Machen and Ruperra Loop
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This walk mixes woodland, historic villages and old castles and provides sweeping views across the Rhymney Valley and towards the coast, just 10 mins off the M4 between Cardiff and Newport
Starting from Machen Village Hall we will follow part of the popular Forge trail into Coed Cefn-pwll-du, which hosts a popular (and challenging) weekly Park Trail Run. Here we will deviate from the original Forge trail and pick up the Cambrian way and head into the Llwyn Hir woods and head to Draethen and up to the Ruperra Hill Fort and view point. This boasts commanding views over to Cardiff, Newport, the Gwent levels and the Channel. Here we will take a breather and admire the sweeping views across to Newport, Cardiff and beyond. This old fort sits in the land adjacent to Caerphilly's "other" castle - no less impressive than its bigger town centre counterpart it has a colourful past and controversial future From here we will cut across farmland and an old iron bridge to Lower Machen with its historic church. We then climb the slopes of Mynydd Machen via Royal Oak, where we are rewarded with more views across the Rhymney Valley.
This route is a moderate walk on good paths. It is just under 16km in length and there is approx 650m of ascent and steep sections. If the weather is bad or we decide our legs aren't in it the route can be cut short to miss out Mynydd Machen, reducing the distance to 11km and 350m ascent.
All pictures by David Pugh/Caerphilly Adventure Group and used with permission.
What to bring
The usual sensible walking gear - good waterproof boots, windproof and waterproof laters. Parts of this walk will be on exposed hilltops that can get windy, wet and can be uneven underfoot.
Hand sanitiser and a face covering: whilst we are living with Covid-19, please bring your own to events to help keep everyone safe
Water: bring at least two litres
Medicines: if you have hay fever, diabetes, minor ailments etc.
Day rucksack: typically 20-30 litres, they are comfortable to wear and allow you to use your arms freely
Boots: waterproof and breathable and designed for hiking, trainers are OK if the ground is dry and there’s little chance of rain
Gaiters: recommended for wet weather or boggy conditions
Socks: proper walking socks will keep your feet dry and help prevent blisters
Layered clothing: lets you quickly adapt to changes in the weather and body temperature. Go for a base layer (vest or t-shirt) and a mid layer (a micro fleece or shirt) and in cooler weather add an outer layer (a windproof jacket or thick fleece)
Trousers: ideally no jeans as they become heavy and cold in the rain, breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry and on warm days shorts are OK
Waterproof jacket: essential when hiking in all but the calmest of weather, breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry
Gloves: Windproof, or better still, waterproof gloves are the best choice, bring a spare pair if expecting rain
Hat or cap: stay warm in winter and shaded in summer
Sunglasses: for any sunny day, even in winter
Sun cream: can be useful even on cloudy and winter days
Snacks: bring biscuits, energy bars, gels, bananas, chocolate or dried fruit for example and put them somewhere easy to get hold of
Lunch: bring a packed lunch unless otherwise stated
Food & drink
Bring lunch, snacks and plenty of water for a day walking in the hills.
There is a Co-op and local shop in the village and refreshments are available in the local rugby club - and at certain times in the award winning Basil and Rusty's Ice Cream Parlour