Glyndwr's Way - User's comments on the National Trail Guide

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We have recently completed this walk (starting at Knighton and ending at Welshpool) and were very impressed by the waymarking and the variety of the walk itself. We found David Perrott’s National Trail Guide (2004) very useful indeed and also interesting.  We liked his habit of writing ‘ignore..’ or specifying ‘downhill’ or ‘uphill’. In a couple of places, where these were lacking,  a more precise description might have helped (where we and others went wrong): 

A)      on p62 the reference to Grach is confusing. The farmyard mentioned is before Grach and at Grach itself (after the footbridge) more precise information about not going uphill and not going to the left of the ruined farmbuildings  but straight on on an indistinct path is needed. 

B)      p111 where it says ‘turn right after a gate’ a phrase such as  ‘ignore the green track downhill’ would be helpful as the actual arrow on the gate could be interpreted to mean straightahead downhill.

C)      a reference to ‘downhill’ on p115 ‘pass through the next gate and carry on ahead (downhill) to reach..’ would have resolved a confusion about whether to follow a clear track to the right (though not right of way) at this point.

D)      On p128  after mention of Pen Coed,  some indication about not going downhill too soon (a lot of walkers had done this and created an alternative and boggy path) to reach the fence but to stay up and away from the fence would have helped. The waymark post at this point was hidden by the gorse.

On waymarking in general, most of the problems (except A below) arose from the old Glyndwr’s way where the new way is not yet open (why not? No one seems to know). So these comments do not refer to the National Trail book but to the Footpath officer.  If it is to be years before the new way is completely open, then the signing on the old route needs to be maintained properly,

A)                  A waymark is missing at a crucial point (we needed to use our compass in mist) at 832935 and the one a few hundred yards later is sinking into the bog.

B)                  The nightmare Section 12 five mile old Glyndwr’s way: There were not enough  waymarks across the extremely tussocky and boggy field  at 915026.  The path across the top after that and after passing the farm across tussocky grass and leading into a very boggy plantation just before the long road section was also poorly and insufficiently signposted and would have been quite dangerous in mist. (I don’t have the map reference but we were using a 1:50000 OS map and the route was difficult to follow).

C)                  At Y Golfa I know of people wandering around for hours trying to escape the golf course (starting out from Welshpool).  In the other direction, where the old G Way meets the  new one there is a crucial acorn missing on the style and subsequent post onto the golfcourse (175075). As walkers disliking getting in the way of golfers, some of whom are not so keen on walkers, it is particularly important to have very clear signing here. In addition, the new GW at this point does not follow the existing right of way on the OS map (which presumably is why people get lost!) so clarity is crucial.

Anyway, despite these comments, a big thanks to all concerned for such an enjoyable (though tough!!) new national trail.

Liz Inman