Another magical day.......

 Tangled oak tree on the south flank of the mountain, not far from Carningli Lodge.  Note the big nest -- buzzard? raven?

Another magical day on the mountain, doing a guided walk for a walking group of about 24.  Good time had by all, and we managed to enjoy our picnic near the summit in bright sunshine, with swirls of sea mist rolling over the crags and down the south flank.  Very atmospheric, it was.........

A walk on Dinas Mountain

Had a wonderful walk yesterday on Dinas Mountain, scrambling among the tors of Carn Enoch, Garn Fawr etc.  Bright sunshine, just a balmy breeze, and blue sky overhead;  sea mist drifting in off the coast and covering the lowland strip.  There were masses of skylarks singing their hearts out, and as I sat near Carn Enock a male hen harrier went winging past, heading purposefully towards Cwm Gwaun.  It was all quite beautiful.....

People don't go up onto Dinas Mountain enough.  It's very easily accessible by road -- and in some way it's wilder and more serene than Carningli.......

Literary Walks -- summer season

Here again are the dates and details for 2011.  Note that some of the walks are picnic walks (food not provided!) which start earlier and run over the lunchtime period:

LITERARY WALKS PROGRAMME 2011

Easter Sunday, 24th April 2011, 2-5 pm. Literary Walk on Angel Mountain (Carningli) led by local author Brian John. Start and finish: car-parking area on Dolrannog Road, near Newport, grid ref:  SN 070 373.  A 2 mile easy ramble -- ring 01239-820470 for further details.  Adults £4, children £2. Proceeds to charity.

Monday 2nd May 2011, 10am - 2 pm   Literary Picnic on Angel Mountain (Carningli) led by local author Brian John. Start and finish: car-parking area on Dolrannog Road, near Newport, grid ref:  SN 070 373.  A 2 mile easy ramble -- ring 01239-820470 for further details.  Adults £4, children £2.  (Bring packed lunch)  Proceeds to charity.

Bank Holiday Monday, 30th May 2011, 2 - 5 pm;  Literary Walk on Angel Mountain (Carningli) led by local author Brian John.  Start and finish: car-parking area on Dolrannog Road, near Newport, grid ref:  SN 070 373.  A 2 mile easy ramble -- ring 01239-820470 for further details.  Adults £4, children £2. Proceeds to charity.

Sunday 7th August 2011, 10am - 1 pm.   Literary Picnic on Angel Mountain (Carningli) led by local author Brian John. Start and finish: car-parking area on Dolrannog Road, near Newport, grid ref:  SN 070 373.  A 2 mile easy ramble -- ring 01239-820470 for further details.  Adults £4, children £2.  (Bring packed lunch.)   Proceeds to charity.

Sunday 21st August 2011, 10am - 1 pm.   Literary Picnic on Angel Mountain (Carningli) led by local author Brian John.  Start and finish: car-parking area on Dolrannog Road, near Newport, grid ref:  SN 070 373.  A 2 mile easy ramble -- ring 01239-820470 for further details.  Adults £4, children £2.  (Bring packed lunch.)  Proceeds to charity.

Bank Holiday Monday, 29th August 2011, 2-5 pm;  Literary Walk on Angel Mountain (Carningli) led by local author Brian John.  Start and finish: car-parking area on Dolrannog Road, near Newport, grid ref:  SN 070 373.  A 2 mile easy ramble -- ring 01239-820470 for further details.  Adults £4, children £2. Proceeds to charity.

Sunday 11th September 2011, 2-5 pm.  Literary Walk on Angel Mountain (Carningli) led by local author Brian John. Start and finish: car-parking area on Dolrannog Road, near Newport, grid ref:  SN 070 373.  A 2 mile easy ramble -- ring 01239-820470 for further details.  Adults £4, children £2.  Proceeds to charity.

Further info:

Each year since 2003 author Brian John has led a series of easy 'literary walks' on Angel Mountain, involving  easy rambles through "Martha Morgan Country".  These have proved very popular, and in 2011 Brian will once again lead walks for those who would like to (a)  talk to the author about the novels of the Angel Mountain Saga, and (b) discover some of the key sites referred to in the stories.

Most walks start at 2 pm and finish by 5 pm, unless indicated otherwise in the list.  Participants visit the site of Plas Ingli, Ffynnon Brynach, the approximate location of Martha's cave, and the summit of Carningli.  There is normally plenty of time for questions and discussions, and Brian also points out other features of interest on the mountain, including  traces of the old Carningli volcano, traces of Bronze Age settlements, remnants of the Carningli Iron Age hillfort, and other items relating to natural history and the landscape.

Participants are advised to wear stout footwear and warm clothing, and to be prepared for a gentle climb to the rocky summit.  This should not be a problem for people of average fitness.

Starting point:  the car parking area at the foot of the "green track" which leads to the Carningli summit.  Grid reference:  SN 070 373

Directions:  take the Cilgwyn Road out of Newport.  After one mile, fork right onto the Dolrannog Road (no through road).  Cross the cattle grid and continue for c 400 yards.  The grassy car parking area is on your left, overlooking Brithdir and the "cwm" of Cilgwyn.

Charge:  £4 per person.  Children of school age £2.  All proceeds to charity.

Inclement weather:  The walks may be cancelled if the weather is miserable.  In case of doubt ring on the morning of the walk to 01239-820470.

Pembs LitFest 2011

Starting work on a new Literary Festival based in Pembrokeshire.  Provisional date Sunday 18th September, and the venue Rhosygilwen Oak Hall.  The venue is booked, and we have the support of Glen Peters, who is of course an author himself.  The County Council is also supportive.  Soon we'll put together a small team of volunteers to move the thing forward -- watch this space!

The Second Flush of Spring

I climbed up the mountain yesterday in beautiful sunshine, with a cold westerly breeze.  As I sat near the summit drinking my drinking chocolate and listening to the skylarks, it occurred to me that there are two "flushes" as spring arrives in this area.  The first flush is in February, when the snowdrops and daffodils come into bloom -- both late this year because of the very hard winter.  The earliest birds are already nesting then -- we had a pair of collar doves who nested in the garden, who tried to raise (unsuccessfully, I think) a brood of four or five chicks.  Then comes the second flush in March, when the skylarks begin to sing and when one sees for the first time that subtle shade of mauve / pink / green on the distant woodlands down in the cwm.  The colour change from the browns and greys of winter is so subtle as to be indescribable -- but it's very beautiful indeed......

Teatime in the Execution Chamber

There was very low cloud on Carningli yesterday, but I went up for a walk anyway -- and became enveloped in thick mist and rain on the top.  There was a south-westerly wind, and the only place where I could get some shelter was that rather spooky place which I refer to as the Execution Chamber.  (That's where a lady on one of my walks almost freaked out, and told me afterwords that it was a terrible place where people had been killed.......)

Since there is an Iron Age hillfort on the summit, and since the Iron Age people were rather brutal towards one another, it's inevitable that there must be some spot on the mountain where enemies would have been executed and maybe where human sacrifices were conducted.  It's just below the main summit, on the north side, on the track leading to the "village".

Anyway, I hunkered down and enjoyed my hot chocolate and nibbles in the shelter of an overhanging rock, out of the wind and rain -- and it was very pleasant indeed, with no moanings or howlings, and not a ghost to be seen anywhere.

On Angel Mountain is ten years old

I have just realized that "On Angel Mountain" was first published -- with a degree of apprehension -- in 2001.  That's ten years ago.  A lot has happened since then -- including a Corgi contract, large print and audio versions, and seven printings.  Total sales so far are over 20,000, and the title is still going strong.

I hope I don't have to do another printing this year -- not sure that the house can take the extra weight.....