This is one of my favourite local walks, the route has a nice variety of scenery, some steep parts and some gentle flat parts and the views from the top are some of the best in the area.

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The view South from the steep end of Mynydd y Lan.

Starting at Gelligroes Mill – home of radio pioneer Arthur (Artie) Ernest Moore who, in the early hours of 15 April 1912, using crude radio apparatus received a faint signal in Morse Code:

“CQD CQD SOS de MGY Position 41.44N 50.24W. Require immediate assistance. Come at once. We have struck an iceberg. Sinking….We are putting the women off in the boats…..”

Gelligroes Mill
Gelligroes Mill. | Minolta MD 35-70 @ 35mm, f8.

He was the first person in Britain to learn that the Titanic had struck an iceberg and was sinking. He transcribed all of the SOS messages from the Titanic until it sank a couple of hours after that first message.

Gelligroes Mill
Gelligroes Mill. | Sony RX10iv.

From Gelligroes Mill you head steeply uphill – as Artie Moore would have done during his life – on an old track, before a stretch of country lane takes you to the peaceful St Tudor’s Church and The Church Inn, Mynyddislwyn.

St Tudors Church
St Tudor’s Church with the pub on the left. | Tamron Adaptall SP 28-135 @ 50mm, f8.
St Tudors Church
A bench at St Tudor’s Church makes a good resting point. | Tamron Adaptall SP 28-135 @ 28mm, f8.

Past this you head up again to the three towers, by which point you’ll be able to see Cardiff and the sea.

Weather Station
Path to the three towers – quite a local landmark. | Tamron Adaptall SP 70-210mm f3.5 @ 70mm, f8.

From there you head right following a small path towards the stone marker marking the top of Mynydd y Lan. Beware that towards the end of summer this track can be quite overgrown so any rain or dew will leave you with very damp legs as you near enough wade through it.

Mynydd y Lan
The small stone marker. | Pentax K SMC 28mm f3.5 @ f8.
Mynydd y Lan
Stone marker looking East. | Pentax K SMC 28mm f3.5 @ f8.
Mynydd y Lan
Nice skies over the marker. | Pentax K SMC 28mm f3.5 @ f8.

You can then follow the track towards the edge of the hill, where you can then see all of Machen Mountain, Newport and Cardiff as well as views over the Bristol Channel to England. 

Cardiff
Cardiff. | Tamron Adaptall SP 70-210 f3.5 @ 210mm, f8.

The path loops around back to the three towers and you can then head back a different way to take in the disused reservoir before returning to Gelligroes Mill.

Woodland
Views North to Pen y Fan and the Brecon Beacons are really quite special from this viewpoint. | Tamron Adaptall SP 28-135 @ 135mm, f8.
Hill Summit
Machen Mountain. | Tamron Adaptall SP 70-210 f3.5 @ 210mm, f8.
Power
Solar farm and Brecon Beacons. | Tamron Adaptall SP 28-80 @ 50mm, f8.
Afternoon Glow
Disused Reservoir. | Tamron Adaptall SP 28-80 @ 28mm, f8.

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