Cefn-Onn to Hengoed on Rhymney Valley Ridgeway Walk

There are a number of waymarked trails associated with the Rhymney Valley including the Rhymney Valley Ridgeway Walk and the Rhymney River Circular Walk. Today, and for the following few blogs, I will be walking the Rhymney Valley Ridgeway Walk, this consists of a circular, waymarked walk between Hengoed and Cardiff, and a section marked on the Ordnance Survey Map but not waymarked that goes from Hengoed to Rhymney. Leaflets on today's section are here and here.
I started from the Lisvane and Thornhill railway station, and walked up through Cefn Onn park, a beautiful area of trees and, in season, rhododendrons, where people walk their dogs. Today though it was raining, and so sitting on a bench I put on my water proof trousers etc.. This meant that the following walk up to the top of the ridge was rather sweaty in the August temperatures, resulting in more water inside of my water proofs than outside. I was glad to take them off as the rain eased off at the top, while looking at the view across Cardiff, although the sheep were taking to chances staying sheltered beneath trailers and trees.

Sheep Sheltering from rain

Waymarking

After a field of sheep and a farm offering eggs, the path went through beech woodland, which helped protect me from the rain that restarted. I took a short diversion to remind myself of the "secret" bunker left from the second world war for a "stay behind" resistance unit in case of German invasion. Then a walk down from one ridge, and across a few fields to the next. Unfortunately an over-friendly horse tried hard to waylay me, seemingly determined to extract my lunch from my back pack. Then more trees as I walked through Coed Craig Rupera, after passing Rupera Castle, which is need of some repairs (see my previous blog on the Glamorgan Ridgeway which included this section).
On reaching Draethen, I put my waterproofs back on in the face of continuing rain, and took the path through some pines and then along a path which was so overgrown with brambles I was forced to turn back and divert along a quiet country road. Eventually this lead to the path into Machen, through a waterlogged and smelly section behind the sports field (a diversion through the sports field may have been wise). After Machen the path climbs steeply and I stopped on a bench in the trees to eat my lunchtime roll in the rain. However the view from Machen mountain, that came after lunch, made the walk worthwhile, with cities of Newport and Cardiff both visible beneath the clouds.

View of Flat Holm and Steep Holm from Machen Mountain

Heading North along ridge

There followed a lengthy section following the ridge northwards passed some slag heaps left by the now defunct coal industry, and now used by people on scrambling motor bikes. As it was a Monday I thought I would not see many motor bikes around, then two passed me loudly at speed, and later two more.
The final section is through fields on paths unsuitable for motor bikes and lead to the impressive Hengoed railway viaduct. Although the railway is no more, the viaduct is now a walking and bike path, with views down the valley from viewing platforms that allow you to see over the walls, and some interesting public art. It does however lead to the working railway station of Hengoed where I had but a short wait for my train back home.

The walk is about 25.6 km and as it goes up and down ridges there are several hundred metres of ascent. The gps file of the route I took is available here.