Crossing the Rhymney River by a footbridge they followed part of the Machen Forge Trail which covers the old industrial areas of Machen and Waterloo.
Amid the sound of birdsong they reached the impressive Machen Viaduct constructed by the Brecon and Merthyr Railway in 1864, which carried a branch of the railway towards Caerphilly.
The Machen Forge was one of the earliest iron forge sites in South Wales dating from the 16th century, with its furnaces and forges being powered by water.
It expanded into tinplate manufacture in 1826, and the business was linked with the Waterloo Tinplate Works before closing in 1886.
Now only its stable block that housed the packhorses used to transport the finished iron survives.
They continued through Forge Wood and re-crossed the Rhymney River by a footbridge, up onto Newport Road, for a steady climb through fields with views southwest across the Rhymney Valley to Caerphilly and a glimpse of the Bristol Channel to the south.
On past Ty Canol Farm and following a lane they entered sheep-filled fields with new born lambs bleating.
At the highest point in the top field the wind suddenly hit them, and they found a sheltered spot in which to have their morning break with beautiful views over the Rhymney Valley, towards Mynydd-y-Grug and Mynydd Machen.
Refreshed, they continued eastwards through fields accompanied by skylarks with views across the Bristol Channel to the hills of Somerset and the isles of Steep Holm and Flat Holm.
They joined part of the Rhymney Valley Ridgeway Walk with its views across the Ebbw Valley to Risca and Crosskeys where at the valley base the coal seam known as Black Vein held terrible tragedies where explosions in 1846 and 1860 resulted in 180 deaths.
Picking up the Cambrian Way the track bore right uphill towards the radio mast at the top of Mynydd Machen.
The Cambrian Way is Wales long-distance coast to coast trail from Cardiff in the south to Conwy in the north covering a distance of 298 miles and is signified by a disc containing a Welsh lady’s traditional black hat.
The trig point stands at 364 metres above sea level, and they took comfort from knowing that from there on the walk was all downhill!
The 360-degree panoramic views were magnificent, from the Bristol Channel to the Central Brecon Beacons in the distance and Twmbarlwm with its Iron-Age hill fort across the Ebbw Valley.
As well as Mynydd Machen’s summit’s use for the radio mast, its importance in prehistoric times was evident, as there is a Bronze-Age round barrow and cairn on the mountain.
At the trig point they were passed by a keen runner, the only person they had met since starting their walk.
As the wind was howling, they continued by grassy track along the Cambrian Way for the steep and rough descent and on past Machen Quarry to the exterior of a conifer plantation where they stopped out of the wind for lunch in sunshine.
Their lunch was disturbed when a siren suddenly sounded warning of an imminent blast in the quarry followed by a loud blast, plenty of dust and a second siren for all the “all clear”.
A pathway led them downhill through the plantation that had been damaged by fire and continuing part way along the Cambrian Way, they turned off through Coed y Fedw wood which was covered with native bluebells.
Then over a stream to a rough wide track which led them to a road and on through housing estate where they paused to admire a beautifully laid out garden before crossing a busy road to descend onto a tree-lined pathway.
On past Pandy House and along beside the River Rhymney through carpets of wild garlic, then a field of wheat to reach Draethen and re-cross the river by means of a road bridge onto a lane.
On past the cast iron mileposts on the National Cycle Route, as a red kite flew low overhead and over a stream to cross playing fields for the walk back to their start.
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