I have written a piece for The Clearing web site
on a very specific genus of pathway, a sub-group which has a particular form,
character and locality but remained unburdened by formal categorisation: lonely
tracks that stoically climb and crest the hillsides of the Black Mountains; shadow
paths, many now no longer or rarely used other than by a small number of local
shepherds and farmers, often not appearing on any map. When driving or walking
through the Vale of Ewyas, incising the old red sandstone massif of the Black
Mountains for twelve sinuous miles with Llanthony its primary locus, these ways
– known locally as rhiws - are all around but remain unseen in plain sight; liminal
lines in the landscape of the steep valley sides with no meaning or discernible
pattern to the casual eye.
You can read the full article here.
