Walk 16 Bettws Cedewain

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This walk starts under the Town Clock at the junction of Broad St, High St and Severn St, the area known locally as ‘The Cross’. The building now housing Barclays Bank was erected by Sarah Brisco, a descendant of the Pryce family of Newtown Hall, to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Jubilee in 1897.  Opposite the clock on Severn Street is the Robert Owen Museum; the Robert Owen Memorial Rooms are over the HSBC on the other corner.  Robert Owen, the founder of the Co-operative Movement, is one of Newtown’s most famous sons.

Walk along Severn Street to Severn Square with the garage on your right. Cross the Gas Street car park to the pedestrian bridge (Halfpenny Bridge) to cross the River Severn.  At the end of the bridge follow the path to the left then go ahead up the narrow road, Golwgydre Lane. At the top of the lane, turn left along Canal Road which you cross at the next pedestrian crossing. Continue along Canal Road a short distance then turn right up Sycamore Drive, which you follow through Barnfields estate until you reach the top of the hill.  You will see a gap in the houses on your left (SO 114925); turn here and follow the footpath between two hedges to the right.  Go over the stile at the end and bear right, down the bank to the bridge over the stream.  Cross the stream and head up the bank to the stile at the top of the field. This brings you out onto Lonesome Lane.

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Turn left along the lane and you soon pass The Woodland Walk – Coed y Graig on your right (SO 117928).  A map and information board inside the entrance shows trails but you can stroll anywhere. The circular walk around the wood gives excellent views of Newtown and the surroundings. There are benches for picnics and the mixed broadleaved trees provide interest all year round for flowers, fruit and nuts.  Forage in season for apples, crabapples, cherries, hazelnuts, sloes, elderflowers or berries, haws, etc.  Information about this wood and the Woodland Trust can be found at www.coed-cadw.org.uk

You can take a walk through the woods if you have time or continue along Lonesome Lane which soon becomes an unsurfaced green lane, which can be muddy. Follow this until you reach the junction with Upper Gwestydd Lane (SO 115936). Cross it and follow the lane ahead. Continue past Rose Cottage on the left and a farm on the right and on to a sharp left bend. Immediately after this bend, go through the field gate on your right (SO 114939). Turn right to follow the hedge on your right up the hill.  At the top of the hill is a bench commemorating one of our founder members, Esta Beilby. On a clear day, take a break here and enjoy the view of Aran Fawddwy, 24 miles to the northwest.

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Go through the pedestrian gate and continue to follow the hedge on your right along the steep bank until you reach a field gate and cattle grid (SO 119942). Turn left here and pick up a track to a field gate in the right-hand corner of the field.  Go through this gate and follow the hedge on your right to the wood below.  * Zigzag down through the wood, following the track, to the gate at the bottom. Bear right across the field to a way marker post which directs you through another steep wood to a pedestrian gate. Go through the gate and continue down the field to a gate (SO 122948) and a bridge over the stream.  

*This wood can be very slippery and treacherous when wet. The friendly farmer, however, is very happy for people to skirt around the wood to your left and avoid this section if necessary. Pick up the path again at the bottom of the wood at the pedestrian gate.

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Cross the bridge and follow the hedge on your right to the road (SO 123950). At the bend follow the direction to Bettws Cedewain. After 100m turn left into Pont Farm entrance and go through the field gate on the right. Turn left through another field gate and follow the field up to another open field gate in the hedge ahead. Turnleft; with the hedge on your right continue up the track until you reach a large oak on the left where you go up the steps and through the pedestrian gate. Bear right between oaks up over the shoulder of the hill and follow the old line of trees down the other side. Aim for the red house on the immediate horizon ahead. At the bottom of the slope the stile (SO 121956) has been replaced by a short farm track, follow this into a field. Bear slightly left up this field to a field gate and cattle grid in the corner.  You will see a large pheasant farm on the right. Follow the green lane to the drive of Pant Mawr. Cross the road and continue straight ahead up the lane. 

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Just before you reach the farm buildings on your left, go over a stile (SO 115962) in the hedge on your right.  Follow the hedge on your left and go through the wooden pedestrian gate at a telegraph pole. Follow the field down, fence on your right, and bear left near the bottom to go over a stile (SO 117964) in the fence line.  Follow the fence on your right, through conifers down to a field gate and stile onto a green lane. You might have to squeeze by a lorry parked on the path. Follow this lane, over a cattle grid and on to the road by the house Cwm Cochen. Turn right to a T junction and turn left then right down Ffordd Newydd. A little way down this road, turn right through a gate to cross a children’s playground to a paved footpath, follow it to a pedestrian bridge to cross the river on your left. This brings you to the Bull and Heifer pub (01686 651210) which is a good place to stop for a drink or a meal and it is open daily. 

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Leaving the pub go straight along the road through the village, passing the main road bridge over the river on your right and continue along the road signed to Berriew. You will shortly pass Bettws Hall where you turn right down the lane (SO 124968) behind the Hall.  At the large feed hopper just before the barns turn left and go through the gate in the fence to follow the green lane through the small wood. The sign saying ‘electric fence’ refers to the low wire around the base of the fence to keep pheasants in. It has a plastic cover in the gate area.  Go through the field gate at the end of the green lane wood and continue along the lane ahead. At the crossroads in the lanes continue straight ahead and at the road turn right (SO 133959). After 450m turn left (SO 131957) through a field gate and join the farm track ahead at another field gate. Turn right to follow the drive up to the farm. The right of way passes the farm briefly to turn left, goes through a field gate and curves around to rejoin the drive at another field gate. Cross the farmyard with the farmhouse on your left and barns on your right. Go past the garden gate and turn left through the pedestrian gate (SO 129953) into the field and down through the field gate at the bottom.   

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Follow the green lane ahead to go through the field gate into the wood.  Follow the track through the wood and on down the track ahead. Go through the gate and on to the road. Turn right and continue on the road to the junction (SO 123950) near the Pont Farm. 

The return walk now turns left through the field gate and retraces our steps back to Upper Gwestydd Lane, Lonesome Lane and Newtown.