Weatherman Walking

Derek Brockway revisits three wildlife walks. First, he braves the rain in Gwynedd, then hunts for water voles in Radnorshire and finally sees ancient rock formations in Ceredigion.

Derek goes island hopping, visiting Caldey off the Pembrokeshire coast, then Anglesey, known for its seabirds, before finishing in south Wales at Barry Island, his childhood home.

Derek revisits three walks that have changed people’s lives. He sees how the great outdoors aided a cancer patient’s recovery and inspired those with sight loss to go birdwatching.

Mynydd Sygun in Eryi National Park, the Black Mountains in the east of Bannau Brycheiniog and Table Mountain in Powys all feature among Derek’s favourite mountain walks.

Derek explores three well-known castles along his favourite heritage walks. They include the impressive Powys Castle, the spooky Margam Castle and the medieval Kidwelly Castle.

Derek delves into Wales’s industrial past, including the slate trail in Gwyneddf and the Glo-Aur, a 17-mile walk to commemorate the Cymmer Mining Disaster, which claimed 114 lives.

Derek remembers three maritime walks which are full of the stories of the many shipwrecks along the Wales coast including the Royal Charter which went down with 400 lives lost.

In three of Derek’s top coastal rambles, he gets a dunking in Pembrokeshire, discovers why Porth Neigwl is dubbed Hell’s Mouth and meets some volunteers called the Silver Slashers.

Derek follows the river Taff to Breacon, stands on Devil’s Bridge in Pontarfynach and takes the steam train around Barmouth Bay when he revisits his most loved waterways walks.

Derek explores what lies beneath his feet when he revisits The Great Orme, the Offa’s Dyke Path and the last surviving cast iron footbridge in Merthyr Tydfil.