The Footpaths of Whitchurch

Before the cars and lorries that dominate our lives nowadays, before the horses and wagons, before the roads and lanes were the footpaths and ancient ways

Where were they, and where did they go?

Did they have names? And are there any left?

What were they like? We’ve looked at cart-tracks and the turnpike previously, but looking at the oldest Ordnance Survey maps there were quite a few footpaths around the village too:

The road through the village north, towards Tongwynlais, would probably have been a footpath in ancient times, changing to a cart-track as the village grew

Similarly, the route south from Gwaun-tre-Oda towards Cardiff. This footpath also veered east at the Philog towards the Heath estate, and onwards to the Great Heath beyond

There was a footpath north from old St Mary’s and the castle up to the farms Ashgrove and Pentwyn and beyond. This is now the A470!

The ancient drover’s way from Eglwysilian and Gelligaer over Thornhill crossed Rhiwbina and Caedelyn towards the castle. It then followed the brook, crossing the Merthyr Road at the Village Farm onwards to Llandaff Yard. There it crossed the River Taff at a ford and on to Radyr

A further ancient way followed Pantmawr to the Hollybush, then to the Tithe Barn, crossing fields to the (now lost) Heoldon Farm and towards Llandaff Yard and the old bridge at Llandaff

Then there was the old route from Melingriffith, past Velindre and the crossroads to the old church and castle

There are indications of other footpaths, like the one where Tywern Road now runs
And along the bank of the River Taff towards Tongwynlais. We’ll probably never know where all of the footpaths ran, nor their importance

Some of these footpaths were of the long-distance type and simply passed through Whitchurch, but others were naturally formed ‘desire lines’ linking groups of houses or farms

The map below shows some of the footpaths and their routes around the village. This is a map without roads or railways and is timeless. At least hundreds of years old and probably much older!

The only old footpath I know of now runs behind Caegwyn Road and Manor Rise and forms a rear lane. It opens up at the traffic lights on Manor Way and is overgrown with shrubs and trees. Deliberately abandoned, but clearly the ancient footpath

Does anyone know of any other survivors?

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