Clips
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Holyhead Mountain walk
Derek teamed up with Coastal Path Officer, Rosie Frankland for this five mile circular walk.
Find out more about this walk
It begins at the Breakwater Country Park, taking in North Stack, Holyhead Mountain, South Stack lighthouse and Ellin's Tower.
Leaving the Breakwater Country Park, you'll spot Holyhead Breakwater in the distance - the largest in Europe, built from 7 million tonnes of locally quarried stone.
Moving along the coast, Derek visits the former fog horn station at North Stack where local artist Philippa Jacobs now lives and paints.
The next stop is Holyhead Mountain where you'll find the remains of Caer y Twr - an Iron Age hill fort and also the remains of a 4th century Roman watchtower and signal station.
The summit provides 360 degree views over Holyhead harbour, Y Carneddau and Snowdon, standing at 1,085 metres high
It's then downhill all the way to South Stack lighthouse and the RSPB visitor centre at Ellin's Tower where sea birds flock in their thousands during the summer months.
Along the way RSPB Head Warden Dave Bateson points out some of the local rare wild flowers including the rare spotted-rock rose and endemic spatulate fleawort.
The walk then follows a rough track around the base of the mountain and back to the starting point at the Breakwater Country Park.
Visit the Weatherman Walking website for a detailed route description, walking map to print off and take with you and photos taken on location. -
Pentyrch to Garth Mountain walk
For this walk Derek was joined by ladies from the Welsh Women Walkers group who were high on life, having completed a trek up Mount Kilimanjaro.
Find out more about this walk
This 4.5 mile circular walk begins outside the Lewis Arms in Pentyrch near Cardiff.
The trail leads down through fields towards Coed y Bedw nature reserve where you'll find ancient woodlands, a ruined cottage and plenty of ghostly tales.
It's then a short, uphill walk through the pretty village of Gwaelod y Garth before hiking up to the summit of Garth Mountain.
Garth Hill/ Mountain is usually referred to as 'the Garth' and was the inspiration for the book and film - The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain by Christopher Monger.
Arriving at the summit you'll be rewarded with panoramic views over Cardiff and the Bristol channel as well as four Bronze Aged round barrows dating from roughly 2000 B.C.
From the summit, head south; down the mountain via the Ridgeway Walk, crossing over a minor road as you make your back down into Pentyrch.
Visit the Weatherman Walking website for a detailed route description, walking map to print off and take with you and photos taken on location.
Credits
- Presenter
- Derek Brockway
- Producer
- Gareth Rees-Rowlands
- Executive Producer
- Christina Macaulay
