Pontypridd and Afan

Derek Brockway takes two walks in the south Wales valleys, both bursting with history and natural splendour. From Pontypridd he follows the pilgrim route to the shrine at Penrhys and in the Afan valley tries out the world-famous mountain bike trail. Derek's guide to Penrhys is historian Madeleine Gray, the leading expert on pilgrimages in Wales. She explains that in medieval times pilgrimages needn't take months but could be like weekend mini-breaks. The excursion to Penrhys was one of the most popular in Britain, going past the mining village of Ynysybwl and the pretty church at Llanwonno before ending with a fearsome climb up the steep hill to Penrhys. Accompanying Derek in the Afan valley are local couple Ralph and Elaine Jones. Now retired, both are very active in the area, Elaine in nature conservation, Ralph on the celebrated mountain bike trail, which he helped to develop. First Elaine takes Derek to Pontrhydyfen, birthplace of Richard Burton, before heading up the valley to a magical Japanese garden. Then Ralph takes over, giving Derek a crash course in mountain biking. Finally they cross the River Afan to enjoy the valley's spectacular woodland scenery.