake and some streams

Edited to add: Usk Reservoir is completely live stock free

This post has been edited by staffymad: 1st Apr 2012, 3:52 pm

[coinsky]

Thank you, Usk Reservoir looks brilliant! Any walk with swimming is a firm favourite so will mark that one down!

Will go google Port Talbot (have no idea where anything is as so rubbish at geography )

[GSDSian]

Neath Canal

The country park at Port Tablot is called Margam. Pembrey isn't a million miles away either.

[HellsBells71]

Cefn Sidan beach in Pembrey is just fab as is Pembrey country park.

Do you have a moving date yet?????

[coinsky]

Cefn Sidan beach in Pembrey is just fab as is Pembrey country park.

Do you have a moving date yet?????

Another one added to the list! I think these will be day off walks as they look like places where I would go all day since they are a bit further and there is a parking charge. But I am very at planning all these new adventures on my day off.

Not sure how to find more local walks, maybe just drive about?? I always find it hard when I go somewhere new and normally miss loads of good walks cos I never find out about them!

I am hopefully coming in the next few days to look for and buy a static (and will stop and Margam country park on the way!) and then if the weather stays ok, I should move within the week I should think. If t doesn't, I will have to wait until the fields are dry enough to get a static across.

[Seth's Servant]

Another one added to the list! I think these will be day off walks as they look like places where I would go all day since they are a bit further and there is a parking charge. But I am very at planning all these new adventures on my day off.

Not sure how to find more local walks, maybe just drive about?? I always find it hard when I go somewhere new and normally miss loads of good walks cos I never find out about them!

I am hopefully coming in the next few days to look for and buy a static (and will stop and Margam country park on the way!) and then if the weather stays ok, I should move within the week I should think. If t doesn't, I will have to wait until the fields are dry enough to get a static across.

About as dry as it's going to be round here at the moment You don't need to park right inside the Pembrey country park (if you've got dogs without wonky legs that is ) and can get away with free parking just outside. But if you do want to park inside on a regular basis, theres a 6 monthly pass you can get which was about £36 the last time I asked. Sef and Rena can't quite make the walk to the beach from outside (especially if the tides out ) so I have to go in the park and get as close to the beach as possible.

Gelli Aur is nearby-ish but I never go there because of the deer.

Another place that is a lovely walk is in the Afan Valley forest park but it does have a lot of cyclists about and a few dog walkers. Not sure about sheep though.

[Collie fan]

Hi

And welcome to Wales. Just to the west of Pontardulais is Lower Lliw resorvoir (near Velindre) if you want a fairly local water based walk. You have the fantastic black mountains right behind you that stretch to the Brecon Beacons. There is also the huge Brechfa forest to the north west of you. A little further east you have some lovely river trails i.e. Trussler trail that follows the Clydach river. The Gower, Carmarthen, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire coasts (best out of season).

Welcome to dog walking heaven

Just too many wonderful walks and sights to explore where you can often wander and see hardly anyone (just pick your times and places).

[coinsky]

Hi

And welcome to Wales. Just to the west of Pontardulais is Lower Lliw resorvoir (near Velindre) if you want a fairly local water based walk. You have the fantastic black mountains right behind you that stretch to the Brecon Beacons. There is also the huge Brechfa forest to the north west of you. A little further east you have some lovely river trails i.e. Trussler trail that follows the Clydach river. The Gower, Carmarthen, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire coasts (best out of season).

Welcome to dog walking heaven

Just too many wonderful walks and sights to explore where you can often wander and see hardly anyone (just pick your times and places).

Thank you, thats brill.


According to google maps Lower Lliw reservoir is only 10 minutes away. I wish these places would put postcodes though so I can put it in the sat nav, I find it so hard to find places otherwise. Once spent a whole morning in Scotland looking for a specific walk and gave up in the end.

Oh and just to check...is the reservoir likely to be sheepie free?

[celery]

Let us know when you're moved and settled and we'll organise a meet up

[staffymad]

I wish these places would put postcodes though so I can put it in the sat nav, I find it so hard to find places otherwise. Once spent a whole morning in Scotland looking for a specific walk and gave up in the end.

I invested in good OS explorer maps for the areas I walk, most can be bought for £5 or cheaper online. As I am prettypoo at finding places too, I tend to look up the OS map, find the closest village etc and find my way from there

[AnnW]

Let us know when you're moved and settled and we'll organise a meet up

(says she with a 0% success rate at actually getting to S. Wales meet-ups so far )

Gower is absolutely glorious, and if you fancy heading East a bit, there are loads of lovely walks in the Vale of Glamorgan. We also love Michaelston-le-Pit/Cwm George woods, Margam Park and the hills behind it, Ogmore, Southerndown, Mertyr Mawr (biggest sand dunes in Wales). Cefn Sidan beach at Pembrey is an absolute must. My best tip for finding new walks is to take up geocaching!

[GSDSian]

I had forgotten about Brechfa. When I farm sat a few weeks back the boys had some lovely walks in the forest.

[mollies mum]

Kenfig pool is fab too, you can walk all the way to sker beach.. and dogs can be off the lead too

[Collie fan]

Oh and just to check...is the reservoir likely to be sheepie free?

I've been a couple of times and no evidence of sheep, but you never know, after all this is Wales