1. As you exit the train you’ll head up and over to the car park. Then head up the road away from the station to reach traffic lights. Head straight over the crossroads to join Sterry Road. Having past a few coffee shops – Station 86 being one of them – you’ll reach a small roundabout. Go left here and then take the signed footpath on your right near the school.
2. Follow this path up between school buildings and then up through a park to reach a road and a shop on your left. Go straight ahead onto the next signed footpath between houses. At the top of the path bear left to walk along George Manning Way, and slight right onto Pen y Dre. Take the footpath between houses that leads you through a kissing gate.
3. Walk left along the bottom of the field and take the kissing gate up on right a short way along. Head up the field, through a gate to then descend towards houses. Bear right in the farmyard to join a bridleway that leads you to join Caemansel road. Bear left along the road being careful of the traffic. You’ll be walking by houses at first and be sure to ignore the first signed footpath on your right. Continue on the single-track road and after a bend in the road where a culvert goes underneath, you’ll see a stile on your right.
4. Cross the stile and keep to the right of the field to find another stile in the corner leading into woodland. Cross the stile – you are now in Alltwen Woods – and then follow the clear path ahead keeping the stream on your right-hand side at all times. You’ll cross a few small bridges along the way before eventually arriving alongside a residential estate. Follow the path down near the stream and a fence and take the path on your left to enter into a cul-de-sac.
5. Bear right here on Maes-y-Deri and just down the hill take the signed footpath on your left. Follow this along the stream across a footbridge and down to meet a road. Be sure to ignore the path on your left. Bear right here to walk along Bryn-y-Mor Road. You’ll be passing housing but be sure to keep an eye out for Shaw Community Woodland on your right. Take the time to explore here.
6. Our walk continues past the woodland and along this road to eventually arrive at the small roundabout from earlier on. Go straight on here to join Sterry Road and your way back to the start.
