Myfanwy Haycock Poetry Trail

Free Download. Discover the history and beautiful scenery of Torfaen through the eyes of one of the Eastern Valley of Wales most undiscovered and talented female poets, Myfanwy Haycock.

Pontypool Community Council are marking her 110th anniversary with this audio poetry trail visiting the places from which she drew inspiration.

Choose one of three trails (Route A : 8 Miles - Route B : 5 Miles – Route C : 2 Miles) all starting at THE ITALIAN GARDENS within Pontypool Park adjacent to the carved wooden sculpture of Myfanwy. Follow markers over the Afon Lwyd river, winding up through the tunnel of trees to hear Myfanwy’s Eisteddfod winning Poem HILL OF DREAMS at THE GORSEDD STONE CIRCLE.

Routes A & B climb up to “Wild Witch Beauty on a windy hill” – the Grotto, and on THE FOLLY TOWER. For an extra hike (with some lovely refreshments at the Star Inn pub) Route A explores “Long liquid Miles, that bend and stretch and creep” on the Brecon and Monmouthshire CANAL. All routes finish with a gentle stroll on the “enchanted road to Pontypool.”

Features: - Audio - At certain points GPS will trigger relevant Poems (9 in total), some of which are exclusively recited by Myfanwy, from recordings she made before she passed away. - GPS located position shows your exact location on the map. - Follow the map to help navigate your way, find out about local history to discover, unlock fun facts and see if you can match your view to some of Myfanwy’s Scraper board Artwork. - You can also use the fun photos frames in the App to create a souvenir postcard. - Stunning GPS triggered “Fade Images “show a transition from certain Myfanwy scraper board artwork transitioning to modern landscape. - A Poetry page will include an interactive image that has hotspots that when tapped will play a poem. - Offline mapping will enable you to navigate even without mobile coverage. Experience the trail if by sitting in your armchair! - Choose language - English or Welsh!

Placing Myfanwy’s mark in Pontypool Park gives the town a tangible reminder of a former poet. Her life is also the subject of a new exhibition at Torfaen Museum and a BBC Radio Wales Arts documentary produced by Jenni Crane.

Whether you are walking by yourself, out with the whole family (also suitable for dogs) the trails are ideal for nature lovers. So, take your time, stop for a picnic, enjoy every step and listen to Myfanwy’s poetry along your way.

“Tis good to know That Beauty ever keeps an open door To know that I can leave things as I pass As lovely as before.”

This app makes use of GPS to show you places of interest close to your current location. Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.