Forest bathing at Graig Wen Wood, Cwm Ffrwd

Graig Wen Wood is a carefully preserved remnant of the beech woodland that once covered much of upland Gwent. It sits in Cwm Ffrwd, a quiet side valley above Talywain, where the Nant Ffrwd brook runs down from Coity Mountain to the Afon Lwyd. The beeches would once have been pollarded to make charcoal for the early ironworks, and the cwm is scattered with ruined farmhouses and the rusting remains of a drift mine.

Torfaen Council's Cwm Ffrwd Circular Walk starts at Talywain Rugby Club car park, just off Albert Road, and takes about two and a half hours. The track climbs past the old mine to the wood, where the path narrows before leaving the trees, so the beech wood itself is the place to slow down and stop. Along the way there are views over the Eastern Valley towards Wentwood and the Severn. Wear sturdy footwear, as it can be muddy and slippery.