Apologies for taking a month to get on with part 2!

We continue the trip at Pontrhydygroes, once known as 'little Switzerland' the valley does have something of an Alpine feel here.

The village of Pontrhydygroes is spread out across the wooded hillside on the southern side of the river Ystwyth. Whether you approach from New Row or from down the Valley the Methodist Chapel dominates the village. Below the village, the river runs through a narrow gorge, and down stream enters a narrow V shaped valley. The Miners Bridge, a footbridge, rebuilt a few years ago, provides the only access to woodland walks opposite, without a lengthy detour. It replaces a bridge built by miners 150 years ago to connect New Row with the village and the Mines.

At the Bridge (Pont) there presumably used to be a ford (Rhyd) and I believe the cross (Groes) refers to the road junction. You have to head a little way up the hill to reach the main part of the village, on the left the Miners Arms Pub B+B and shop is now the focal point of the village, further up is Lisburn garage and 'Cwtch' Cafe.

In the crook of the bend in the road above Lisburn Garage sits the Count House, with steps from the road to a door where Miners once received their wages, and a balcony on the end where the bosses once sat, while the miners sat on benches in the yard below on 'setting day'. Work in different sections of the mine would be assessed and teams of miners would bid against each other to work in different parts of the mine. Under the bend in the road is the level Fawr, a tunnel begun in 1785, taking 9 years to drive of a mile to drain and ventilate Logaulas Mine, over the following 30 years it was driven a mile or so further for access to 3 more mines. It is said that at sun set on mid summers day, the sun shines straight along the tunnel for some distance for a few moments.

Further up the road is Ysbyty Ystwyth with its Cornish style Church, beyond here you are up out of the Ystwyth Valley and heading for a fantastic view over Tregaron bog (Cors Caron) and the upper Teifi Valley which runs down to Cardigan / Aberteifi.

Returning to the Bridge at the bottom of the Hill, a lodge guards the lower entrance to The Hafod estate and the road heads off up the side of the valley. If it were not for the former mansion, I'm certain the road would continue up the bottom of the valley to Cwmystwyth village but instead climbs high up the side for traffic to bypass the heart of the estate. The road splits part way up the hill, the left going to Devils Bridge and the right climbing high above the estate and zigzagging its way along the upper edge of the valley. Before it emerges from the trees, a small Cornish style church is seen to the right of the road, belonging to the former great Mansion. Walks through the Hafod estate begin here. As the road emerges from the forest, it begins to head away from the valley, towards Pwllperian farm, but the main route forks right to continue to Cwmystwyth. As the village is approached, the valley bottom is broad and contains the green meadows of several farms and the sweeping curves of the river .

Pwllperian. (the following paragraph is taken from www.pumlumon.org.uk )

For more than 80 years researchers at Pwllpeiran have worked to improve the viability of farming the uplands of Wales. Their studies have helped hill farmers care for their livestock and manage their land more efficiently. Pwllpeiran has a long and distinguished record of involvement with change and development in the Welsh uplands and was once part of the famous Hafod Estate of Thomas Johns. In the 1930s it became the centre of Sir George Stapledons pioneering Cahn Hill Improvement Scheme before becoming in 1955 a Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Experimental Husbandry Farm.

This had two objectives:- Firstly to demonstrate integration between agriculture and forestry and secondly to develop practical systems to increase the output from Welsh Mountain Farms, as a way of maintaining rural populations and incomes.
Over a thirty year period, Pwllpeiran increased its agricultural output dramatically and its systems were widely taken up by farmers but lead to serious impacts on both landscape and the environment particularly overgrazing .
Today, output is no longer so important and the uplands are increasingly being managed for multiple objectives with the aim of creating a more diverse rural economy which can provide jobs and stable rural communities. This change in emphasis away from production per se towards far more environmentally sustainable system, is reflected in Pwllpeirans current activities.

Pwllperian has recently become part of Aberystwyth University's Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS)

Cwmystwyth village is little more than a scattering of farms and houses, as soon as you pass through the valley narrows, the sides are clad with oak woodlands. Emerging from the woodland is the most dramatic change of scenery you will find almost anywhere. The Mines of Cwmystwyth have huge waste tips, various ruined buildings, tramroads, leats, adits, and shafts. High up the hillside copper was mined here around 4000 years ago. Most of the evidence that can be seen now is from mining which developed through medieval times and peaked in the second half of the 19 ^th centuary, struggling on until 1921. Almost a mile of the valley side is covered in bare rock, from the crags of Graig Fawr so the spoil heaps at the edge of the river, it is visible on google earth / maps when you have the whole of Wales on your screen. http://goo.gl/maps/oaTyd A closer look at the right hand half of this view shows the spoil heaps from the Bronze age workings on Copper hill and probably the most impressive example of 'hushing' in Britain.

I'm sure most people passing through between here and the Elan valley beyond see the old mines as a dreadful mess and nothing more, which is a shame because there is a wealth of stories to be told about the people who lived and worked in conditions to play their part in the development of everything we take for granted today. I'll come back to this subject one day.

At the head of the Valley is Tyllwyd farm, which has just constructed a small hydro electric scheme using the old mine leat to carry a pipe line. There is also a Campsite here and Esgair wen holiday cottage. The road climbs from here up to the Elan Valley Estate.