Waterfall Hunting in UK — Trip Notes
Unlike an average hike, a waterfall it is highly rewarding in absolutely any weather. The harder the downpour the more dramatic and forceful the fall will be. You might not feel like stopping for a long picnic or swimming, but when the trees are bare your view is less obstructed by trees (I found this specifically at Sgwd Isaf Clun-Gwyn)
Welsh words I have learnt: sgwd = waterfall, afon = river, Pwll = pool, araf = slow
TDL Resources:
World of Waterfalls UK Map
All Trails Map
Photographer’s Resources
Custom GoogleMap Maps: Waterfall.me.uk or Sam’s map (currently offline)
There are Easy Wins
It is shocking how many waterfalls are right by the road, literally a 2 minute walk away. This one of the craziest right off the A465 south of Breacon Beacons — Pwll-Du Waterfall.
Mellincourt is the gentlest of 10 minute walks that starts right opposite the Mellincourt car park, it is rare to be rewarded so greatly for so little reward.
Henrhyd Falls — has 2.5k reviews, it’s a short walk, to a waterfall you can walk behind. Because of it’s popularity, it is worth doing early (or late) in the day.
Find Waterfalls Wherever You Find Yourself in UK
Wherever you are going, there might be one you can stop to on your way. Sam has composed a google map of possible waterfalls you can take on your travels.
However Neath Valley (Welsh: Cwm Nedd) is a sure win. It is an area rich in waterfalls at the foothills of the Brecon Beacons, with tight network of five rivers: the Afon Hepste, Nedd Fechan, Afon Pyrddin, Afon Mellte and Afon Sychryd. It was mined for coal and near the Pontneddfechan village, silica. According to CivilToday, Silica (Sand) and Alumina (Clay), are the two most prominent ingredients in bricks. “The durability of bricks largely depends upon the proper proportion of silica and alumina.”
Nowhere else in Wales is there such a richness and diversity of waterfalls within such a small area as Waterfall Country. Here the rivers Mellte, Hepste, Pyrddin, Nedd Fechan and Sychryd wind their way down deep, tree-lined gorges, over a series of dramatic waterfalls, before joining to form the River Neath. — naturalresources.wales
WALK 1
‘The Four Waterfalls’
Sonia does a great write up on her blog here of the most common track. It is really amazing that there are such different waterfalls so close together. So spectacular that it is shocking that they are not harder to get to (although it is very steep at times and requires you to climb across boulders and tree roots).
We typically go to the furthers one, Sgwd Yr Eira Waterfal, this is the gem of the four because you can walk behind it. Then see the rest as we head back and this is the direction I would recommend as it is easier to climb up, rather than down from Sgwd Isaf Clun-Gwyn to Sgwd Clun-Gwyn Waterfall.
video to come
Where to park?
Facilities as seen in March 2022.
Gwaun Hepste Car Park — £4 by cash or card, with lots of friendly wardens offering to sell you a map for £1. Lots of portal loo toilets and a coffee van in was there on this Sunday. This is one of the larger parking lots which did get busy even in the first weekend of March, it offers the longest walk and on the way back you need to walk up the wide, steep, well gravelled path.
Cwn Porth aka ‘Car Park 2’ — a little shorter walk within the valley (but you still will encounter steep sections on the trail. It may be possible to try your luck with parking on the side of the road around this area. It accepts tickets from the other car park. Showers and cinder-block toilet, picnicking tables (showers looked nicer than the questionable toilets).
Reason to stop at Cwn Porth aka ‘Car Park 2’: Take the 2–5 min walk to see the little known Porth yr Ogof Cave which is said to have the widest mouth of any cave in Wales — make of that what you will. It is a nice bonus to add verity to your sight seeing.
For someone who does not have much knowledge of geology it is fascinating to see River Hepste and Afon Hepste flowing opposite directions.
WALK 2
Dinas Rock/Sychryd Trail
To see Sgwd Yr Eira Waterfal from the other side, you can start from Dinas Car Park (spacious and apparently free(!) of charge, closing at 5pm, see more reviews under simply ‘Dinas Rock’). Before or after following Afon Hepste you could make a detour to see Sychryd Waterfall on Pwll y Berw.
As you are heading up Afon Hepste you will pass ‘Pontneddfechan’ the former gunpowder works and some maps show another waterfall near 3/4 of the way to Sgwd Yr Eira.
The tourism body provides some audio but some links do not work, and those which do provide zip files, so I have made a copy to make it accessible on the trail:
Sgwd yr Eira audio trail (from Dinas rock carpark)
Generation after generation have sought their fortunes here. Listen here.Gunpowder Trail / AudioTrail
This audio trail, produced by Natural Resources Wales, reveals what life was like working at the Gunpowder Works. Listen here.
If you are in the mood to walk, continue to Moel Penderyn for great reviews (for a hill top), some mention a Roman Road in this area.
WALK 3
Waterfall Country
This walk starts, just down the road from Dinas Car Park, it starts (and ends!) behind Angel Pub in Pontneddfechan village. (Sunday Meal: when we were there, they had two Sunday sittings at 12 and 2pm, which booked up quickly).
Before you head off to the Eldir Trail. Make a detour to walk up Afon Pyrddin to have a look at Sgwd Gwladus, continuing further to have a look at the less known Einion Gam Waterfall.
This walk is very well sign posted for Audio Trails, however many links on the website are becoming broken. On the day, I wasn’t able to access them because on the official site they are only available in .zip format. The links on the official site are already broken for ‘Fossil and Firebricks’ and ‘Walking with Romans’, so just in case… I have saved a backup, 1–10 stream-able links are bellow.
Goblin Gwladus audio trail reveals the geological and industrial heritage found between Pontneddfechan and the waterfall known as Sgwd Gwladus. It contains interviews with a number of experts who have worked in and studied this area for years in a way that appeals to 7–11 year olds — and those that like a good old story! 01 Waterfall Centre, 02 Farewell Rock, 03 Fossils, 04 Tramway, 05 Corn Mill, 06 Silica Mine, 07 Alder Woodland, 08 River Confluence, 09 Sgwd Gwladus, 10 Trail Level Mine.
MORE?
In the process of writing this article, I’ve found a few resources:
- Lou’s has few more ideas on Wondering Welsh Girl
- Brecon Beacons Park Society recommendations for Self Guided walks, and their old newsletter has more descriptions.
- National Parks offer a list of accessible walks if that is what you need.
