Our route starts from Barry castle which is in the west end of the town just above Romilly park.

The castle probably originated in the thirteenth century and was essentially a fortified manor house, though the remains of the building are pretty scant today, in it’s prime it was pretty grand with portcullis and drawbridge.

Here’s a 360 degree image

There’s a fantastic website here which goes through the castle’s whole history: http://glamorganhistoryandarchaeology.blogspot.com/2016/07/barry-castle.html

Ride up the road from the castle where you’ll reach the entrance to Porthkerry Park.

Cycle down the tree shrouded hill into the park and follow the road straight through, under a railway bridge and past the stone cottage. You’ll pass the lovely green valley basin and eventually reach a group of buildings including a café and toilets; there’s also a kid’s playground.

Here also you can access a pathway to the pebble beach which has views across to The Knap.

We are going to skoot past these buildings and continue on a gravel path under the imposing viaduct where you may see trains going to and fro from Brigend.

Carry on along this path being mindful of walkers and go through a style.

Go up the hill where you’ll see Edgerton Grange, a manor house, through some hedges on the right.

Carry on to the top where, between a couple of thatched houses you’ll find yourself at the edge of Cardiff International Airport.

You’re also on a designated cycle path here which we’ll follow to the left until we come to a left turn.

Here, at a sign for Porthkerry, we’ll take a left down a narrow road until we come to the very small enclave of Porthkerry- just a church and a few houses but it’s worth a look. St Curig’s Church originates from the thirteenth Century and there are signs of a hillfort nearby too.

Here’s a 360 degree pic

There’s an interesting site here on Porthkerry: http://porthkerryandrhoose.co.uk/stcurigs-porthkerry/4590403523

And here’s a page on an entirely new species of tree being discovered at Porthkerry: http://porthkerryandrhoose.co.uk/the-service-tree/4592292765

After taking a look at the church, head back out onto the main road and follow the cycle path left until you reach a roundabout.

You could take a left here to visit Rhoose point but we are going straight today. The cycle lane ends and we follow the road to another roundabout where we take a left.

We’ll cycle straight through Rhoose main road, past some shops, a Spar, a café, a primary school, a post office, a park on your left till eventually you get to a junction.

Here, take a right following signs to Fonmon.

You’ll pass some sheep.

And fields with views over to Aberthaw power station.

You’ll pass a bus shelter.

Until you reach a remote crossroads complete with another rundown bus shelter.

Go straight here and you’re entering the small but beautiful hamlet of Fonmon.

Out of the blue you’ll suddenly stumble upon the rather wonderful Fonmon pond.

Here’s a 360 degree image of the pond, drag your cursor over it to move it.

Fonmon Pond is a Grade 2 listed structure. Alarmingly, the base and surrounding walls of the pond are leaking and it is apparently currently losing around 3500 gallons of water per day.

There’s a Facebook page appeal to raise funds to repair it.

The pond is home for families of ducks.

It’s surrounded by lovely cottages.

And a pretty postbox.

Moving on, if you cycle up the narrow road behind the pond, you’ll get to Fonmon castle but as it’s closed at the time of writing due to COVID, we are going to turn back and take a different route home.

At the junction just outside Fonmon, take a left towards Nurston.

You’ll pass many nice houses on your right and finally reach The Highwayman pub.

Keep going and you’ll reach ‘Area 2’ of Cardiff International Airport where you’ll often find ‘plane spotters’ taking pictures. The airport has a large British Airways engineering hanger and you’ll see many BA planes lined up in the distance.

Follow the airport fence to the right but be mindful of pedestrians as things will get narrow.

This path skirts the perimeter of the airport past a mock plane used for firefighting.

It bears left, then left again eventually coming out in a housing estate.

Bear left through the estate and you’ll eventually come out at a roundabout which you cycled past just before turning down into Rhoose.

Take the second exit up the road where you can cross over and rejoin the cycle path.

Follow your tracks back to the entrance to Porthkerry Park and then back to Barry castle.