THIRTEEN walkers joined Sylvia from Penarth and District Ramblers for the journey up to the Ebbw valley and setting off from the refurbished Llanhilleth Miners Institute, built in 1906 and paid for by local miners, which is now a Grade II listed building, a rough lane behind houses and adjacent to the River Ebbw led them up through an industrial estate.

Passing through urban streets full of neat terraced houses and reaching a river monitoring station they learned it measures the flow of water in the river sending an alarm to Cardiff if the level rises too high, so flood alerts can be sent out to residents.

In lovely bright sunshine passing old stone cottages and more flood defence work taking place on the riverbanks, then below the Aberbeeg Railway Bridge and uphill to join a cycle track along the disused railway track where two stone pillars and a wall indicate the entrance to the Ebbw Fach Trail, which runs from Llanhilleth to Beaufort, autumnal leaf strewn paths led on towards Six Bells.

On reclaimed land in Parc Arael Griffin designated a local nature reserve where the Six Bells Colliery once stood, the path led up towards the impressive Guardian painstakingly created by the artist Sebastian Boyesen of a bare chested miner 12.6 metres tall standing on a 7.4 metre plinth and weighing around eight tonnes, constructed from more than 20,000 individual slices of Cor-Ten steel, which commemorates a terrible disaster that occurred on Tuesday, June 28, 1960.

Around 10.40am that day an underground gas and coal dust explosion ripped through the mine passages where 48 men were working and despite frantic efforts by rescue teams only three men were brought to the surface alive, whilst 45 local men perished.

Their names, ages, home towns and nicknames are all recorded on the steel plates surrounding the plinth and the statue was unveiled exactly 50 years after the disaster which had a devastating effect on the community.

After listening to the history of the area during morning coffee, the group moved on through Six Bells and beneath the railway tunnel decorated with coloured ceramic tiles forming pictures of its industrial heritage including the dye works, the brewery, mining, farming and the railway, before passing through Glandwr Street and across a footbridge onto the west side of the River Ebbw.

Woodland paths led on through the gates of Abertillery Park and past the hallowed rugby ground to an ancient two-span bridge, before a short walk along a road flooded in places led to the bottom of a rocky track covered in leaves leading uphill.

On their zig zag climb to the southern end of the Arail, there were fantastic views up the Ebbw Valley towards Blaina and back towards Abertillery prior to a stop on the breezy hillside for lunch on a grassy bank.

Continuing across the open moorland with fantastic views back to Cwm Tyleri Lakes, Mynydd James and Coety Mountain in the north and westwards towards the Sirhowy Valley, as well as a brief view of the sea to the south, a gradual descent on a steep farm track with a carpet of crisp leaves led downhill with grand views of the rear of the Guardian.

Re-crossing the river into Six Bells past Ty Ebbw Fach a community project sited in the renovated Coach and Horses pub, then on below the Guardian, a variety of tracks led through Aberbeeg past the now privately owned old County Police Station dated 1898 and a wall displaying a mural, painted by locals of the Legend of the White Horse taken from the Folklore of Gwent claiming Merlin could have been born in Bassaleg.

Passing Brewery Terrace and the Aberbeeg RFC and retracing their steps through the industrial estate led them back into Llanhilleth after a brilliant six hour tramp.

On November 19, meet at Cogan Leisure Centre at 8am for an 11-mile hard walk from Mountain Ash, taking in Aberfan to remember the 50th anniversary of the Aberfan disaster and back via Mynydd Merthyr; contact Rachel on 01446 410545.

Wear suitable clothing, preferably boots and carry waterproofs, food and drinks. Some degree of fitness is required and if you are in any doubt, then please contact the walk leader for advice.

To follow the group please log onto penarthramblers.wordpress.com or Facebook. Programmes and membership advice can be obtained from Pam on 029 2025 5102.