Page 11 - Ninnau Jan-Feb 2021

THE GOLDEN VALLEY and the special favours of

Garw Fechan

Above the Garw Fechan falls

nal traverse through brambles, our entrances now only being
scrub and new trees to arrive at granted via sometimes-sheer,
a place of stillness and serenity, usually-waterlogged (almost)
its silence interrupted only by tracks, with just the trees for
the song of the birds and of the handholds as you lower yourself
river’s eternal falling over precariously down.
rocks. What awaits you, however, is,
The Garw Fechan falls The excursion to the Garw for me at least, well worth the
Fechan waterfall—from the effort, its inaccessibility proba-
southern forestry path—is a bly adding to its attraction. On
More from Phil Ogmore below Bryngarw Park from one of the forestry roads much more challenging one. I my regular visits, I have never
Cope’s new visual at Abergarw. Probably the most snaking high above both of its am told that there was once a met another soul at either one of
path with steps down to a view-
these well-hidden natural and
biography of the attractive of these is the Garw sides, the Garw Fechan offers ing platform at the river’s edge man-made gems.
two of the Garw’s most special
Fechan (or ‘little Garw’), cut
Garw Valley deeply as it is into the often- favours: a splendid waterfall here, but all of this is long gone,
There are a countless number sheer sides of its narrowing and the abandoned wooden
of tributaries which feed into glen. crossing which I have named
the Garw river along its short For those with an appetite for the ‘Magic Bridge’.
six-mile journey from its source adventure and a willingness to From the northernmost road,
above the Valley’s last row of either wade the ankle- (some- the climb down to the stream
terraced houses at Carn to its times knee-) deep river’s length, and ‘my’ bridge entails a diago-
confluence with the river or drop down precipitously

Wales and its legends as you’ve never

known before!

“Riveting!”; “Couldn’t put the book down”; “A roller coaster

ride through tales that combine history, suspense and intrigue
My ‘magic bridge’

9+*) .(9, 2;470;&<<# * > 3@A=894B2A=>B<:?9
!))BA.B<:>B->@@;3=894;BA.B'?@>;B<:=A64:B:8;<A=87?@B

=>;>?=7:5BA=?@B?77A69<;5B2/<:;5B@>4>90;5B.A@,B<?@>;B
?90B3A><=/5B?@@B8@@6;<=?<>0B1/B:8;B;<699894B7A@A6=B
3:A<A4=?3:;B* :2;<!";4<0+B

The Oak Grove Conspiracies trilogy highlights Wales and
Welsh legends, international terrorism, fascinating world loca-
tions, and a centuries-long battle between good and evil. The

goal is powerful icons that give world domination. Standing
in the breach? A Welsh historian and an American journalist.

The Excalibur Parchment, The Lucifer Scroll and The

Prince Madoc Secret take you on thrilling journeys from the
Wales to London, Istanbul and San Francisco.

Available Now 361@8;:>0B89B'?@>;B1/B$(&(%
? ?8@?1@>B2?8@BA=0>=B.=A2
Signed copies www.barriedoyle.com. Also available at most ---+8341AA,+7A25
"2? A95B
bookstores, Amazon and other online platforms. A=B/A6=B@A7?@B1AA,;>@@>=
#A9<?7<B<:>B?6<:A=B?<B
$25 each or $65 for gift pack of three. (+ S&H) 3$:6/8<3711-%5':6/8<5

January-February 2021 NINNAU Page 11