Homeward Bound / Teg Rhedeg Tuag Adref

Judith Harrison

Homeward Bound

The dogs accompanying the drovers had to be able to control large numbers of cattle. Often a mix of the sheepdog, cur, mastiff and greyhound, they were larger, fiercer and stronger than the herding dogs used by the farmers on the fells.

The picture is set on the Kerry Ridgeway, a route running from Kerry to Bishops Castle and then onwards to London. Rumour has it that while the drovers sold their cattle at the Smithfield and Leadenhall markets, the dogs were sent home on their own. They followed the same route back, stayed at the same inns and expected the same catering service

as on the way out. Presumably this had been prearranged and already paid for by the Drovers.

Behind the dogs is a wooded enclosure of old Scots Pine called Cefn Golog. Small groups of Scots Pine are common on old Drove route, they were planted by the drovers on high ground to help with the navigation.

Teg Rhedeg Tuag Adref

Roedd angen i'r cŵn a oedd yn mynd gyda'r porthmyn allu rheoli niferoedd mawr o wartheg. Yn aml defnyddiwyd cwm a yddangosai fel cymysgedd o gi defaid, mastiff a milgi, roedden nhw'n fwy, yn fwy ffyrnig ac yn gryfach na'r cŵn hel a ddefnyddir gan y

ffermwyr ar y mynydd.

Mae'r llun wedi'i osod ar ‘Yr Hen Ffordd’, Cefnffordd Ceri, llwybr sy’n mynd o Ceri i Drefesgob ac yna ymlaen i Lundain. Yn ôl y sôn, tra bod y porthmyn yn gwerthu eu gwartheg yn y Smithfield a marchnadoedd Leadenhall, anfonwyd y cŵn adref ar ben eu hunain. Byddent yn dilyn yr un llwybr yn ôl, aros yn yr un lletyau ac yn disgwyl yr un gwasanaeth arlwyo fel ar y ffordd allan. Mae'n debyg bod hyn wedi'i wedi'i drefnu ymlaen lllaw a'i dalu’n barod gan y porthmyn.

Y tu ôl i'r cŵn mae clostir coediog o hen Bîn Albanaidd o'r enw Cefn Golog. Mae grwpiau bach o Bîn Albanaidd yn gyffredin ar hen ffyrdd y porthmyn, fe'u plannwyd gan y porthmyn ar dir uchel i helpu gyda dilyn y ffordd.

Mixed Media / Cyfryngau Cymysg

Framed Size / Maint Ffrâm: 53cm x 53cm

£420

£420.00