Following on the heels of my recent post "Ground Zero", I've continued wandering through our village for new places to discover.
Overview - Alley Cats
Distance: 14.1 miles
Elevation: + 689 / - 713 ft
Duration: 03:34:56
Oakdale is a pretty small place and driving through the village you'd never realise that there are so many small lanes running behind the houses. Many contain charming gardens and odd bits of old buildings. ▼ Jump to Summary
Oakdale has a lot of cats. My plan was to use a very small tripod to simulate the viewpoint of a cat and how it might see the lanes.
I'm still learning how to utilise all the features of my new camera (ie, depth of field), so much of what I shot was hit and miss, but it was a great exercise.
However, I found lots to shoot, so rather than fuss too much, I decided to just look around. See what there was to see and come back another time.
I was really surprised and excited by what I found. Some folks have spent a great deal of time decorating and landscaping. Painting murals even!
These old sheds and garages are starting to disappear as new and younger families move into the village. Cars today are too big for these relics. Green seems to have been a popular colour.
Hey there kitty! Looks like a good day to just lay around, eh? I see you've found the perfect spot too, so don't let me bother you.
I love finding the old stone walls. Unfortunately, most have been replaced with newer and higher wooden fences which don't have nearly the character. Some folks need to do a little trimming... whilst others have given up the cause entirely.
Of course you should save it! I know that door is going to be useful one day.
This is coal country and you can still find the old coal sheds around. Back in the day, all the houses around here heated with coal. Homes had fireplaces in every room.
Good for pedestrians and bicycles; York Avenue is the narrowest lane in the village.
Expanding the Circle
Now it's time to get a few miles under the saddle. First, I'll go around behind the new development and then head up to Pen y Fan Pond.
You cannot see it from these images, but behind me they're putting up "clone houses" where a golf course once stood. I don't know how long this lane will be like this; dark and secluded. So I'm documenting it now for posterity and because I love it!
After turning a sharp corner and climbing further behind our house, the trig point sits sits in a field off the lane. It's the highest elevation on the small hilltop where we live.
I've included a screen-shot of Oakdale and the surrounding area from Google Maps. The area circled in yellow is roughly the boundaries of the village. The area cirled in red is where the golf course once stood.
So, the golf course is gone now having been re-developed into "clone housing". (Many folks don't care for these new houses being built as they don't match the style of the village.) As soon as the Google satellite scans us again, I'll have an update to compare.
Leaving Oakdale and crossing into Creospenmaen, I went up the lane behind Abingdon Flooring. I discovered this lane on Google Maps and thought it worthy of exploration. The lane immediately heads into the woods and becomes very rough snaking its way up to Pen y Fan Pond.
Looking northeast through the trees toward Crumlin and Llanhilleth the views are lovely, which the locals - who also happen to be looking pretty good, agree.
The trail is secluded and very rocky in places. I was forced to focus on riding and neglected to photograph the rest of the route up to Pen y Fan Pond. No worries... I will definately be back for another visit.
Once at Pen y Fan, I cirlced around the pond and rode back down to Oakdale via a bridle trail I just happened to notice off the main road. Unfortunately, I encountered several folks walking along who aggressively approached me, shouting; "You can't come through here... this is a bridal path just for walkers and horses only! Mountain bikes are not allowed on the trail!"
Humph! I'm a stickler for following the Rights of Way Act. I would't have entered had there been signs indicating not to ride here.
Despite the lack of signs; there were a few stiles to cross. No worries, I can lift my bike over a stile, but how does a horse get over a stile? Some folks just gotta make a nuisance of themselves. I wasn't on a mountain bike, btw.
Soon enough I was back in the alleys where I had begun my little adventure, lurking behind the houses, hunting for interesting things to look at and perhaps photograph. I'll be back... little village, you can count on that.
Summary - Alley Cats
Part two of my exploration of Oakdale and the surrounding areas has been good fun. I've made a decent start, but there are several places I wish to revisit.
This little study of my home doesn't take me very far and my mileage isn't that much, but it has me looking forward to working on part three and that's exciting. After all is said and done, that's how you're supposed to feel about life... that's the best feeling.
Thanks as always for stopping by.
Cheers! - cm
 |
Report Card |
|
| Ride Name: |
Alley Cats |
| Start Date: |
Wed. May 24, 2020 |
| Starts in: |
Oakdale, Wales, GB |
| Departed: |
12:07 PM |
| Distance: |
14.1 mi / 22.69 km |
| Elevation: |
+ 689 / - 713 ft |
| Max Grade: |
9.1% |
| Duration: |
03:34:56 |
| Move Time: |
01:56:24 |
| Stop Time: |
01:38:32 |
| Max. Speed: |
23.6 mph |
| Avg. Speed: |
7.3 mph |
| Weather: |
sun! |
| Temp: |
13°c / 55°f |
