Festivals of Walks

If you like walking then the South Wales Valleys are definitely for you.

There are so many wonderful walks and trails to discover around each bend and over each hill. The network of canals and railways that powered the Industrial Revolution have been transformed into footpaths and trails that tell an incredibly powerful story and the sights and scenery will leave you speechless.   

Many trails tell the stories of the powerful families that owned the works and the mines.  Trails like the Homfrays of Tredegar who owned Bedwellty House, The Baileys of Nantyglo.  The Iron Mountain Trail is a circular route taking in all of the unique aspects of Blaenavon's Industrial Landscape.  The UK's biggest earth sculpture can be seen if you take the route from Penallta to Eglwysilan. 

A firmly established event in the calendar is The Valleys Walking Festival taking place between the 4th and 19th of September 2010. There is plenty on offer to tempt walkers of all abilities - from walks for the serious enthusiast looking to stretch themselves whilst basking in the breathtaking beauty of  The Valleys scenery to shorter walks suitable for the less experienced and for all the family.

This is your opportunity to see just how spectacular The Valleys of today are. These days you won't see a coal mine (unless it happens to be one of out tourism attractions!) but you will see a unique roller-coaster landscape of hills and vales dotted with friendly towns and villages.

Keep up to date via the Wales Valleys Walking Festival Facebook Fan Page as 2010 promises to be bigger and better! The festival - just like The Valleys - offers a mix of breathtaking beauty and fascinating heritage, introduced to you by experienced walk leaders who love to talk about the region.

There are trails to suit all ages and levels of fitness. All trails are colour coded to tell you which will suit you best. But whichever trails you choose you can be sure you are going to have an adventure you will never want to forget. All walks are free but we recommend that you book as early as possible as places are limited. Happy walking! 

Here's an example of each to whet your appetite!

Easy
Aberbargoed Grassland Ramble, 10 September
A 3 mile ramble looking at the wildlife found on Aberbargoed Grasslands special area of conservation (S.A.C.)
Starts at the Top of Bowen Industrial Estate.

Some Exertion
Ffos Las Race Course, 18 September
Enjoy breathtaking views of Carmarthenshire’s Gwendraeth Valley and across the Burry Estuary to the Gower and up to Wales’ newest horse racing course, Ffos Las. Starts at Pemberton Arms Pub, Burry Port

Strenuous
Valleys Geocache, 11 September
10 mile geocaching trail around a local village. Bring your GPS, swaps and packed lunch. Starts at Parc Bryn Bach. 

Very Strenuous
Discover Torfaens Hidden Gems, 5 September
See some of Torfaen's hidden gems on this 15 mile walk including woodlands, a waterfall, canal, Local Nature Reserve and a golf course. Starts at Pontnewydd Park. 

For more details on the Walking Festival and find out how to book your place click here where you can download the brochure.

Click here to see a list of all our Walks in the Welsh Valleys