Before each waypoint the total distance walked is marked in brackets
[1] From the car park, with the pub behind you, climb two steps onto path. Go through kissing gate and cross access road bearing slight right to finger post. Go up steps to path into woods to join the Rhymney Valley Ridgeway path.
Keep straight ahead slightly uphill on a wide track, passing through kissing gate and ignoring side paths.
[2] (1.0 Km) (Photo) Where path bends sharp left downhill, go right through double gate by stile.
(A) Location of Shaft from iron stone mine Records show that mining in this area was started in 1500’s. Also from this point for about 0.75 kilometers, the route follows the remains of aerial ropeway cable, which had buckets attached and was used to carry stone to and from Wern-Ddu
Continue uphill through woods on Rhymney Valley Ridgeway the path eventually flattens out and there are fields and a fence to your right. Continue straight ahead until reaching Cefn Onn farm.
[3] (2.4 Km) At the farm, turn right to go down metalled lane. Pass through a gate across lane and continue ahead until reaching the road junction with Mynydd Rudry ahead. Cross over the road to the car park.
[4] (3.5 Km) Pass through the car park exiting at the left end, before bearing right and following the path which initially goes downhill for a short distance before bearing left to follow clear path to top of Mynydd Rudry.
For those who do not wish to ascend to top, follow the path around to the right of the hill to rejoin the main route where the track off the mountain joins at [5].
(B) At top of Mynydd Rudry, there are extensive views of the surrounding area, including Caerphilly castle to the West.
The walk continues by following the short ridge right in a North Easterly direction. The path descends towards a stone wall.
[5] (4.2 Km) At the T junction of paths, turn left to follow the path downhill with the stone wall/ hedge on your right, ignoring all side paths and gates. Keep on this track, which bears right to pass a small pond on right and a ignore side track from the left.
(C) Rudry common is an area that has a history of coal mining. Earliest records are dated 1307.
Leaving Rudry Common, head along a short gravel track to meet Garth Lane. Turn half left to go down the lane, passing houses to reach Pentwyngwyn Road. Cross over the road and continue ahead with Edward Thomas Close on your left.
[6] (5.5 Km) At the end of the close, look for a fingerpost on your left and go through the kissing gate into a field.
Cross the field on a faint path, passing under overhead cables to reach the kissing gate in the far left hand corner of the field. Cross the stream via the footbridge.
(D) This footbridge was constructed using bricks from Rudry brickworks.
Go through the kissing gate and turn left to follow the path, keeping straight ahead through another kissing gate.
[7] (6.1 Km) Where path forks, keep right. Go through a gate with the field boundary on your right. You soon reach a pond on left before reaching another kissing gate and a footbridge leading into a field.
After passing the house on your left, go through a kissing gate in the boundary fence onto a metalled lane. Turn right and follow lane until reaching a public footpath sign on right. Take this short path between houses to reach the main road in the village of Waterloo. Follow road uphill for short distance looking for a fingerpost on the left just before a national speed limit sign.
[8] (6.9 Km) Take the path crossing a footbridge and, after 60 metres, bear left by a Machen Forge trail sign, to cross the field heading towards a kissing gate on the far side. Cross through the kissing gate and over the footbridge and then bear right for 30 metres to the next finger post, then bear slight left to climb diagonally uphill towards the right hand corner, heading towards a gap in the tree line. On reaching the top of the hill, look for a kissing gate ahead.
[9] (7.5 Km) Go through kissing gate to cross the road and stile opposite. After 30 metres cross another stile and turn left keeping field boundary on left until reaching a stile in the fence ahead. Do not go through this stile, but turn right and go uphill with the wire boundary fence on your left to reach a stile in the fence near the top of the field.
[10] (8.2 Km) Go through stile and bear right to go through another stile next to a gate. Continue straight ahead crossing another field. Go through a gateway in field boundary and then uphill diagonally left to reach stile at edge of the woods. The stile is situated roughly level with the farm buildings you can see on your right.
[11] (8.5 Km) Enter the woods and follow the path, ignoring minor cross tracks to reach a T junction with a main forest track. Turn right and continue to the next junction of main paths, where you turn right again.
[12] (10.0 Km) The track eventually turns sharp left by an exit from the wood. Take the exit onto a tarmac lane. Turn left, following the lane back to the pub.
(E) Lead mines in this area date from Roman times and were worked until 1870’s
Alternatively, just before the exit point of the woods, take a line through the trees keeping the lane close to your right. Soon a small track appears. Follow this track which meanders through the trees and passes through the remains of the Roman lead mines. After passing these remains go through a gap in the boundary to rejoin the lane, turn left and follow the lane back to the pub.