Friends,
After last week’s light-hearted interlude I’m back to work with a new story about one of my favourite (and least favourite) places, the wildly beautiful and partially devastated Ystwyth valley in the Cambrian Mountains. Only an instant ago, geologically speaking, the UK mined more metal ore than all other countries on earth combined, and the Welsh landscape still reminds us of that period. Cwmystwyth is probably the most dramatic example, a place of wild mountains, high waterfalls and falcons - but also dark industrial ruins which still leach their toxins into the river a century after mining ceased. The AA described the road through this valley as one of the five most beautiful in the world. I totally agree, and I utterly disagree. It depends on the viewpoint. There’s a video clip at the end of the story which shows you the most spectacular spot, and a series of photographs of the mines.
Hope you enjoy,
J
This is a post for paid subscribers. Please consider upgrading your subscription to read more travel stories, to access the archive and receive my ebook, Rima 1, Essays and Interludes, as well as a printable download of a recent artwork. You will also receive a discount code for my web store where you can buy prints and pamphlets.
If going paid is not for you right now, no problem! I’ve written about the valley before, for The Dark Mountain Project and National Geographic. Both stories can be read - here and here.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Into the Deep Woods to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.