WALKING CARDIFF
Peter Finch & John Briggs (Seren)
“There are a few things about a good walk… It should get you lost and then it should find you,” writes Peter Finch – poet, psychogeographer and editor of Seren’s Real… series of guidebooks – in this superb collection of 20 walks around Cardiff. Like a knowledgeable and witty friend, Finch accompanies the reader on comprehensive tours and countercultural excursions, from the vibrant city centre to its overlooked outskirts. Along the way, he uncovers the forgotten histories of its diverse neighbourhoods, as well as a surprising number of literary landmarks. In his photographs, John Briggs (who was born in Minnesota but has lived in south Wales since the 1970s) somehow manages to make Llandaff and Roath look like districts of a fashionable European city, while never shying away from their rough-and-ready charm.
My average working day is spent slumped behind a desk, so time for urban wandering is scarce. Luckily, Finch writes so well that even armchair explorers feel they’ve walked miles. Over the course of a few carefully planned lunch hours, however, I managed to trek abridged versions of walks around Canton and Ninian Park. In practice, Walking Cardiff’s only flaw is perhaps its size and heft: a walking book ought to be light, even pocket-sized, but this one’s quite weighty. This problem is easily avoided though, as all the walks are uploaded to an online route planner for smartphone-wielding ramblers. Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a born-and-bred Kerdiffian, you’re bound to discover something new in the Welsh capital with this book as your companion. words SAM PRYCE
Price: £14.99. Info: www.serenbooks.com
