THIS is a circular walk, which takes you through the ancient woodland at Lasgarn Wood and the surrounding area, giving you the opportunity to explore the unspoiled woodland, varied countryside and history of Cwm Lasgarn.
It is suggested you begin at the small car park in Waterworks Lane, just off the A4043 Pontypool to Blaenavon Road in Victoria Village.
Take the steep path, which goes diagonally up through the woods. Below can be seen the Afon Lwyd, which borders the car park.
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Continue straight on through the woods ignoring all side tracks and paths. The many small quarries and excavations to be seen on either side of the path were probably undertaken to extract limestone for use in local ironworks and for building.
Gradually the path becomes more sunken and bounded by a mixture of mosses, bilberries, heather and lichen.
Autumn colours in Lasgarn woods. Picture: Charlotte Richards, South Wales Argus Camera Club
A hundred yards or so further on, enter a larch plantation with stone walls on either side of a broad track. Larch is unusual amongst conifers in that it is deciduous – it loses its needles, which in autumn form a soft rusty carpet on the path.
Pass through an old gateway between well-preserved stone walls, reaching a wooden gate and stile after a short distance.
Leave Lasgarn Wood via the stile crossing the field diagonally right following the faint outline of a sunken path. The path funnels between well-maintained stone walls to reach a metal gate and stile leading onto Lasgarn Lane.
Turn left and follow the tarmac lane for about half a mile, enjoying the views across the valley and the variety of trees and birdlife.
Back on the main route, you reach a gate which opens onto the mountain side of Mynydd Garn-wen. Turn left along the drive and walk into the farmyard of Garn-Wen Farm. Take the gate just to the right of the farmhouse. The house has commanding views over the countryside to the south, north and west.
Cross the stile next to a metal gate and take a route diagonally right across the field, heading towards a large beech tree with a hole in the bottom of the trunk. Pass various ponds and excavations, keeping to the left of the group of trees. Cross the stile next to the metal gate and follow the old hedge-line straight ahead, passing through an old gateway to reach a stile. Cross this and the Nant-y-Mailor Brook just beyond. Follow the hedge uphill, heading for Pen-y-ddoyga (translates to “Head or Top of Two Fields”), a deserted farmhouse seen straight ahead from the brow of the hill. The farm was burnt down sometime this century and subsequently abandoned. The casual walker cannot help but admire those who built these square, solid dwellings set just below the windswept mountain top to claim what little shelter there is in such an inhospitable place. A living here must have been hard to make.
Lasgarn Wood near Abersychan. Picture: Neil Daniels, South Wales Argus Camera Club
Turn left in front of the barn, heading downhill. Cross a stile into a larch plantation, continue quite steeply downhill and follow the well defined path as it threads its way in and out of the trees. On the left as you descend is Nant-y-Mailor Quarry, a huge, deep chasm, now providing shelter for numerous trees. Please do not go too close to the quarry edge.
The larch woods soon become broadleaved woodland again, with the Nant-y-Mailor Brook down below on the left. The Nant-y-Mailor Reservoir, which once provided drinking in the locality, can be seen ahead through the trees.
Autumn colours in Lasgarn woods. Picture: Charlotte Richards, South Wales Argus Camera Club
Follow the path downhill. Cross the next stile and walk alongside the reservoir. Just beyond it, behind a high stone wall, are a series of filter beds, although the reservoir is now disused.
Autumn colours in Lasgarn woods. Picture: Charlotte Richards, South Wales Argus Camera Club
At the end of the path, turn left into Waterworks Lane and follow it down to the car park, noticing the pretty lodge house on the left and the Rising Sun Bridge on the right just before the car park.
You can find the leaflet for this walk at www.torfaen.gov.uk/en/RoadsTravelParking/WalkingCycling/Torfaen-Walks/Cwm-Lasgarn-Circular-Walk.aspx
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