I’ve mentioned Cosmeston Lakes Country Park a couple of times previously in this blog so I thought I would show you what a wonderful place it is for a visit. With two lakes and over 100 hectares of woodland and meadows, it’s a place you can get lost in – or, at least, find somewhere to escape the madding crowd.

Where the lakes now provide homes to a myriad of waterbirds there used to be limestone quarries, providing the raw material for the since demolished British Portland Cement works. And the northern part of the park, which was once the site of two rubbish tips – the air vents can still be seen dotted around the grasslands, is now the perfect environment for wildflowers, birds and insects. It is a splendid example of a landscape reclaimed from the ravages of mankind to provide a home for wildlife, and so successful has that transformation been that some areas are now designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest.

The park is not far from Penarth, a seaside town on the outskirts of Cardiff. It is easily accessible by car or public bus, though I prefer to catch the train to Penarth then walk along the now-disused railway track that has been converted to a tree-lined trail heading west. For me, that provides the perfect start to a wonderful long wander in the park.