Walk Around Wales - Dai's Blog

7/7/16 - PYRDDIN, PATRICK & PRIDE - 6.4 miles - CIRCULAR FROM SARN HELEN CAFE, BANWEN

Tonight I did one of the most interesting walks in Wales and started what I hope to eventually finish, a 'Tour of Neath Port Talbot'. Starting at the Sarn Helen cafe in Banwen, a possible birthplace of St Patrick of Ireland, passing by Ton Pyrddin Ironworks, the Roman camp. Henrhyd Waterfall, the highest in south Wales and location for of Batman's cave in one of the films, the villages of Coelbren, Onllwyn & Dyffryn Cellwen before returning to Banwen & Dai's Wall where I can be seen putting up the posters 'Victory to the Miners' in the film Pride. CLICK HERE to view this on youtube - I can also be seen getting into the van after the guy shouts 'Martin come on'.


Henrhyd Waterfall	the gate near the Roman camp	the footpath across the mire (peat bog).

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For an information leaflet about Banwen please........ CLICK HERE

For an information leaflet about Onllwyn please........ CLICK HERE

The above links are from the Dulais Valley Heritage Trail website, this is a very informative website, nicely laid out and prresented. For more info please click on the link below.

http://www.dulaisvalley.org/

The above promo photograph from the film Pride was taken on the Roman Road in Banwen, the central characters are Paddy Considine and Bill Nighy. I can be seen to the right of them with an arrow hovering above my head. Several scenes from the film were shot here including the march back to work at the end of the strike, pictured above. The other main South Wales location for the film is the Welfare Hall in Onllwyn, about 1 mile away from Roman Road. Roman Road was also used extensively in the 1988 Comic Strip Present comedy 'The Strike' starring Alexi Sayle.

This flowering shrub I'm pretty sure is a wild rose, there were several of them on the walk plus I managed to pick a couple of handfuls of wild strawberries. I've no idea what the plant below with the white fluffy head is. Danny Jones, Banwen born and bred is of the opinion that the village gets its name from these plants, which at a distance when clumped together closely give the appearance of snow lying on the ground. Wen is the Welsh word for white and ban can mean a number of things including summit (to be confirmed). Before the forestry arrived the mountain he says was plastered with these plants and that's how the village got it's name.

CLICK HERE FOR THE JONES BROTHERS VISIT TO THE BANWEN IRONWORKS

Sherlock has finally aired so I can publish information relating to the production. It was episode three of series 4 that I'm in and I had superb air time with three shots of my top half and the camera remaining focussed on me whilst the action goes on around. My role was a prison guard complete with a Heckler & Kock sub machine gun. I have interaction with Jim Moriarty played by Andrew Scott (Gethin in Pride) where I physically stop him going forward into a restricted area of the prison. The scene is shot from two angles, in front where you can see me front on and from behind where you just see my arm only. A conversation then takes place between Moriarty and the prison governor played by Art Malik. Once Moriarty has finished his intrusion he then eyeballs me as he walks past. The day filming Sherlock at the Bay Studios in sunny Neath-Port Talbot was a fantastic experience, I also met Mark Gatiss (Mycroft Holmes) one of the writers of the series who actually took the time out to introduce himself to all the supporting artists.

Another stroll around Banwen and Onllwyn, this time passing by the washery at Onllwyn, seen below with the Fan Hir ridge in the background.

Coal has been mined in and around Onllwyn and Banwen for many many years. Looking eastward in the photo below Fan Ghyhirych can be seen in the distance.

I spent part of the walk on Claypon's Tramway..........

Claypon's Tramway - The Onllwyn / Banwen area was very isolated in the early 19th century. Claypon’s Tramway was part of the Brecon Forest Tramroad, which ran north to Sennybridge. Joseph Claypon took over the tramroad in 1827 and extended it to the Swansea Canal at Gurnos., enabling the profitable export of coal from the area. The line operated until 1863 when Neath & Brecon Railway was opened. The tramway is now a public bridleway from Onllwyn to Gurnos (near Ystradgynlais.

Although the above photo shows the tramway clearly it was quite indistinct in other parts. I used my Garmin but went off course exploring a little so won't put the course here.