Biglis Moors to St Andrews Major
A walk over Dinas Powys and Biglis Moors to Biglis Farm and then on towards St. Andrew’s Major with a short-cut return via the Westra, or alternatively, across the fields and through woodland at Garn Hill to Beauville Lane and back to the village via the Twyncyn.
The fourth walk again commences on the Twyn. Walk down Station Road towards Dinas Powys railway station. At the junction with Cardiff Road, cross over and turn right over the bridge that crosses the railway track, towards Barry: Looking back towards Eastbrook you will have an extensive view down the railway line, on the eastern side of which most of the development of recent years has taken place.
Walk on towards Barry, past the junction into Cross Common Road. After the road junction, on the other side of the main Barry/Cardiff Road, there is an entrance into the fields, beyond the last of the houses at Southra Park.
Carefully cross over the main road to this entrance and walk over the footbridge into the Playing Fields and turn left. This is the beginning of Footpath No.14. Follow this Footpath, keeping the river close on the left hand side until you meet a track coming in over a bridge from the direction of the Cardiff/Barry road. This is Footpath No.12 and is the trackway that leads to the old water pumping station on Dinas Powys Moor. Turn right and continue through the Pumping Station and thence through the gate on the left, beside the house and along the track towards Barry. Turn right towards the high earth embankment that carries the Cardiff to Barry railway. Pass through the archway to the gateway on the left. This is the end of Footpath No.12 and the beginning of Footpath No.11. Follow Footpath No.11 past Biglis Farm House which is one of the oldest and, at 200 acres, was one of the largest farms in the locality. Much of the present building dates from 1627 when it was known as Biglis Court and was owned by John Catchmay. Additions were made in the 18th century although much of the timbering may have been salvaged from the earlier medieval court shown on the old maps about half a mile to the south. Turn right onto the track (Footpath No.10) which will take you onto Argae Lane at a point known as Pont-y-Rhydyll. Walk the short distance over the road bridge that crosses the river, hence the name for this location. Turn immediately right and over the gate into the field onto the continuation of Footpath No.10.
Follow the footpath directly across the field to the metal bridge that crosses the drainage channel. Cross the bridge and turn sharp left onto Footpath No.9 that commences here. (Do not continue over Footpath No.13 unless you wish to return via Southra Farm and the Common). Follow Footpath No.9 along beside the river and then the hedgerow on your left until you reach the gate onto Westra Road (**).
Cross straight over the road, go over the gateway on the opposite side and you are now at the beginning of Footpath No.8. The route lies across the fields towards St. Andrew’s Church. Using the Church tower and rooftops as a marker, cross the field ahead of you and climb the stile in the left hand corner. Go over the stream and cross the second field, to a stone built stile leading into Ty-draw Farm. Bear right across the farm yard, through the gate and over the road, keeping the farmhouse on the right, to join St. Andrew’s Road beside the church.
Return to Dinas Powys via Garn Hill and up through the fields and woods to Beauville Lane, as described in Walk No.3.
(**) Alternatively, to shorten the walk, you can turn right when you reach the end of Footpath No.9, at the Westra Road. This will take you up through the Westra, a pleasant thoroughfare that joins St. Andrew’s Road at the southern end of Dinas Powys Common opposite St. Andrew’s Church in Wales School. From where, turning right, the village centre is but a short distance away.
This is the end of Walk No.4
