Planning a Walk – Walking on the Gower

Posted on 26/07/201326/07/2013 by Alastair

A few weeks ago I was asked if I would be interested in writing a regular article about my walks in the Swansea and South Wales area for the online version of the South Wales Evening Post. So, with the interests of StillWalks in mind and what they are all about, I will be posting up my sixth article today – My Walk this Week – from Parc-Le-Breos House.

I have recently been planning StillWalks Sights and Sounds Tag Along Days and this has necessitated exploring possible walk routes in suitable places. This not only serves the intended purpose of setting up these events / workshops, but also provides me with good material for the Evening Post article.

My first exploration was to Parc-Le-Breos House. The reason for selecting this as a starting point is the number of already planned walks that start from the Bed and Breakfast and include some beautiful areas on the Gower Peninsula. Also, there is the option for refreshments and facilities and the use of a room for review of photography and sound clips produced on the Tag Along walk.

Below are a couple of the photos I got on my recce walk. I will talk more about this and post more photos over the next couple of days and a selection of the images are available at the StillWalks Photography website on PhotoShelter.

Giant’s Grave, Green Cwm

Flowers along the wayside

Long Oaks Woodland at Parc-le-Breos

Abertawe Walk

Posted on 12/07/201312/07/2013 by Alastair

A few weeks ago I started writing a short blog style article for the online version of our local newspaper, the South Wales Evening Post. The articles are about some of the walks I take in the Swansea area and many of them are a little off the beaten track.

My contribution to the paper today (read here) features the River Tawe at Ynystawe but here, on this blog I want to present another part of the river. The StillWalks, “Abertawe Walk”, takes you along the cycle path between the Liberty Stadium and the bridges at SA1 and the Maritime Quarter in Swansea.

The production for this walk was done in the Autumn and the walk takes you through the woods along side the river as well as the cycle path.

The video can be seen here and the photos below are taken from that production.

from Abertawe Walk – Autumn

from Abertawe Walk

Evening Over Swansea

Posted on 24/06/201324/06/2013 by Alastair

I have been told that the thing to do is to climb Kilvey Hill at the end of the day when the sun is going down and enjoy the spectacle not only of the sunset but of Swansea gradually lighting up.

We were already half way down the hill when this was said so I will have to wait a little longer for this experience – I just need to make sure it doesn’t take me another 30 years! (see Friday’s post – Ticking the List).

In these photos you can see Mumbles Lighthouse in the background, Swansea just beginning to light up and the Meridian Tower with the bay behind. The full collection can be seen (and bought) on the StillWalks Photography website.

Walking down Kilvey Hill – Mumbles in the distance

Mumbles in the Background

The Lights are Coming On

Meridian Tower

Shining a Light on Swansea

Posted on 23/06/201323/06/2013 by Alastair

These photos are more about the light than they are about Swansea, except that they were taken from the top of Kilvey Hill, an urban woodland that is surrounded by the city.

It was a beautiful evening when I took these pictures but even then the clouds were heralding yet another a change in the weather. Constant change may be something we have to accept in the weather these days, but fortunately there can be as much beauty in those changes as in the pleasure we feel in the sunshine – when we get it.

There are many more beautiful images to be seen from Kilvey Hill on the StillWalks Photography website.

Natural and Man-Made from Kilvey Hill, Swansea

Posted on 22/06/201322/06/2013 by Alastair

Kilvey Hill is a large (3 square kilometres) urban woodland in Swansea, South Wales. The hill is surrounded on all sides by housing, industry and businesses and its top is, of course, a perfect site for TV transmitters, mobile phone masts, etc.

It is also a great place for wildlife and plants like bog cotton and blueberries and I understand there are hares to be seen if you are patient enough to wait for them.

There are fantastic views in all directions and here, today, is a taster. I will be putting more up later in the week or you can visit the StillWalks Photography website to view them all now.

Ticking the List – A Walk up Kilvey Hill, Swansea

Posted on 21/06/201321/06/2013 by Alastair

Finally, at last, after nearly 30 years, I have climbed Kilvey Hill in Swansea! It is one of those things I have meant to do since moving to the area but just never managed to get round to, even though it is almost on my doorstep.

The Transition Swansea group, which I signed up to last November, arranged a walk up the hill on Wednesday evening and it was all I needed to make the move. I had spent most of the day driving and so it was a welcome change of activity and well worth it for the views.

Over the next few days I am going to post some of the photos I took on the walk but they can all be seen (and bought) anytime through the StillWalks Photography website.

Swansea Harbour

Swansea Bay

Mumbles Lighthouse

Walking up the Kilvey Hill

A Different Viewpoint – Millennium Bridge, Swansea

Posted on 19/06/201319/06/2013 by Alastair

The Millennium foot and cycle bridge is an attractive piece of architecture in Swansea and can bee seen from one side of the River Tawe against the backdrop of the modern development of SA1 and from the other side, against Swansea’s Maritime Quarter and the rigging of sailing boats in the marina.

You can find any number of photographs of the bridge if you Google it – perhaps these are one or two new viewpoints even if they don’t show the identifiable suspension structure.