Rhondda Valley, South Wales (5. Blaenllechau Road)

Part of this road was once an old sheep track used to take livestock to markets and fairs, sometimes as far as Hereford and Northampton. Once motor transport took off, imagine the difficulty of negotiating this turn! A sign here once said, ‘Very acute turn, proceed on for 50 yards reverse into side road and come back’. This road climbs steadily up the side of the valley. Looking up, on the left is Cefn Gwyngul which means ‘narrow white ridge’. The ridge is twelve miles long and stretches from Pontypridd to Hirwaun Common. The ridge road on Cefn Gwyngul was the sheep drovers’ northern route out of the valley. The mountains above the valleys have always been important to the people who’ve lived here. Only a few minutes from the noisy industrial works and the cramped terraced houses is open space. For generations, people have walked up here to enjoy fresh air, wonderful views and silence. Jennifer: “Local people refer to special places that they call their own. This is where Emily would have left people far behind and started to take in the beauty of her surroundings. As she said to me: ‘I’ve always liked walking; it clears my head’.” This slope is on the west side of the Rhondda Fach Valley. The east facing sides of the valleys are often in shadow from the mountains behind them, particularly in the winter when the midday sun is low in the sky. The west facing sides have longer periods of sunshine. The extra light and warmth means vegetables on the west side mature three weeks earlier than on the east side. And some people think that living on the sunny side of these valleys make for a happier disposition and a more cheerful neighbourhood. Directions Follow the road as it climbs gradually up the hillside. There is no pavement so do take care as the road is narrow in places. After about a mile (1.6 kilometres) is a small lay-by on the right side for cars and a viewpoint. Stop here.