Author Topic: Anyone for the Abergwesyn Common - Crossed it today -Dead Remote  (Read 4187 times)

llandudnoboy

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It's been quite a while since I've ventured anywhere near the Abergwesyn Common, it's a long journey South to Llanwrtyd Wells, but the occasional Red Kite for company makes one glad to be alive, and grateful one is able to visit such a glorious spot.

Drygan Fawr is the main summit in this terribly remote area of Mid Wales, and the main route from Llanwrtyd to Tregaron, follows one of the most famous Droving routes,whereby those hardy travellers,often trusted with immense fortunes by their employers,drove their cattle all the way to Smithfield in London.

In 1859 Sir Robert Wynn,one of the most powerful men in 19C North Wales, entrusted a sum of nearly £5000 to one of his Drovers,so that it could be deposited in his account in the financial banks in London.

Today, we are lucky enough to be able to venture to every part of Wales and further afield, but as recently as 1890, according to records of the time, 94% of the Welsh population had not travelled further than thirty miles of their place of birth.

The Drovers were probably some of the very first Welshman,to regularly visit London and other areas of England,and because Wales did not have any financial houses or banks,they were entrusted with huge fortunes.

The very first currency in Wales was issued by the Ship Bank in Bridge St, in Aberystwyth in 1886, and only one banknote from that financial institution is known to exist.
Later in around 1810 this bank opened up a branch in Tregaron, and the famous Aberystwyth Tregaron Bank, used by the Drovers, lasted just under four years, due to the uncertainty in the banks as financial institutions.

A lovely part of Mid Wales,but make sure you've got breakdown cover,it's probably the remotest location in the whole of Wales,and the mobile signal is non existent.
 

ljmeerkat75

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It sounds lovely down there unfortunatly i am a welsh man who doesnt often get much further than 30 miles from home as i dont drive lol i love history aswell and one remarkable story i heard was about the drovers on the homeward journey would send the dogs ahead of them so the wifes would know they would be home soon!they always remembered the route and got home days in advance we have some good drovers routes just behind Prestatyn as Trelawnyd was a stopping point on the drovers route and the main street through is called London road

DalesWalesLakesandPeaks

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Looks a fantastic area, I was in Trecastle near Llandovery for a week this summer. I wish I'd ventured into this area now but I was more preoccupied with the Beacons.


I wonder what the story is about that rather interesting cairn on Drygarn Fawr?
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llandudnoboy

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This is remotest walking area in Mid Wales, no mobile phone signal,and a single track road 15 miles in length,eventually arriving in Tregaron.
Ultimate solitude.

DalesWalesLakesandPeaks

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This is remotest walking area in Mid Wales, no mobile phone signal,and a single track road 15 miles in length,eventually arriving in Tregaron.
Ultimate solitude.


Me and a friend are just starting to put together our own long distance walk to cover parts of mid-Wales and this area is very much in our thoughts.


llandudnoboy seems to have disappeared, but is he and Dyffryn Ardudwy one and the same?
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phil1960

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I have walked a lot in Mid Wales including the Abergwesyn area, I also stay every New Yaers Eve in Llanwrtyd Wells, no where in the Beacons or Snowdonia is as remote, with the possible exception of parts of the Rhinogydd, search for "A gorge a bog and a quartrz top cairn" to see a TR I did. I love the area for it's solitude
Touching from a distance, further all the time.

barewirewalker

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Interesting your remarks about Drovers Ways, some years ago heard an interesting talk on the Drovers route taken to bring cattle from Anglesea to London and the relevance of Scots Pine along the way. Amazing how often little clumps of these still occur in places where the stand out as direction markers.


BWW
Their Land is in Our Country.

bricam2096

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llandudnoboy seems to have disappeared, but is he and Dyffryn Ardudwy one and the same?

He says that he isn't but...............
LDWs done - 32 in total including 16 National Trails and 3 C2C

Wainwrights 176
www.brians-walks.co.uk

DalesWalesLakesandPeaks

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He says that he isn't but...............


Oh right  ;D , I missed loads of this board for a period, hope it is one and the same as llandudnoboy gave me great advice re the Carneddau, be a shame to have lost him.
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Dyffryn Ardudwy

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I revisited the Abergwesyn area a few weeks ago, thankfully in gorgeous weather.
I was tracing the route used by the Drovers from Tregaron towards Llandovery.
I always thought what a hellish remote area, until i had driven from Dornoch to the Kyle of Tounge, via the A836.
Nothing now seems quite as isolated in England or Wales.
Once one has experienced the area beyond Lairg, remoteness and isolation takes on a totally different meaning.

Abergwesyn Common feels like a jaunt at ones local park in comparison.

It's strange what the NE Highlands of Scotland do to your outlook on life.
« Last Edit: 12:06:03, 30/09/16 by Dyffryn Ardudwy »

phil1960

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Personally I think this takes some beating http://www.walkingforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=32137.0
Touching from a distance, further all the time.

Glyno

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Personally I think this takes some beating http://www.walkingforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=32137.0


looks brilliant. I really need to explore a bit more into mid Wales and south of Cadair Idris

altirando

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Many years ago when I was a keen cyclist I rode the trail along the length of the Towyn valley, seemed quite adventurous.  But midWales does still have some areas that can feel quite remote.  The area immediately west of Bala Lake for instance.  I can remember crossing a vast bog, quite relieved to get to the other side, quite lonely, ideal area for Bank Holiday walks.  Perhaps I am imaging it, though, did have a strange feeling of being watched.  Discovered later there had once been a shallow lake there, Bronze Age settlements.  Ghost sentinels still keeping guard?   

Dyffryn Ardudwy

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A particularly fine area, is the approach to Plyllimon from Eisteddfa Guirig, on the Llangurig Devils Bridge Aberystwyth A44 road.
This is really central Wales at it's finest, but wherever in Wales you live, North or South, it's a bit off the beaten track, and requires a decent journey to get there, as well as good weather, as this area of Mid Wales is featureless.

 

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