Afan Argoed Forest Park

The wall is really good , but it takes longer than 2 hours like it says . Theres lots of good views and good riding . I would recomend taken a full sus mtb as it was punishing in parys on my hardtrail.

The Wall is a great mountain bike trail which is not quite as technical as the Whites in my opinion. Its combination of uphill and downhill is extremely well proportioned and takes in some stunning views of the valley. The mountain bike shop in the visitor centre is run by skyline cycles and the guys are extremely friendly and have a good selection of bikes and knowledge. The cafe on the other hand is quite the opposite. Here was my experience: Walk in at 12.05 and ask for a baguette, am told they have sold out, walk out. Realising I needed some water for the ride I go back in not more than 2mins later and low and behold there are baguettes on the counter. Deciding not to make an issue out of it I asked for a cheese and pickle one. After paying for it and it was plonked down in front of me the girl turns to her assistant and calls out, 'and whatever you do dont forget to phone bloody pest control tomorrow". Oh and the coffee advertised on a big fairtrade sign outside is spooned out of a nescafe jar. You have been warned!

Marvellous, huge forest, trails of all kinds - steep gradients for serious mountain-bikers, less-strenuous ones for walkers, many even suitable for wheelchairs. You can walk all day in this forest admiring the lovely views without retracing your steps - and without meeting many other people either. There are some benches here and there and picnic tables down by the river. There are useful maps available in the visitor centre and there’s a small shop for gifts in there too. I find the self service cafe very disappointing however as the menu (which hasn’t changed for years) is extremely boring and unimaginative and the staff aren’t friendly. There’s almost nothing available for vegetarians either and nothing for vegans apart from the inevitable potato with boring old baked beans. Why on earth can’t they even keep a box of veggie burgers in the freezer? So, to sum up: fantastic forest but poor cafe. UPDATE JAN 2009: Same old menu but when we asked, they found a tin of vegetable soup which was very nice. The lady who served us was friendlier this time. They had a delivery when we were there and I noticed that all the boxes contained pre-cooked baked potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, and other ready-meals. So don’t expect home cooking but it’s not expensive so that’s one good thing. It’s somewhere warm to shelter from the freezing wind too.

A beautiful scenic place, that has many paths and tracks to ensure you come back again and again. It’s free to use, so that’s a major plus. However, the staff can be a bit on the un-friendly side, although you don’t see them enough for it to spoil your day.
Great for cycling and walking. The children will love the wildlife, or you may just enjoy a quiet walk in the woods.