Day 8: Porthkerry to Llantwit Major

Miles: 11 (RT: 79)

Falafel: 0

It's a beautiful day in the Vale of Glamorgan as we say goodbye to Porthkerry.

I like gnarly old trees like this which look like they have a story or two to tell.

Between Porthkerry snd Rhoose Point, we came across this little secret beach. It made me wish I'd brought my bathers for a dip. 

ideal coastal path scenery. 

We are now approaching Rhoose Point, the most southern point in Wales. No wonder it's scorching here!

Rhoose Point is designated as a site of importance for biodiversity with its marshes and cliffs.

 

The site is near an old cement works

There are lots of these breaks in the sea wall where you can see right out into the ocean. You could almost be on a Greek Island.

The weather is absolutely stunning and so is the scenery. I can't believe how many beautiful places are so close to where I live.

Aftee Rhoose Point we come to Fontygary. This place is close to my heart as my childhood friend had a caravan here and we would come down for the weekend, go crabbing, use the pool and generally laugh ourselves silly.

Just down from the caravan park is a marshland area that is very peaceful and tranquil. 

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Moving away from Fontygary things got a bit frustrating. There were a few climbs that seemed to just results in climbing down again, and the CP is not well signed around here and it seemed we were cut off by "Private Property" luckily a more confident local swimmer took us under her wing and marched us through the private property to Aberthaw Nature Reserve.

Here you can see the old lime works. The coast of Glamorgan is rich in lime and the works was built in 1888 to work the lime pebbles rather than transport them inland to be processed as was done previously.

You can also see the beauty of the Aberthaw Nature reserve (more snakes god damn it!). The beach in this reserve was a busy port trading in grain in the 16th Century.

A strange object out to sea turns out to be a water inlet for the plant.

You would think a power plant and a nature reserve would make uneasy bedfellows but apparently the presence of the plant alters conditions in such a way as to encourage certain types of wildlife. Or so they want us to believe!

The Power Station was coal fire and biomass and site B was only decommissioned this year. I wonder what will happen to the site now?

As we leave the power station behind we pass the aptly named (today at least) Summerhouse Bay. 

The path crosses a pebble beach and the terrain is the tricky especially on tired ankles.

We pass a coastguard look out point that seems empty today.

I caught a butterfly landing on a flower as a boat passed in the background.

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We made it to Llantwit Major and the end of the Glamorgan Heritage Trail. The pictures and scenery really spoke for themselves on this leg.