Brynberian - Saturday 28 November 2020
It was a bit of a dank and grey winters day, but a sizeable group of walkers were willing to take on the challenge of muddy woods and boggy moors in a circuit of the hills and woods around the village of Brynberian.
There was some confused and slightly worried looks as we started the walk carrying a 5 foot aluminium ladder. The ladder wasn't carried far, but it was necessary to negotiate a couple of rotten styles, one on a vertical bank, just outside of Brynberian. We were to retrieve the ladder at the end of the walk. Exiting these first fields, we were up near the tors of Carnedd Meibion Owen. We headed down the bridal path and turned into Ty Canol woods. Pentre Ifan could be seen across the fields. Ty Canol woods are stunning in any season. In a clearing we took the opportunity for quick break. There were several minor steam crossings before we exited the woods and headed down the lanes towards the bridal path up towards Cilgwyn and the lower slopes of Carn Ingli.
It was another heavily wooded muddy path around Carn Ingli reaching the lane at the top of Cwm Gwaun. A short road walk past the Bluestone brewery, we started the steady climb up towards Cnwc yr Hydd. Two thirds of the way up we stopped for a lunch break. The last third of the climb was across fields and past ancient ruins. We picked up the track near Gernos Fach and crossed Waun Mawn to the main Haverfordwest - Crymych Road. Once across the road it was a question of keeping to the faint tracks and trying to maintain the same contours to find the old water works that could be used as a landmark for the final 2 miles across the moor.
We were fortunate in that in the gloom we spotted a group of 3 people on the other side of the moor. We made a beeline to them. They were archaeologists who were surveying the suspected Banc Llwydlos passage grave at SN087332. We would never have found it if they were not out in the middle of the moor, at the same time as we were. We were grateful for them for sharing their thoughts and expertise on what we were looking at and its relationship with other monuments close by.
Light was fading as we headed further down the pathless moor, we used the hedge/fence line to handrail through the moor. Often, we were up to our ankles in water and mud and needed to twist and turn to find the driest path or to find the shortest step over the numerous streamlets. Eventually we reached the farms at Sinar and Penllyn, it was a relieve to be on firmer ground, from here, it was a short trek back to the cars in Brynberian.
