| Caerphilly Mountain and Twyn Garwa |
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Short but energetic walk through open countryside and onto two highpoints north of Cardiff.
Getting there from Cardiff:
by bus: Stagecoach bus A or B [Cardiff to Caerphilly] from Cardiff Central Bus Station - every 30 mins.
by car: park at the Caerphilly Mountain Car park, close to the junction of the B4263 and the A469. Join the walk at Point C, going left from the car park to the A469.
Maps: Landranger 171, Explorer 151
Distance: 5km (3 miles)
Difficulty: Grade Moder
Start Point: grid ref ST150853 - Bus stop on A469 shortly after junction with B4263
From the bus-stop, walk back up the A469 and after crossing a minor road junction cross the A469 (take care it is usually extremely busy with fast moving traffic) to pick up the Ridgeway path leading onto Caerphilly Mountain. This starts as a track framed by two imposing stones and just ahead is a wooden sign marking the area as Caerphilly Common. Shortly after ascending the track, you come to a fork where the Ridgeway path goes right but you should continue straight ahead on the ascending path to reach the trig point that marks the summit of Caerphilly Mountain.
As you reach the trig point you will see two paths to your right. Take the one that goes diagonally right and descends into a dip to where it meets a number of other paths. Take the one that goes broadly straight on. It makes its way up the other side and shortly afterwards reaches the B4263 road just by the Mountain Snack Bar.
Turn right and go along the road to its junction with the A469. Cross this road (again take care) and almost directly opposite is an unmade road that runs to the left before winding around to the right. After it passes a bungalow Garn Lwyd it becomes a path. Continue on this path as it runs parallel with a line of pylons. Eventually it bears left under the electricity lines and comes to a metal gate and stile.
Cross the stile and make your way slightly to the left over the rising ground to a stile which sits in isolation in the middle of open land. From here make your way to a stile in a fence directly ahead of you. Do not cross the stile but turn right and follow the fence line to the corner of the field where there is a gate giving access to the next field. Here turn diagonally right to a further stile with a fine view of Craig yr Allt. Make towards a barn straight ahead, over a stile to a further stile giving access onto a lane. Take the footbridge and stile directly opposite leading into a field. Bear left to another stile, with the Black Cock Inn directly ahead. Make for the corner of the field adjacent the Inn and over a stile and footbridge into the car park of the Inn.
Take the minor road opposite the Black Cock Inn which descends into the valley. Opposite a set of gates (the entrance to Uplands) is a footpath sign to a stile set slightly back from the road. Go over this stile and diagonally right across the field to another stile. Go straight across this field in the direction of a group of houses to a stile. The stile gives access to a tarmac road leading to the houses. Turn right on the road to reach a road junction. On your left is a muddy sunken lane. Follow this path uphill and at a fork bear left onto the track with a waymarker. Continue on this track a short distance and at the next fork turn right and continue uphill to the crest of the ridge where the path makes a sharp turn to the right to descend the ridge. The summit lies 100m up the ridge on your left, you may care to go there-and-back to enjoy the views.
Follow the path down the ridge as it becomes a broad track that swings gently to the left. Continue on this path as it makes its way in a direction which is just to the right of a large white house on the slopes of Caerphilly Mountain. The path eventually reaches the A469 by the bus stop, the start of the walk. To return to Cardiff, carefully cross over to the bus stop opposite and catch the Stagecoach A or B bus service.