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GRADIENT PROFILE

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POWYS

CRAIG-Y-NOS COUNTRY PARK

POWYS

CRAIG CERRIG-GLEISIAD

uDistance: 4¾ miles/7.6km uTime: 2 hours uGrade: Easy uDistance: 5 miles/8km uTime: 3 hours uGrade: Moderate

WALES

CHOSEN BY…

MATTHEW PIKE

The isolated Welsh

hills may seem an

unlikely place for a 19th-

century international music

star to set up residence. But

that’s exactly what soprano

Adelina Patti did. Patti was the

most famous opera of her time

and chose to buy Craig-y-nos

Castle in what is now Brecon

Beacons National Park. This

short walk begins in the

adjoining Craig-y-nos Country

Park (once Patti’s garden).

Then a short, sharp ascent

brings you somewhat

unexpectedly to a wild, coarse

limestone landscape, popular

for caving. There’s a wealth of

mining history here as you

pass old quarries and lime

kilns, while the deepest

caving system in the UK

is beneath your feet.

Start

From lower end of car

park (walking directly away

from main entrance), continue

over footbridge, turn L and

follow river. Just before next

footbridge, turn R up hill to

gate. Turn L and continue

along track until farm.

¾ mile/1.4km

Pass farmhouse and turn

R after first small white barn,

over stile, then diagonally R

uphill over two more stiles.

Head between two outcrops

along grass path to stile in

corner. Continue as path

winds to gate at lane.

CHOSEN BY…

MATTHEW PIKE

While most who

park in Storey Arms

car park head up the high

peaks of Pen y Fan and

Corn Du, this walk is far

less fashionable but no less

fascinating. The cirque at Craig

Cerrig-gleisiad is spectacular

with a 180m cliff face and

vertical forest on the southern

side. The hill once had vertical

cliffs to the west too, some of

which have now tumbled into

the hollow, creating lumpy

mounds at the base. It’s a

unique environment where

you might spot ringed ouzels,

peregrines and alpine plants.

The climb affords fine views

of the loftier summits

in Brecon Beacons National

Park before a long gentle

descent back to base.

Start

From car park cross road,

turn left, head gradually

downhill along Taff Trail for

2km then, just before second

stone bridge, turn L following

permissive path (pointing

towards youth hostel), over

stile, down to stream and over

footbridge. Continue straight

up other side to left of bronze

age burial mound, passing

two lone trees to stile at top.

1⅔ miles/2.7km

Cross road, turn R, walk

into layby then take path on

opposite side of stream L

through kissing gate. Head

through another gate, then

➥

1½ miles/2.3km

Turn L, follow lane over old

railway line, then take wide

track veering R past old quarry

to car park. Continue to R of

car park and along track. Just

before building, turn L along

Beacons Way. This joins very

continue to R of stream. Head

up and over moraine, sticking

to main grass path, into the

cirque proper. This eventually

leads just to R of scree on

hillside with clear green path

leading up hill.

PHOTO: TOM BAILEY

ROUTE

Start/parking Craig-y-nos

Country Park car park,

grid ref SN840155

Is it for me? Mostly grass

trails and tracks with one

short sharp ascent

Stiles 6

PLANNING

Nearest town

Ystradgynlais

Refreshments At start

Public toilets At start

Public transport Hourly T6

service from Swansea,

Neath, Ystradgynlais and

Brecon (0300 200 22 33)

Maps OS Explorer OL12;

Landranger 160

PLAN YOUR WALK

ROUTE

Start/parking Storey Arms

Centre car park (opposite

road from Storey Arms),

LD3 8NL, grid ref

SN982203

Is it for me? Rocky/uneven

in places, faint path at

times, steep-ish climb and

several stream crossings

Stiles 5

PLANNING

Nearest town Brecon

Refreshments None

Public toilets None

Public transport Regular

TrawsCymru T4 bus from

Brecon and Merthyr Tydfil

(0300 200 22 33)

Maps OS Explorer OL12;

Landranger 160

PLAN YOUR WALK

The ruggedly beautiful

Craig Cerrig-gleisiad.

Stunning, varied

Powys countryside.

SEE

FEATURE

ON PAGE 26

SEE

FEATURE

ON PAGE 26

✁

YOUR RATING

DATE WALKED TIME TAKEN

DATE WALKED TIME TAKEN YOUR RATING

2½ miles/4km

Follow path until cairn.

Turn L along lumpy ridge, then

turn L at gate, following fence.

Cross a stile, then continue

following fence to your L

(shielding you from the cliff

edge) to the top. Notice the

tension cracks to your right

as you ascend – don’t worry,

they’ve been there for many,

many years! The summit is

a few metres to R of fence.

3 miles/5.2km

Continue following

fenceline then, at second L

bend after summit (where

there’s a small cairn), continue

in same direction as before the

bend, leaving fence and

following faint path slightly

downhill (don’t follow fence

straight down hill). Several

paths eventually merge.

Continue along valley side

with steep drop L to A470

below. Clear path crosses

several streams on gradual

descent back to Storey

Arms car park.

obvious grass track (former

tramline) leading gradually

uphill between sinkholes

to wall.

2 miles/3.2km

Cross unusual step stile,

continue along tram trail until

superseded by much larger

one. Turn R here, following

track past South Wales Caving

Club headquarters on your R,

then pass old kilns on your R

and the limestone quarry on

your L, to concrete bridge.

2¾ miles/4.4km

Turn R over bridge,

immediately R again, staying

close to fence, then through

small wooden gate and

continue along old railway

line. Opposite climbing club

headquarters on R, turn L to

stile in fence, then follow grass

path to what used to be a pub.

3 miles/4.9km

Turn R through R of two

gates, follow track to lane, turn

L and follow for 400m. Then

just before L bend, take

obvious gate to track on R

(Beacons Way). Follow path

down hill to lane at bottom.

4 miles/6.2km

Turn L for quick look at

Black Spring (the bottom of

Britain’s longest cave) then

retrace steps and continue to

end of lane. Take L fork through

gate and follow track through

wood. At interpretation board,

turn L through gate down hill

to main surfaced track at river,

then turn L. Follow track then

turn R over footbridge back

to car park.

22 21

POWYS

CRAIG CERRIG-GLEISIAD

POWYS

CRAIG-Y-NOS COUNTRY PARK

uOS Explorer map OL12 uBuy maps at: ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop uOS Explorer map OL12 uBuy maps at: ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop

WALES

The chance to

stay in Adelina

Patti’s house,

Craig-y-nos Castle,

next door to the

country park.

DON’T MISS...

START

VIEW THE WALK ON

OS MAPS ONLINE:

lfto.com/cwroutes

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

OS MAPS

VIEW THE WALK ON

OS MAPS ONLINE:

lfto.com/cwroutes

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

OS MAPS

FEBRUARY 2018FEBRUARY 2018