Andy's first walk of 2020 was a very successful wander around the wonderful Kenfig Pool Nature Reserve. Billed as a castle, a well, a beach and a pool this walk has much to offer in the way of interest.
Andy was up early and off to Cardiff International Pool for a morning of 'Yoga With Tori' before heading off to Kenfig Pool to meet the walkers, all members of Wales Outdoors on meetup.
It was a fine turnout, 38 people, and the day was forecast to be dry... but you know forecasts... there was some rain but it wasn't;t a bother, not heavy, that light stuff that is very annoying if you wear glasses...
Kenfig Pool Gallery
The dunes at Kenfig are pretty amazing, just running on and on with mulitple tracks and paths winding their way through them. Routefinding is more of a fingers crossed thing than a fine art.
We located the castle which is a little sad looking, unkempt and not too much left, however there was a low door or window to have a clamber through. The well was unfindable... We think it was the boggy ground near the point where it was marked on the map. If anyone knows of it's exact location we'd be glad to know :)
And then we were on the beach! And what a beach! Multiple miles of sand and no one on it... We had tales of fishing and steel works and rabbit farming and wrecks... So much knowledge was contained within the group.
And finally we made our way through flooded dunes to the large pool of Kenfig. Here we observed no birds from the birdie, wrong time of year, and that was it, job done, great walk over...
It was only four hours but we packed so much in. We'll definitely be listing this walk again :)