Page 19 - Cracking Walks - Energetic

Continue up the lane until it bends to the right and go over the high stile on the left. Cross two fields, heading towards Wern Watkin YHA bunkhouse. Follow the path to the left side of the buildings and up the drive, then turn right at the road which leads past the gas pipeline station to a T junction C .
Turn right and after 30m turn left up the stony track (not the tarmac drive to the house). The track winds its way uphill to a sharp left hand bend with post and wire fences on all sides. You return to this bend after visiting the Lonely Shepherd.
After the bend continue on the track uphill for about 250m. The stony track curves to the right and low grassy spoil mounds appear on both sides. Take a faint grass path branching off to the left which soon becomes a wider grass track – a former quarries tram road. Pass a path on the left leading to an old quarry with large cubes of stone on the top left. Continue straight on between grassy spoil mounds and a quarry face on the right. Ahead you will see a post and wire fence and the stone pillar called the Lonely Shepherd comes into sight with a small stone representing the shepherd’s dog beside him D . Admire the panoramic view of the Usk valley, Sugar Loaf, Skirrid and the Black Mountains.
Legend has it that the Lonely Shepherd was cruel to his wife and was turned into stone and made to stand on the hillside forever. On Midsummer night, he turns back to human form and goes in search of his wife, but must return to his station on the hill before dawn. He used to be whitewashed annually so he could be seen when on his travels.
Retrace your steps back along the old tram road and down the stony track to the sharp bend. Leave the track at the bend and go straight ahead through a gap in the fences, then follow the narrow fairly level path parallel to but well below the escarpment cliffs to your left. Keep to the higher ground through bracken to avoid boggy patches, initially keeping to the right of the hawthorn trees. Follow the path for about 25 minutes. The path becomes a wider grassy path and passes close to some old stone built lime kilns. At the old wall and fence just after the lime kilns, turn right down a track past some houses to a road E .
At the road turn left round two sharp bends and continue down the road for 100m, then at the yellow grit bin go down the bank on the right to a stile in the wall and footpath sign. Go down through three fields paying careful attention to the directional waymark arrows on stiles and freestanding posts.
After the third field, cross a small wood to a stile leading to a large field with Llwmws Farm below. Head for a stile in the bottom corner of the field and carefully cross the stream.
For more information please go to www.walkersarewelcomeincrickhowell.org.uk 17