Talk:Itinerarium Cambriae

The itinerary

I have been reading the Journey Through Wales, and cannot work out the route that Gerald took between Brecon and Abergavenny. At the start of Chap 4, Gerald says 'From Llanddew, we made our way along the rugged pass of Coed Grwyne... On our left we passed .. Llanthony'. It seems natural to assume that the 'rugged pass' (an apt description) is the Gospel Pass at the head of the Vale of Ewyas, which can be used as a modern scenic route from Hay to Abergavenny via Llanthony (on the left), but is is too far to the East to be attractive as a route from Brecon or Llanddew to Abergavenny. The reference to Coed Grwyne (Grwyne Forest) is puzzling, since the two branches of the Grwyne occupy mountainous territory far to the West, through which no suitable route has survived, and which is separated from Llanthony by lofty ridges which modern roads skirt around. The modern route from Brecon to Abergavenny avoids all of this trouble by following the valley of the Usk, which flows through both towns, involves no pass or watershed, and is reasonably direct. Do we suppose then that Gerald retraced his steps from Brecon to Hay, and then branched south over the Gospel Pass ? Or that he followed the Usk, and fabricated the 'rugged pass' story in order to give an excuse for his excursus on Llanthony ? Any comments ?