Carreg Cennen Castle - 11/1/2014

• 7.5 kilometers  (+ walking around castle)
• Weather: Sunny but still a little chilly in parts
• 13,000+ Steps

Today's walk was a circular walk around Carreg Cennen Castle. The castle is near the River Cennen (Carreg being Welsh for stone), in the village of Trapp and is within the Brecon Beacons National Park.

We got to Carreg Cennen about 9.30am, the first car there. We parked in the car park (which has enough room for about 15-20 cars) and made our way to the farmhouse. The castle is privately owned and costs £4pp (Cadw help to maintain the castle). After paying we were greeted by the most adorable bulldog, she was so friendly and affectionate we couldn't resist stopping to say hello, she must have belonged to the farm.

The lovely bulldog sitting on the picnic tables outside the farmhouse

Carreg Cennen castle is situated on top of a hilltop and the climb up certainly gets your heart rate beating fast. Once you reach the top you are rewarded with fantastic views of the Black Mountain, Tair Carn Uchaf, Carn Pen-y-Clogau and Fan Foel. The views are phenomenal and we had a perfectly clear day to take it all in.

The long and winding path up to the castle

The magnificent castle surrounded by sheep

Now for the castle: looking up at it from the bottom of the hill you can see it's truly one of the most impressive castles in Wales. The story of Carreg Cennen Castle dates back to the 13th century. However, archaeologists have found Roman coins and unearthed prehistoric skeletons so there's evidence prehistoric people occupied the craggy hilltop centuries earlier. What remains of the castle today dates to King Edward I's period of castle-building in Wales.

The exterior of the castle looks very much intact but much of the interior is in ruins, this was the result of demolition in 1462 after the Wars of the Roses. Having said that, the castle still has plenty of charm and you can imagine how the medieval fortress would have appeared back in the day.

One of the unique things about the castle is the underground tunnel. We had to walk down extremely steep steps followed by a very slippery passageway and eventually into the damp limestone cave. Headlamps and torches at the ready, down we went. I have to admit that I am actually afraid of the dark and there's no light whatsoever so I prayed our batteries wouldn't die!

The passageway down...

Thank goodness for headlamps!

Its not a very long walk down the cave, but there were parts so low Dan (who is 6ft 4) struggled to get under and it was very uneven and slippery. It was amazing to see how the rock had formed over the centuries and the twists and turns of the tunnel kept you intrigued as to what's around the next corner. Once we reached the end we were greeted with a small pool of trickling water. Just to see how dark it actually was we turned the lights off! My heart started pounding...wow, it was pitch black! So after a few photographs we made our way back out into the light.

The end of the tunnel :)

Down in the caves pigeon holes were built into the wall, forming a dovecote

The steep steps back out into the light!

After another look around the castle we once again went to appreciate the views, then back down to the gate and started our walk. There are 2 walking routes: a short one (yellow castle signs) and a longer one (red castle signs) which is 7.5km - this is the one we decided on. Once you reach the bottom of the hill, the walk starts by following the red markers through a gate.

Dan capturing the amazing views

It's beauty is one to admire :)

We passed through the wooden gate and we walked down through the woods (Coed Y Castell) where there were huge oak and ash trees.

Dan walking down into the woodlands

Here we saw tree creepers, nuthatch and robins. We continued down to the valley below where we crossed a wooden bridge over the river and headed up the path where we could see clear views of the castle. On most of the walk you get a 360 degree view of the castle and on this section of the walk you definitely get some of the best vantage points. We continued to follow the path around (the red markers are very clear) and eventually onto a country road. We had to pass a charming farm called Brondai with loads of sheep along the way.

Treecreeper

The views from this vantage point are outstanding

The charming farm Brondai

These are the signs you follow :)

After a short walk along the road (very quiet with no cars) we then turned right, over a stile, crossing fields until we reach a strong flowing river. There was a sign saying it was owned by Brecon Water. This must be where our Brecon Carreg water comes from :) Here we sat down for a spot of tea and to admire our very muddy feet! We were hoping to see some bird life and we sat there for a few minutes...but nothing :( - We did however see a ladybird and got some nice macro pics :)

Brecon Water

It don't get muddier than this - Muddy but happy :)

Surprised to find a ladybird in January :)

Off we set again and headed down into the valley. The route was very muddy and water logged in parts, at one point we had to walk through a stream (glad to say both our boots are waterproof!). Eventually we reached the top of the field we needed to cross and saw the castle in front of us. So near yet so far :) Legs getting tired we walked down a very steep field, over a bridge and once again climbed up onto the road.

The very steep field. There's the castle...but still a bit to go!

The final part of the walk is tiring, its all uphill on the road and then you need to cross another field that was extremely muddy and very hard on the legs.  It didn't help that you can see people sitting in the cosy coffee shop enjoying a tea and cake :)

The last leg...a very muddy field

The lovely Tearoom & Craft shop that sells Cawl, homemade cakes and Welsh crafts and souvenirs.

Finally we arrived back at the car about 2.30pm and by then the car park was full. A brilliant walk, cant wait to do it again when the trees and flowers are in bloom. A little disappointed I didn't get to see Red Kites and Buzzards but maybe next time when its a bit warmer :)

Birds Spotted:

• Robins
• Great Tit
• Blue Tit
• Treecreeper
• Nuthatch
• Rook
• Jay

Read more about the castle on its official site.