Dryslwyn Castle to Llangathen, circular

On Saturday 10th October our group travelled further afield than usual, for this walk starting from Dryslwyn castle. The weather was showery but clear enough for us to enjoy the lovely views up and down the Towy valley from the castle mound. From this point we could also see Grongar Hill, which overlooks the valley and was made famous by the poet John Dyer, whose poem describes the landscape as well as some of the birds and animals that lived here in 1726. From here we proceeded along the hillside through mixed woodland and fields to Aberglasney gardens, where we stopped to chat about their history up to the present day. On to Llangathen church to see the 2000 years old yew trees in the graveyard and admire the views while we had lunch. Lunchtime over, we walked down hill and into the valley and crossed the stone bridge over the river where we spotted a large otter in the water. This was an appropriate point to talk about the geography of the famous river Towy with a few facts and figures as well. We then crossed the valley and walked through parkland before passing Golden Grove mansion where a few more details of its history were discussed. From here we walked out of the park before gradually climbing up the hill to reach the tarmac lane with views of the valley below. Unfortunately, by now the rain and mist had set in so we could only get glimpses of the valley. We stayed on the top of the hill for a while before descending down again and back to our cars, and as we walked over the river bridge near the end of the walk, a kingfisher flashed past. Despite the changeable weather an enjoyable day was had by all. 

Leader Chris Wellings.