St Brides to the Clapper bridge, 9th February

Lead: Liz

As we had all enjoyed a rather large meal and quite late night the previous evening, at our post Christmas meal at the Star Inn, it was good to see five of us ready and willing to walk the next morning.

Although a cold morning, the sun was shining and wind not too fierce, for most of the time. We left cars in St Brides Major, then followed a little lane up the hill towards the back of the village and from there took a path which is on the Vale Millennium Trail, but none of us had done until the past week or so, but it was good to see clear signage, after the lack of it having been reported only a few days previously.

Unfortunately, some of the stiles were in considerable need of repair, (again reported) but we managed to be remarkably agile and succeeded in us all getting over each one without mishap. Let’s hope some are repaired by our next visit. The views from “up top” were amazingly broad and attractive, across the channel and back into the Vale.

After a brief stop in Coed-y-Bwl, the nature reserve with the wonderful daffodils in about March, we walked down to the clapper bridge, where the scenery was looking especially lovely with sunlight playing on the trees, vegetation and rippling water. Standing on the bridge was a slippery experience as we balanced there for our photo.

Expressions on our faces are not quite our usual smiley ones; maybe it was the concentration on not overbalancing, or no-one reminding us to “say cheese”!

The path from there was another slippery experience, with a lot of bare rock and leafy mud, but by taking care, we did not fall and soon came out onto the common, where a surprisingly stiff walk uphill, into the icy wind took us to a lookout point above St Brides pass and the two quarries.  From here we took an easy route back into the village and after shedding the worst of our muddy gear, we then went into the Fox and Hounds pub for a cup of coffee before our short drive home.

As usual the company was good and we enjoyed laughs, views, sunshine, shortbread and exercise, and accomplished over three and a half miles exercise.

Many thanks for coming along.