Cambrian Mountains
Landscape
People and the Landscape
Historic
routes
 Man's presence in the Cambrian Mountains can be traced
back at least 5000 years, and many of the paths and tracks in the Elan
Valley are associated with Bronze Age cairns, standing stones and stone
circles.
The Cambrian Mountains are criss-crossed by roads engineered
by the Romans, east-west and spinally north-south. These routes were
defended at strategic locations by marching camps, of which nearly a
dozen have been identified, thanks to the relatively low level of human
disturbance of these uplands. Fresh discoveries continue to be made
from the air.
The Cistercian abbey at Strata Florida Abbey was the centre
of a large mountain estate with granges throughout the Cambrian Mountains.
Paths would have been established based on the requirements of visiting
pilgrims, the need for monks from the abbey to travel to chapelries
on the remoter parts of their estate, and with their sheep to the outlying
granges. There were also the routes used by the monks to access fisheries.
Many of these paths would have been in use previously, and later the
long distance cross-country routes became drove roads.
The degree to which the granges were accessed by maintained
routes is uncertain, as without clearer documentation and structural
examination, dating such features is very difficult. Some of the
most important routes associated with Strata Florida Abbey which
still survive on the ground are*:
- The Monks Trod - an ancient route linking the abbey with the granges
of Nannerth and Cwmdauddwr in Radnorshire, and with its sister abbey
of Cwmhir.
- The route from Strata Florida to the chapelry at Ystrad-ffin and
the grange of Nant-y-bai, via Soar-y-mynydd.
- The route from Strata Florida SE to Nantystalwyn.
- The route from the abbey to Llyn Gynon and the Teifi lakes for fishing.
- Lôn Lacs - the old route from Strata Florida to the fishery
at Aberarth.
Drovers' routes across the Cambrian Mountains may have
existed since before the Roman occupation, and these routes became increasingly
important in the 18th and 19th centuries, until the coming of the railways.
Sheep, cattle and geese were transported along the ridgeway and valley
routes of the Cambrian Mountains to markets in England. The routes would
originally have developed to provide the quickest and easiest route
over the mountains from the various collecting points, often using already
existing tracks, subject to availability of overnight accommodation
at farms & inns on the route. Other cross-country routes evolved
in the 18th century to avoid paying tolls when the Turnpike Trusts were
set up. The main routes across the Cambrian Mountains were:
- Tregaron - Abergwesyn
- Ponterwyd - Llangurig - Rhayader
- Devil's Bridge - Llangurig
- Devil's Bridge - Rhayader
- Ffair Rhos - Rhayader
- Strata Florida and then to join the Tregaron - Abergwesyn route
- Pumsaint - Dolaucothi - Caeo - Cilycwm and then on to Llandovery
- Llanddewi Brefi - Cilycwm and then on to Llandovery
Mining lead, copper and gold in the Cambrian Mountains
can be traced back to the Romans, but lead mining peaked in the mid
to late 19th century. Many of the mines were high in the hills, and
paths became established which led from the villages to these mines.
The Hafod Estate in the western foothills of the Cambrian
Mountains, has many recreational paths created by the owner, Thomas
Johnes, in the late 18th century to show off his estate to distinguished
guests, such as Turner, Coleridge and the Duke of Bedford. Most still
survive and are maintained. The Victorians also popularised the tradition
of climbing mountains, and routes up Pumlumon would have been well-known
at this time.
Many of the historic routes of the Cambrian Mountains
have survived largely because of the remoteness of their setting,
and the absence of intensive human activity, two of the important
special qualities of the area.
* Roads and trackways of Wales
by Richard Moore-Colyer. Landmark Publishing 2001. ISBN 1843060191 |
