Abercrave to Cwmgiedd Walk Page 1 Starting from The Abercrave Inn. Grid Ref: SN 824128 From the Abercrave Inn, an 11.3km (7 miles) walk to the foothills of the Cribarth Mountain, then through forest to the village of Cwmgiedd, returning along bridleways and by the side of a river. Map 1 of 2 This mapping data licensed from Ordnance Survey* Crown copyright. All rights reserved, license No 100043267
Abercrave to Cwmgiedd Walk Page 2 Starting from The Abercrave Inn. Grid Ref: SN 824128 Map 2 of 2 This mapping data licensed from Ordnance Survey* Crown copyright. All rights reserved, license No 100043267
Abercrave to Cwmgiedd Walk Page 3 Starting from The Abercrave Inn. Grid Ref: SN 824128 A walk to the foothills of the Cribarth Mountain, then through forest to the village of Cwmgiedd, returning along bridleways and by the side of a river. Note: Walking boots and waterproofs are recommended for this walk and a compass, and the ability to use it, is necessary for a short section. From entrance to the Abercrave Inn, turn right and head North, passing through a white metal kissing gate, by the side of a metal farm gate. Ascend a fairly steep bank and pass beside a wire fenced enclosure on your right. Bear right, around the enclosure and cross a stream by a wooden footbridge. The obvious path now ascends some rough stone steps and then a steep grassy slope. Keep heading North up an even steeper path beside some trees and locate a waymarker located at the top of this rise. Bear right here and follow the path up hill and find another waymarker which will point right again. (The path and the waymarkers can be difficult to find in the summer when the bracken is high) Follow this path, keeping Garwleisiau farm on your left to arrive at a high wire fence around an underground reservoir. Start of Walk Turn left along the fence to find a stile at the end. Cross the stile and proceed in a Northeasterly direction, hand-railing a wire fence on your left, to locate a finger post with many waymarkers. Bear left here and head North west ascending an obvious path which then becomes a disused tramway. 300 metres later, the tramway divides. Take the right hand fork and ascend steeply and locate a short waymarker post. Bear left here and follow the path, past a large boulder (with fine views down the Swansea Valley) and contour around the hillside until a wall and a fence come in to view, running across and downhill from right to left. The path leads to a stile, immediately before which is the site of Pant-y-Ffyrch, an old drover's inn, which had a chequered history and was the scene of an unsolved murder. The shapes of the rooms, and the yard where the animals were kept, can still be identified. When the quarries and tramways were operating this was a busy place.
Abercrave to Cwmgiedd Walk Page 4 Go over the style and head 100 metres in a Northerly direction, up the hill towards a conical pile of stones. You are now walking on "Open Hill" which has common grazing rights and de-facto access. Cross a grassy tramway and, keeping the pile of stones to your right, head Northwest (bearing 308 degrees from the pile of stones*) over the hill for 300 metres.. *You need at least a simple compass to check your bearing. At the top of the hill the Giedd Forest becomes visible to the Northwest. The forest lies beyond a number of obvious ground disturbances. These were silica sand quarries, and some have dangerously steep slopes, so skirt North, keeping them to your left, before resuming a West to NorthWest Heading and going down-hill to the stream, which can be seen cutting a valley through the moor-land. This is Nant Ceiliog. The gate and stile into the forest can be seen to the West at a corner of the forest boundary, behind a stone wall. At Nant Ceiliog follow it downstream to where it begins to bend left, as it approaches the forest. In all but the wettest weather, it is possible to step across here as it passes between two rocky ledges. Beware! limestone can be very slippery. If the stream is too high, go back upstream, until you can cross more easily. Go through the hunting gate next to a stile into the forest plantation and follow the grassy track, which crosses two small streams and can be muddy in places. You are now walking on a permitted path which continues through the forest for four kilometres.
Abercrave to Cwmgiedd Walk Page 4 Go over the style and head 100 metres in a Northerly direction, up the hill towards a conical pile of stones. You are now walking on "Open Hill" which has common grazing rights and de-facto access. Cross a grassy tramway and, keeping the pile of stones to your right, head Northwest (bearing 308 degrees from the pile of stones*) over the hill for 300 metres.. *You need at least a simple compass to check your bearing. At the top of the hill the Giedd Forest becomes visible to the Northwest. The forest lies beyond a number of obvious ground disturbances. These were silica sand quarries, and some have dangerously steep slopes, so skirt North, keeping them to your left, before resuming a West to NorthWest Heading and going down-hill to the stream, which can be seen cutting a valley through the moor-land. This is Nant Ceiliog. The gate and stile into the forest can be seen to the West at a corner of the forest boundary, behind a stone wall. At Nant Ceiliog follow it downstream to where it begins to bend left, as it approaches the forest. In all but the wettest weather, it is possible to step across here as it passes between two rocky ledges. Beware! limestone can be very slippery. If the stream is too high, go back upstream, until you can cross more easily. Go through the hunting gate next to a stile into the forest plantation and follow the grassy track, which crosses two small streams and can be muddy in places. You are now walking on a permitted path which continues through the forest for four kilometres.
Abercrave to Cwmgiedd Page 5 Follow the bridleway through what is initially conifer forest. On meeting a track from the right carry straight on, keeping the river on your left. The forest now becomes deciduous. Just before Nant Lar joins Nant Ceiliog from the right, to form Nant Cyw, the ruins of Blaen-y-Cwm appear beside the stream. After a further 150 metres a wide forest track winds down from the right. Keep left here, along the river, which soon passes under the track and continues to run along on the right, through what soon becomes a deep ravine. The River Giedd joins from the right and a picnic area can be seen in the field below. Pass through the metal forestry gate, keeping the River Giedd to the right, next to which some cottages soon appear. This is Cwmgiedd. The track now becomes a metalled road. Continue past the footbridge with a footpath sign, which appears on the right, and carry on along the metalled road. When the first row of houses appears on the left (Dreflan), turn up the asphalt farm track immediately before the first house. This track has grass growing up the middle. At the top of the rise, ignore the path which joins from the right and follow the farm track left into Llyn Bedw Farm. Just before the stone barn which lies ahead turn right, through a gate which has a blue waymarker. Continue East on an asphalted farm road for around 600 metres and on approaching some woodland bear left to a gate beside a short length of stone wall. Follow the blue waymarker through the gate and along a stony track, keeping the wall to the left and pausing at the next blue waymarker, which is on a post to your right.. The track you now need to take is not apparent from this point, but continue ahead and slightly right, leaving and ignoring the more obvious tracks and heading into the woodland. After a few yards pick out a narrow track leading ahead, and follow this through the woods. More blue waymarkers will soon be encountered. Follow this waymarked path through the woodland, and then along the side of the wood, until a wire fence runs across it. Turn left here to a wooden gate at the top left of the field boundary and continue through this along a wet sunken lane, heading East. At a single strand wire fence bear right, keeping the fence to the left and cross a stony track. Continue North East with the wire fence on the left and eventually bear right to another wooden gate.
Abercrave to Cwmgiedd Walk Page 6 Through the gate the narrow path descends to a footbridge with white metal railings and comes out on to an asphalt track beside a house. This is Caerlan. Go straight ahead down the slope and turn left at the metalled road, following it through Caerlan Village to the main A 4067 Swansea/Brecon road. Turn left here and follow the asphalted pavement to Abercrave, passing Long's Coaches and the Rheolau Arms. These stand on the site of the old canal basin, where minerals brought down the tramways from Cribarth were loaded into barges, and where Abercrave Ironworks and the Northern Terminal of the Swansea Valley Canal were located. At a concrete bus shelter at the Southern end of Abercrave, continue walking East for 100 metres towards a road junction with the A4067. Bear half right here and walk across the grass to connect with an asphalt path that goes towards the main road. 5 metres before the road bear left down a narrower path that runs parallel with the road. Further along this path, pass through a white metal kissing gate (by the side of a farm gate) and continue walking alongside the river Tawe where there are spectacular views of the river gorge. (This path can be muddy in Winter). Past some seats on your left you will come to Abercrave Weir, which was used as a source of water for the now defunct Swansea Canal. At the Weir, ascend some stone steps on your left, and continue alongside a wire fence which forms the boundary of a childrens' play area. (Notice a gap in the fence which gives access to the field, that you may need later) Now cross two wooden footbridges as the path continues Northeast and walk between a wire fence and the river Tawe until the fence veers off to the left. Turn left here and walk across the field to locate an opening with a footpath ascending to a small stile by a wooden gate. (This area can be very muddy in Winter) Cross the stile and turn right at the road to make the short journey back to the Abercrave Inn. If the last field is waterlogged or too muddy, retrace your steps back alongside the river to find the gap in the fence by the childrens' play area. Cross this field and head West to find a blue kissing gate which is left of a more obvious blue farm gate. Pass through this and ascend a tarmac drive, past some garages and you will arrive at the main road through Abercrave. Turn right at the road and walk the 500 metres back to the Abercrave Inn. Abercrave Inn