Canaston Bridge 8m (Carmarthen Ramblers)

On Sunday 10th February, Carolyn and Dennis Hills led the Carmarthen ramblers on an eight-mile circular walk in the Llawhaden area of Pembrokeshire. The route took in footpaths and tracks with banks of snowdrops, rivers, an ancient church, a castle and sections of two trails - “The Landsker Borderlands” and “The Knights Way”. The weather forecast for the day was good with fair weather clouds and sunny periods reaching about nine degrees C, and not a drop of rain but with a cold wind blowing. The walk started from the car park at Canaston Bridge from where they immediately picked up the Landsker Borderlands Trail and a footpath that led into a field. The route ran around the hillside forming one side of the Eastern Cleddau river valley as they headed northwards – upriver – for just over a mile, passing through the farmyards of St Kenox and Pen-yr-allt to reach a road near Llawhaden Bridge. Here they left the trail and followed a rather steep bridleway to arrive in the middle of the village of Llawhaden near Llawhaden House, then followed the road past the nursing home into what is left of Llawhaden Castle. The castle is in ruins but what is left is well maintained. This was a good spot for a coffee break and to hear the story of Tanglwyst – the Pembrokeshire witch – related by Carolyn.

After viewing the castle they retraced their steps briefly to locate a footpath that now led quite steeply back down into the valley to reach the valley road at St Aiden’s church next to the eastern Cleddau River where there was a morning service in progress. Walking southwards for a couple of hundred metres they crossed the river via Llawhaden Bridge and once over on the opposite bank they left the road, taking a footpath now running southwards beside the river. After a mile they reached the village of Robeston Wathen and passed the church to reach the main street – the original A40 before the bypass was constructed. Still heading southwards they followed a concreted lane that was quite slippery in places as both sides of the lane had rivulets running down following heavy early morning rain. The lane led steeply downhill – passing under the A40 – to reach the valley floor where a ford in a tributary of the Cleddau was a raging torrent. Fortunately there was a foot bridge nearby that enabled the group to cross the stream safely and progress along the lane for just over half a mile until they reached a sharp bend where they found a footpath that led them into Canaston Wood. It was pointed out to the walkers that their presence on the footpath had been automatically electronically recorded. Once out of the strong wind they stopped for lunch.

In the afternoon they headed westwards along a series of paths and tracks in the woods and soon picked up the route of “The Knights Way” which, after a mile, brought them to Blackpool Mill. Sadly the mill is vacant and fenced off and now in a state of decline. At this point they met the Landsker Borderlands Trail again and followed it over Blackpool Bridge on a tidal section of the Cleddau where they stopped to view the mill and the beautiful surrounding countryside. They continued into Toch Wood for the last mile that led along a woodland path then under the A40 again to return to the starting point.