logo
Twmbarlwm sunset hike to celebrate summer solstice

Twmbarlwm sunset hike to celebrate summer solstice

The hike will take place on Saturday, June 21, 2025, at Twmbarlwm, starting at 6.30pm, and is in aid of St David's Hospice.
The walk will take in the views from the hillfort, which overlooks Newport and the Severn estuary.
As part of the event, musician Anna Young will be playing a range of songs to enjoy before the walk and on departure.
Welsh bagpiper Matthew Bartlett will perform at the summit as walkers enjoy the sunset.
The five-mile route will begin at Cwmcarn Forest Drive, with signs and marshals pointing the way up the Twmbarlwm path, before descending via the forest drive back to the start/finish area at the bottom car park.
The hike, which has a light to medium difficulty level, will take walkers up to the peak of Twmbarlwm, which stands at 419m (1,375ft) high.
Event organisers are urging participants to bring a blanket to enjoy the sunset across the picturesque landscape.
The summer solstice walk can also be the perfect occasion to walk and remember a loved one, organisers say.
Participants are encouraged to take a moment at the top of the hillfort to reflect and remember those who have been lost.
Participants will meet at 6.30pm for a 7pm start and is set to finish at 10pm.
Registration will take place at the Cwmcarn Forest Drive visitor centre car park.
Entry fees begin at £5.
Although there is no set amount to be raised, all funds raised will help provide free hospice services.
For example, £10 pays for a patient to have lunch and afternoon tea in the day hospice, £120 pays towards one night of Hospice at Home Care, and £200 pays for a clinical nurse specialist to visit a patient and their family twice in a week to help stabilise their symptoms.
The registration fee includes refreshments at the start/finish, a bottle of water, a glow stick, walker number and pins, first aid cover, marshal support, a finishers medal, and support with fundraising.
For more information or to book a place, visit the St David's Hospice website.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Three popular Welsh beaches bring in new ban
Three popular Welsh beaches bring in new ban

Wales Online

time5 hours ago

  • Wales Online

Three popular Welsh beaches bring in new ban

Three popular Welsh beaches bring in new ban National Trust Cymru wants to protect wildlife and the coastlines with a new initiative The rugged shores of Porth Darfarch, Anglesey (Image: John Miller/National Trust ) Three popular beaches in North Wales have been declared "smoke-free zones" in a bid to protect the natural environment and prevent wildfires. Visitors to these scenic spots will now notice new signs as part of the voluntary initiative, gently urging them to put out their cigarettes and enjoy the fresh sea air smoke-free. The beaches – Porth Dafarch and Cemlyn on Anglesey, and Porthor on the Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd – are under the care of National Trust Cymru and were chosen for their "environmental significance" with backing from RSPB Cymru. ‌ National Trust Cymru is championing smoke-free beaches as a means to safeguard wildlife and coastal areas by minimising environmental litter. ‌ Ash Wales Cymru highlights that cigarette ends rank among the most discarded items globally, posing a significant hazard to marine life and ecosystems. The charity warns that over time, cigarette butts disintegrate into microplastics, releasing harmful chemicals such as lead, arsenic, and formaldehyde into delicate marine habitats. By deterring beachgoers from smoking, there's also the benefit of protecting youngsters from second-hand smoke and discouraging them from starting the habit. Article continues below Supporting the initiative is Sarah Murphy, minister for mental health and wellbeing. She commented: "Our ambition is to create a smoke-free Wales by 2030 and creating more smoke-free spaces is one way to achieve this." "It is important we work together to limit the harmful effects of smoking as well as the associated health and environmental risks to our beautiful landscapes." In March 2024, Benllech and Trearddur Bay on Anglesey became the first smoke-free beaches in North Wales, following in the footsteps of Caswell Bay, Langland Bay, Port Eynon and Little Haven in South Wales, reports North Wales Live. ‌ Last year, Spain took a firm stance against smoking and vaping on beaches and restaurant terraces to combat the littering of cigarette butts. France has been implementing similar bans since 2011, and Italy and Greece have also introduced stricter anti-smoking measures. The new smoke-free zones in North Wales are not only popular with holidaymakers but are also vital for wildlife. Cemlyn, located on the north coast of Anglesey, boasts an internationally significant colony of Sandwich terns. It's also a hotspot for Arctic and Common terns, and occasionally, the elusive Roseate tern makes an appearance. ‌ Cemlyn is recognised as having the UK's third-largest colony of terns, with approximately 1,500 pairs. The pristine water quality is essential for their survival. The area is protected as both a National Nature Reserve and a Site of Special Scientific Interest due to its ecological importance. Porth Dafarch, nestled on Holy Island's Anglesey, is renowned for its ancient rocky cradle teeming with choughs - the crow family's rarest members, easily spotted by their red legs and beak. The surrounding waters are a sanctuary for seals and porpoises alike. ‌ Just as enchanting, Porthor Beach is acclaimed for its melody producing "whistling sands" and serves as a bastion for an array of avian species including Choughs, Razorbills, Guillemots, Kittiwakes, Cormorants, Shags, and Yellowhammers, while welcoming seals and dolphins to its shores. National Trust Cymru's project manager in North Wales, Dewi Davies, remarked: "We work hard to look after these special places." Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here The emphasis on conservation is strong, with Davies urging: "We are requesting that people who visit these beautiful locations help us to care for them by not smoking and disposing of harmful smoking materials. They could pose a risk to these special habitats and the wildlife that lives in them, or spark a wildfire." ‌ To mark the establishment of new smoke-free zones, Porth Dafarch will host a celebratory beach clean on Thursday, June 19, involving pupils from Ysgol Gynradd Kingsland in Holyhead. The initiative aims to shed light on the impacts of discarded cigarette butts on marine ecosystems. Positioned at the vanguard of the smoke-free beach campaign are the National Trust and ASH Wales, buoyed by a swell of public approval in Wales. Recent polls indicate a significant 56% national endorsement for coastal smoke bans, with even more emphatic backing from the locals of Anglesey, where 87% support the measure. Suzanne Cass, chief executive of ASH Wales, said: "With 325,000 people in Wales still smoking, we must do everything we can to help them quit while creating a cleaner, healthier environment for all. Article continues below "Expanding smoke-free outdoor spaces sends a clear message: smoking is not the norm - people, wildlife and the planet come first."

Rules for cattle relaxed in the new Bluetongue rules
Rules for cattle relaxed in the new Bluetongue rules

Powys County Times

time9 hours ago

  • Powys County Times

Rules for cattle relaxed in the new Bluetongue rules

Cattle moving from England into Wales WILL be permitted if they are vaccinated for bluetongue, the Welsh Government says - but sheep must still be tested before crossing the border. In a new announcement on Friday, the Welsh Government confirmed it will allow cattle fully vaccinated with Boehringer Ingelheim's Bultavo-3 vaccine, to move under licence, from a Restricted Zone to Wales without a pre-movement test – however this will not apply to sheep. There has been outrage amongst Powys farmers about rules being brought in from July 1 which would mean that any sheep that crossed the Welsh border would require a test for the bluetongue virus. Tests for Bluetongue cost anywhere from £40-£70 per animal meaning some farmers would be faced with bills of tens of thousands to move livestock across the border for grazing or for going to market. The Welsh Government confirmed that 'all sheep must be pre-movement tested and require an accompanying licence to move into Wales to live from the Restricted Zone (RZ) in England, as no vaccine products currently meet the requirements for protecting sheep from BTV-3 to allow them to move out of the RZ.' Deputy First Minister with responsibility for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies, said: 'My goal at this stage remains to keep Bluetongue out of Wales for the benefit of our animals and those who keep them. 'The economic and farmer wellbeing concerns caused by dealing with severe Bluetongue are first and foremost in my mind. "I also want to allow more time to observe the severity of the disease in England, and for keepers to vaccinate their herds and flocks. Help support trusted local news Sign up for a digital subscription now: As a digital subscriber you will get Unlimited access to the Oswestry Advertizer website Advert-light access Reader rewards 'I have made clear the thinking behind my decision in the Senedd this week, but I want to keep it under review. Should the evidence change, and we need to alter the policy, we will revisit and review this in a dynamic way. 'Our shared priority over the coming weeks is to promote vaccine take-up. All representatives at the Roundtable I recently convened were unanimous in their support for vaccination as the best method of protecting livestock and reducing the impacts of Bluetongue." 'I cannot in all conscience invite Bluetongue into Wales, but we are prepared to adapt to the evolving disease situation.' In the announcement, the Welsh Government also confirmed that as a response to increased risk of Bluetongue, including 'temperatures that are consistent with the active transmission period,' these measures will come into force as of today (June 20) in relation to the current Restricted Zone in England, which covers the east of England.

Assisted dying bill passed by MPs - but what does this mean for Wales?
Assisted dying bill passed by MPs - but what does this mean for Wales?

ITV News

time10 hours ago

  • ITV News

Assisted dying bill passed by MPs - but what does this mean for Wales?

Plans to change the law to legalise assisted dying in Wales and England have come a step closer with an historic vote in the Commons, but there remain huge questions over how it will actually affect Wales. MPs voted to pass the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill by 314 to 291. Of Wales' 32 MPs - 24 backed the bill, seven voted against and one did not vote. Health is devolved, so the implementation of any assisted dying service would be carried out through the Welsh NHS which is controlled by the Welsh Government and ultimately answerable to the Senedd itself. In a vote last October on the principle of assisted dying, Senedd members including the First Minister and Health Secretary voted against it, which means there is every chance that MSs could vote to block it. That in turn raises the prospect of assisted dying being legalised here in Wales but Welsh doctors prohibited from providing the service. An earlier attempt to give the power to decide whether or not to allow the law to be changed here in Wales to the Senedd was overturned via an amendment to the Bill. One of the MPs behind that bid, Plaid Cymru's Liz Saville Roberts, said: 'It is regrettable that the House chose to remove the Senedd's power to commence this Bill in Wales. "Health is devolved, and I firmly believe that the Senedd must take responsibility for the services available to people at the end of their lives. I am concerned that we could face a situation where assisted dying is permitted only through the private sector in Wales. 'I am also disappointed that no Welsh MP was called to speak in today's debate. Scottish and Northern Irish MPs were given the opportunity to contribute, despite the Bill not extending to those jurisdictions. 'I am nevertheless pleased that this Bill has passed its third reading. We are a step closer to granting people dying of terminal illnesses dignity at the of their lives, and the safeguards have been strengthened to protect vulnerable people.' I understand that there will be a vote on the aspects of the bill that are devolved, particularly as it affects the health service which is the means by which any assisted dying service will be provided here in Wales. It will come in the form of a Legislative Consent Motion (LCM) whereby Senedd members agree or disagree to allow UK Parliament legislation to affect Senedd law. The Health Secretary, Jeremy Miles, has already tabled an LCM although it might have to be altered now that the bill has been altered. An updated LCM has to be laid by 4th July. The Welsh Government says: 'We remain neutral on the issue of assisted dying. 'We have been working constructively with the UK Government and the Bill sponsor to ensure devolved interests are taken into account and the devolution settlement is respected.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store