Welsh Woodland Wanderings

A long lingering late summer break at Llandovery in the Brecons spent in a  glamping pod, a sort of hobbit abode with full mod cons and a balcony by the river.

Llandovery is a quiet, pretty market town nestling in the Black Mountain area of Wales. The Black Mountain has recently been named as part of the Fforest Fawr Geopark, (literally, large forest) which is itself the only site in Wales to be listed among the most exceptional geological sites in Europe.

A Drovers centre, they were key figures in rural Wales before the railways offered a new method of transporting animals, in Llandovery they are honoured with a splendid sculpture, a guest house aptly named The Drovers/Y Porthmyn and a roadside Drover’s Diner.

Llandovery Castle dominates the town centre and aside, on a partnering hill, is a giant steel statue of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd Fychan. Llywelyn ap Gruffydd Fychan was known to support Owain Glyndŵr The people’s choice as Prince of Wales.

Our first outing was to Crychan Forest Trails starting at the Halfway Wood end. The Forest is situated at the gateway of the Cambrian mountains, on the border of the Brecon Beacons National Park. There are miles of waymarked trails that take you through grassy gorges along old drover’s routes and past cascading waterfalls. Some of the views of the surrounding mountains of Mid Wales are breathtaking.

Crychan Forest was originally part of the Glanbran estate, which at one time reached from just outside Carmarthen to Builth Wells and was owned by the wealthy Gwyn family. Trees within the forest include native oak, ash, beech and hazel of the original ancient forest and imported conifers.

Lots of beautiful hidden places to take a rest.

The evenings produced some beautiful sunsets

The following day was someone specials birthday :)

The birthday outing included a trip north of Cilycwm to the cwm Rhaeadr Forest. Approached from a small car park. Cwm Rhaeadr, which means “valley of the waterfall” in Welsh, is a remote woodland area situated in the upper Tywi valley in Carmarthenshire. There are glimpses over the unnamed main waterfall, where the Nant y Rhaeadr flows over the Craig y Rhaeadr crag into the Cwm Rhaeadr valley. The area is also popular with mountain bikers.

The base of the main fall provides an ideal opportunity to cool off the feet and take in these magnificent surroundings.

It was then back to the abode for a well earned rest before the birthday meal at the Kings Head.