Kilvay Hill, Swansea

In all the time I lived in Swansea I had never been up Kilvay Hill.  Its on the eastern outskirts of the city and the feature that causes the exit road to hug the coast line.

We approached it by parking in Port Tennant and taking one of the many footpaths that seen to go up the hill on the seaward southern side of the hill keeping just below the farmland for most of the way up. 

A dreary view over Swansea with only the Ferris wheel adding any brightness

At the top there is now the inevitable mast compound and an old concrete wind shelter.  The trig point that used to be up here has now gone but we were able to find the old base it used to stand on.

On top of where the trig point used to stand

The previous evening my friend had suggested we go down to Langland Bay for some Laverbread, an old Swansea delicacy made from seaweed.  I was expecting to go to a shop to buy some and was taken aback when we suddenly headed for the beach.  He meant that we were going to collect the laver seaweed from the beach and make our own laverbread.  This involved washing it and then putting it in the bottom of the oven overnight before frying it in bacon fact in the morning and adding oats. 

Washing the laver seaweed before cooking

Port Talbot Marilyns

Time for a bit of a walk after the excesses of Christmas.  Also time to try to complete the Marilyns on Section 32C.  I parked in the side streets of Aberavon and walked up the Avon Afan to Cwmafan watching the cormorants on the way.

Cormorant fishing in Avon Afan

After negotiating the streets of Cwmafan I was onto the narrow lanes tat led me up onto Foel Fynyddau which I approached for the last half mile along a footpath from the west.  There were no views from the top as the mist was down. I could hardly see the nearby masts. All I could hear was the occasional voice in the distance but I didn't see anyone.  The trig point looked in good condition.

The misty top of Foel Fynyddau

Back on the lanes, I headed south and then along footpaths and up to Mynydd Dinas, the hill that overlooks Port Talbot.

Abandoned farm vehicles adding to the bleakness of the day.

In all the years of driving past Port Talbot I have never been up here and neither have most people by the looks of it.  Although there are footpaths leading up the hill the way to the actual trig point and summit is far lass clear and not easy to find.  Again the trig point looks in good condition.

Trig Point on top of Mynydd Dinas

There is a steep decent back down to Port Talbot that needed care in today's damp conditions with snow left over from the pre-Christmas falls. once below the cloud level I could see the town of Port Talbot looking gray and dreary, reminding me of that Max Boyce line:  Is that the sun or the moon?  I don't know I'm, from Port Talbot.

A dreary view over Port Talbot steel works.

Section 32C of the Marilyns now completed.

Christmas 2010

With snow on the ground and the very cold spell continuing, it wasn't the time to venture too far.  Instead we headed for Allesley Park for a romp in the snow.  Well, Shadow had a romp and we just followed. 

It is not worth taking a toy along for Shadow when there is snow as all he is interested in is having snowballs thrown for him. 

Sometimes he doesn't quite manage to catch them



Bath Youth Hostel

Part of my venture of staying in the Youth Hostels in alphabetical order.  this was the first of the Bs.  Bath Youth Hostel is in a residential area on a hill on the outskirts of the city.  Where else can you stay in such an old villa for £18. 

I first stayed here about 30 years ago.  I think in those days we were all given a job to do before checking out in the morning and being given my membership card back.  No jobs to do now and a nice refurbished Members Kitchen.  The lounge is spoilt as ever by having a giant TV in it - one of the things that I think has spoilt youth hostels over time. 

Scenes of child labour on the wall inside Bath Youth Hostel

I didn't meet any fellow walkers here.  Most people staying seemed to be families, couples or students taking a break before their upcoming exams.

More scens from the walls of Bath Youth Hostel

Gloucestershire and Bath

A day out in Gloucestershire and Bath visiting HuMPS (hills with a 100 meter prmontary), trig points and collecting geocaches.  The weather was cold and frosty with lots of fog at ground level but when I climbed the hills I found myself above the cloud and in the sunshine.  A smashing day out!

The Trig Point on Tinkers Hill - the original concrete trig has been encased in bricks. 

Dropping off a travel bug.  I thought this was an apt place to drop it as the cache is specifically for doggy related trade items.

A Christmas sceen at St Bartholemews Church on top of Tinker's Hill.  The berries and bits fir tree that had dropped onto the top of the grave made a lovely picture with the frosty grass in the background.

Robin's Wood Hill, Gloucestershire.  A hill in the middle of an urban area with the added benefit of free parking.  I think I dropped a travel bug up here.  The first one I have ever lost.  I have had to appologise to the owners.

The beautiful view from the top of Bathampton Down just outside Bath.

The highest point on Bathford Hill is this folly.  I found that the door had been vandalised and ajar so went in and climbed to the top.  Pretty scary as the handrails were missing for much of the way up.

The stone stairs inside the folly on top of Bathford Hill.

View from the top of Bathford Hill.  One hand holding the camera, one the wall to stop me shaking.

Geocaching in Tallinn

When you live in a place that receives a lot of snow you need extra ingenuity to place caches.  The ones I found were all easily accessible even though there was lots of snow around - as you can see by the photos.  The trick was to keep the gloves on till the very last moment so that by the time you came to sign the log sheet your fingers were not too numb. 

I'm sure it's under there but what is this thing?

As with all caching, these took us to places in the city we may not have found otherwise and offered a good break in sightseeing and museums etc.

Bet you can't guess where this one was!

We only got in trouble with the police once, and we weren't even caching at the time.  We were in the middle of trying to pay for a tram ticket when the driver kept shoving the money back at us as she didn't have any change.  The police (two of them) wouldn't let us get away with it even though they could see we were trying to pay.  In the end another passenger took pity on us and gave us a ticket.

Tallinn in winter - pretty but chilly.

Bedworth Miners Welfare Park

The snow may have gone but its still pretty cold.  Time for a few caches in Bedworth.  I haven't been around this park since I came orienteering about five years ago. I liked the sculpture and mine wheel.

Miners sculpture - Bedworth