Ann Griffiths Walk

This lovely 16 mile trail was one Ronnie walked in 2008, an experience she couldn’t help but write about. What began as a day’s adventure along the Ann Griffiths Trail soon unfolded into something deeper, a chance to step into the landscape that shaped one of Wales’s most treasured hymn writers. In this piece, Ronnie not only guides you along the route itself, but also weaves in the life, faith, and poetry of Ann Griffiths. Offering a glimpse into why this remarkable woman continues to inspire and why this trail proudly carries her name.

This walk follows the River Vyrnwy (Afon Efyrnwy in Welsh) from Pont Logell (also known as Llwidiarth) to Pontrobert and back along part of Glyndwr’s Way.  The Walk is approximately 16 miles to which there are four quite different parts, the first along the riverside through pleasant grazing land formed by a river terrace.  The second section is above the river through a mixed wood, a conifer plantation and a beech wood which forms a canopy overhead.  The third part of the walk is a mixture of farmland and woodland again near the river, the riverbed gradually narrows to become a gorge.  The last part climbs up and crosses open fells, some road walking, with a green lane taking you into the gentle rolling hills of this little known corner of Mid-Wales.

Ann Griffiths was born at Dolwar Fach, a small farmstead near Dolanog in 1776.  Ann’s father was a reasonably wealthy farmer and she almost certainly had the use of a pony and trap to take her about.  But she preferred to walk to the places she visited, so a Walk named after her is, indeed, appropriate.  Ann received a basic education suitable to a girl of her social class, at a small village school in Llanfihangel yng Ngwynfa.  Ann lived all her life at Dolwar Fach, never venturing any further than Bala, where she went, on foot, to hear Thomas Charles preach his Methodist sermons.  Although she had led a sheltered life Ann had an extraordinary awareness of human experience and great vision which inspired her t compose some seventy hymns.  The only sources of her inspiration were her Bible, Prayer Book, the land in which she lived and her life.

The hymns were composed as Ann went about her daily work on the farm or in the farmhouse, they were written down after her death by her friend, Ruth Hughes, the wife of John Hughes, Ann’s spiritual guide.  Unfortunately it would seem that her hymns do not translate well into English.  The Welsh regard Ann with great affection and many come to visit the area in which she was born and lived.  Ann died in childbirth at the age of 29 in 1805; she was buried in the churchyard in Llanfihangel yng Ngwynfa.

Though against all course of nature

Through the world my pathway be,

Yet I will tread it unrepining

If but Thy radiant face I see.

Millennium Bench

Before leaving Pont Logell you may wish to visit the Church.  In the churchyard are several headstones surrounded by white pebbles.  You may also like to take advantage of the Millennium Bench just off the car park.  The oak for the bench came from Dolanog and had been seasoned for about twelve months before being cut into three for three Millennium Benches, one here at Pont Logell, one at Dolanog and the other at Llanfihangel yng Ngwynfa.  These benches were part of the Community Council’s contributions to mark the second millennium.  Different local wood carvers carved each bench.  The local communities were asked for designs which would represent local life through local history, local landmarks, life or nature.  The Bench here is carved with oak leaves on the armrests, sheep on each end, and the head of Ann Griffiths.

Pont Logell to Dolanog:  From the car park follow the river talking the right hand path at a Y junction.  The Ann Griffiths’ Walk follows Glyndwr’s Way, until you reach a stream, Nant Llwydiarth.  At the stream cross a bridge, bear left through trees into a field, at the end of the field go down into trees, over a stile and into a field.  The fields have been formed into an obvious river terrace.  Allt Dolanog can be seen in the distance.  Continue crossing fields and following the river until a farm at Plas Dolanog, skirt the edge of the farm on the right, cross the field to a gate onto a road, turn left on the road and uphill to a junction.  Turn right at the junction and follow the road into Dolanog.

Dolanog to Pontrobert:  this section of the route is the old road between Dolanog and Pontrobert and Ann Griffiths would have walked this way many times on her way to Pontrobert to visit Pen Capel.  There is a Memorial Chapel here built in the memory of Ann Griffiths.  There are also two bridges over the river!  There is a shop and Post Office and a garage.  Allt Dolanog, also known as Llys y Cawr which translated means Giant’s Hall, has an Iron Age hillfort on the summit, one of many guarding the River Vyrnwy.  It is said a giant lived and controlled the surrounding countryside, however, a tale is told of a dragon which annoyed the neighbourhood as only dragons can and was put to death by luring to a post which was studded with spikes and wrapped around with red flannel on which the dragon dashed itself, eventually impaling itself.  A familiar tale in this part of Wales, many villages having a standing stone often known as Post Coch (Red Post).

Allt Dolanog

The Millennium Bench here has one arm rest in the shape of the old bridge with the other arm rest having the Ann Griffiths’ Chapel, the back rest is two salmon, because they some up river this far to spawn.

Turn left beside the garage and uphill along a road out of Dolanog, passing the Chapel and Millennium Bench.  Go through two gates and out onto the open fell.  When you come to a Y junction with a waymark pointing left, keep straight ahead on the lower path, do not bear off to the left.  Follow the track to a second Y junction, take the right hand fork, when another track comes in from the left continue straight ahead, downhill and into a wood.  Go over a bridge and take the left hand track up and away from the river coming out into a field, turn left and follow the line of old tree stumps and trees on the left up to the corner of the field, turn right and along a track on the edge of a pine forest.  Go through a gate into the forest, along the forestry track, at a Y junction take the right hand fork, eventually reaching a track, keep straight ahead, turn right onto a road and go downhill through a beech wood.  It is easy to see why beech woods are sometimes referred to as nature’s cathedrals. 

At a road junction turn right, go over a bridge; follow the road with the river on the right into Pontrobert.  At a triangle of grass where three roads meet take the left road and left again following a stream to Pen Gapel which is the first building on the left.  After visiting Pen Gapel walk back downhill beside the steam to the junction, turn right go downhill passing the triangle of grass, to the centre of the village.

Bridge at Pontrobert

Pontrobert to Dolanog  From the bridge in Pontrobert go uphill turning right opposite a school, continue uphill to a sharp bend left, here go straight ahead onto a farm track which has a Welsh waymark sign, keep to the track passing a farm on the right, go uphill and past a farmhouse on the left, go downhill to a stile, cross the stile and go into woodland beside the river, coming out into a field, keep following the river.  As the river gorge begins to narrow, bear left away from the river and uphill into a field, go straight across, drop down to the river and into a wood.  This is still the River Vyrnwy, which was followed from Pont Llogell, but here it has a completely different character.  Keep going through the wood to come out into a field, bear diagonally left to a stile in the opposite hedge.  Climb the stile and turn right onto a road which is followed past a water mill on the right.  The water mill was built as a fulling mill (making woollen cloth) but now converts the power of the water falling over the weir into electricity.  Continue along the road and into Dolanog.  On reaching Dolanog go over and old road bridge, through the village, passing an old church on the left

Ann Griffith's Memorial Chapel

Dolanog to Pont Logell  Turn right just after garage to retrace your steps uphill, passing first the Ann Griffiths’ Memorial Chapel on the left and then the carved oak bench on the right.  Go through the two gates and out onto the open fell.  At the Y junction this time bear left leaving the route you followed before, go uphill to a waymark bear left contouring around the summit of Allt Dolanog.  On a clear day the views are tremendous.  Beware of the bog on the right, continue to contour around the top of the hill to a waymark, an ill-defined track bears off to the right, continue following it and the waymarks.  It is important to stay on the track, as the ground is very boggy.  At a T-junction on the track turn left, downhill, bearing slightly right to a gate and stile.  Climb the stile, turn right onto a road.

Shortly after joining the road you pass the entrance to Dolwar Fach, Ann Griffiths’ home all her life.  Continue along the road, passing Dolwar Farm Hall, crossing Nant Dolwar and on the brow of a hill after crossing this stream turn left onto an old country road.  This road deteriorates into a track and eventually into an old green lane which is followed to a gate, go into a field and follow the edge of the field with a hedge on the left and a row of trees on the right, keep following the track through the field to a gate, go through and continue along a track to a road.  Turn right onto the road and go downhill, over a river and at a farm turn left, go through the farmyard bearing off to the right, go through the double gates, straight up the farmyard to a gate on the left, go through and then through a smaller gate into a green lane which is followed to the next farm.  Here keep the farm buildings on the left and turn left through the middle of the farm, with the farmhouse on the right and the farm buildings on the left, bearing right onto a track, which is followed, to a road.

Go straight across the road and over a stile, follow the hedge on the right to the corner of the field, climb a stile and continue following the hedge, turning right over a steam and through a gate, turn left and keeping the stream on the left follow it to the Afon Efyrnwy.  Turn right over a bridge and keeping the river on the left cross a field and then follow the track to Pont Logell.

Bibliography

A Guide to Ancient and Historic Wales – Clwyd and Powys Helen Burnham HMSO 1995

Mid Wales Companion Moira K Stone Published by Anthony Nelson Ltd 1989

More Mysterious Wales Chris Barber David and Charles 1986

A View of Old Montgomeryshire Pauline Phillips Christopher Davies 1977