After a surprisingly rural walk through the environs of Cardiff last year when completing the first two stages of the pilgrimage from Llandaf to Penrhys, six pilgrims from the long walking group set off on the best day of the year so far to complete the next two.

After visiting St. David’s church in Groes Faen to see the base of the eponymous stone cross, we walked to the far end of the village and struck off across fields, passing a quarry and on through woodland where the sun cast strong shadows of the still leafless trees. We crossed the Afon Clun, on its way to Pontyclun, the Ely river and down to Cardiff, until we reached the road to Rhiw Saeson (why did some English people choose that hillside to live on?). From here we were able to see the church tower of Llantrisant, our first stop.

Crossing the road we continued on alongside the noisy, now only fairly new, A473 and up some fairly rough tracks which were running with water after the recent poor weather. We reached a bridge and were able to cross over the road to the also now only fairly new cycle track leading towards Llantrisant. On this trail is one of the few remaining town boundary markers which are visited on the Beating the Bounds walk, held every seven years. The next will be in 2031.

Striking off the bike track we climbed a fairly stiff hill which took us up to the castle with its spectacular views over the channel. We read the notice board about the imprisonment here of the unfortunate Edward II then visited a café for a welcome coffee and cake. Two walkers had to leave us there and the remaining four passed the statue of Dr. Price where one of us sang the first verse (one of many) of the Doctor Price song. Passing very swiftly on we crossed the common, an SSSI of some 270 acres given to the Freemen of Llantrisant as a reward for helping Edward III to win at Crecy.

At another boundary stone we turned off the road through woods and over extremely muddy fields until we came to one with a number of well-grown calves. Not all of us care for walking through stock any bigger than a sheep, however one of our members is a fan of cows and persuaded us to walk through them, which we all survived. Through more thick mud we reached another road which took us to a turning to Treferig where there are the remains of a 17th century Quaker meeting house.

Over a surprisingly substantial stone bridge we turned left onto the track of a railway which we thought might have been the same mineral railway which crosses Llantrisant common. Time was running on so we used a convenient four seater fallen tree to have our picnic lunch. A large pig at the foot of the railway embankment watched as we continued along the track, emerging eventually at Pant y Brad, “hollow of the traitors”, where a plaque in the wall commemorates the capture of the unfortunate Edward II after being chased around the country by the forces of his wife, the awful Isabella “the she wolf of France”, and her paramour Roger Mortimer. Another path took us downhill then left to Tonyrefail. Up some steps we entered a housing estate where Google Maps took us to the bus stop and a 40 minute ride back to Groes Faen.

We all agreed that in spite of the mud it had been an excellent day out with perfect weather. Let us hope it is just as good when we complete the last two stages of the pilgrimage and finally get to Penrhys.