Walk Description

This  spectacular circular walk of just over 8 miles starts at the Pwll Bo car park north of Llanwrtyd Wells on the Abergwesyn Road This walk has a gentle valley walk followed by a steeper uphill section after Llyn Brianne to the forest and a return down the tarmac forest track. It has some amazing views.

You can see the Ordnance Survey map of the area here

Park at the Pwll Bo forest car park. Walk out of the car park and turn right up the road. After a few hundred yards you will see a tarmac drive on the left with a house on the corner, go up this track ignoring the entrance to a large house on the right until you come to the rear of a farmyard. Take the obvious track on the far left (south west).
Continue along this track, crossing a small foot bridge, ignoring the track that rises to you right and sticking pretty much with the stream on your left.

The track rises gently and becomes a little steeper and more rugged after a couple of miles where it rises to a pass. Go up to the top of the pass where you will see the road around Llyn Brianne below you. Walk down to the road. Once you meet the road, turn left and walk around the bend looking for the footpath sign immediately after the bend. Follow the sign up onto the hill above you. Study the map carefully and using a map and compass or GPS follow the track up the steep hill (probably contouring up) until you are on the bleaker landscape above, the path is indistinct here and careful navigation is essential. The views are fantastic. Head for the corner of the forestry plantation in an easterly direction.

Once you get to the forest enter through the forestry gate and continue straight ahead (south east); again the path is not clear but you need to find your way through the trees to the tarmac forest road which should be up on your left hand side after some distance. Once you find the forest track, follow it in a mostly northerly direction as it winds back down to the road where you started. Turn left at the road and this will bring you back to the car park and your starting point.

Interesting Facts

Llyn Brianne is a man-made reservoir in the headwaters of the River Tywi in Wales. The reservoir was constructed by Wimpey Construction in the late 1960s and early 1970s in order to regulate the flow in the Tywi to support large potable water abstraction at Nantgaredig in the lower reaches of the river near Carmarthen; providing water to the Felindre water treatment works. The treated water is piped to a large area of South Wales which includes Swansea and Neath and the western periphery of Cardiff.

Under the reservoir there are a couple of flooded houses. Before the water level was raised, it was possible to walk to Fannog farmhouse; a "For Sale" sign was once erected on it. It is still possible to see the roof when the water level is low.

Map

The map below shows you the route of this walk it may not be 100% accurate so check your route first on an Ordnance Survey map. Bing Maps is a useful resource for Ordnance Survey maps and you can see this and the wider area here

Please ensure that you are properly equipped for the ground conditions and weather. The information on this site is given in good faith and was accurate at the time of writing but you are responsible for your own safety when out walking. We accept no liability for anyone doing anything stupid!

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