Bannau Brycheiniog by Cycle
Carreg Cennen Castle
I awoke to the sounds of birds chirping and radiant blue skies. I climbed out of my tent, stretched my arms and legs gazing up at the mighty Carreg Cennen Castle. It was going to be a glorious day. I could just feel it.
DAY THREE
WALKING
  Carreg Cennen Castle
Date: June 21, 2023
The next morning the campsite was still empty and quiet. Having no need to pack my gear, I could take my time making breakfast and contemplate my plans for the day. The camp host (Sorry that I cannot remember his name!) stopped by to say hello and tell me that it was be a lovely day as there was no forecast for rain.
And what a view I had for my breakfast...
I have a tradition with breakfasts whilst camping; scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese and grilled sausage (YUM!) Of course too, I'll have some orange juice followed by a couple of cups of good strong coffee to get me properly fueled for the day.
Knowing that I'd be out for the day, I also made a flask of coffee to take with me on the hike, as well as a tasty sandwich my lovely wife had made for me before I left home.
With my hip bag packed and camera strapped over my shoulder, I set off to explore the castle and surrounding countryside by foot.
Carreg Cennen Castle
The impressive stone structures in front of you are a bank of limekilns. From the available evidence we know that between 1802 and 1807 there were four such kilns built, with a fifth, smaller kiln possibly added a little later. The limekilns were leased from the Abergavenny & Brecknock Canal Company by a variety of operators in their hay-day, around 1830 and would have been a thriving hub of industrial activity.
photo courtesy of Visit Wales
photo courtesy of DroneScene
photo courtesy of The Gaurdian
Illustration of the castle as it may have appeared during the 14th century - A.Sorrell
Limestone and coal were brought here by canal boats and barrowed to storage areas before being discharged into the top of the kilns. It would take a day to load, three days to burn, two days to cool down, and finally another day to unload the "quick lime" produced in the kilns.

Quick lime reacts violently with water, so it was barreled up and stored in warm dry chambers before being loaded on to horse-drawn carts and drams for shipment and use in agriculture and building.
References:
Day Three Summary: Carreg Cennen Castle
Tie things up. Summarize why you made this trip, then briefly describe what you liked or disliked about the ride. Would you make the ride again? Could this ride be used in your "Route to Ride" section?

Make a brief reference to the ride report card shown below with any significant details of which they should be aware. What's next?
Keep it short. You should also include a brief description of the weather and any important landmarks the reader might appreciate. Say your thank you's.

I hope you enjoyed my report and thanks for reading!

Seeya down the road... Cheers! - cm
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