Wales

Dan yr Ogof Showcaves Waterfalls, Wales

/ waterfallrecord / Leave a comment

If you like caves, Dan yr Ogof National Showcaves Center for Wales is the place to be. It’s a really cool visit with caves, waterfalls, and other fun things to observe. There are three named caves, and the Dan yr Ogof Cave has waterfalls inside the cave.

A waterfall in the Dan yr Ogof cave in June 2018

The caves are lit partially so the falls take on the lighting of the caves. It makes for both a beautiful view, but it can also be difficult to photograph the falls. I took some pictures with my Nikon DSLR camera and also some with my Pixel smartphone, which consistently takes good photographs. There isn’t really a whole lot more to say except enjoy the caves and waterfalls!

Directions:

  1. The caves are northeast of Swansea by about 20 miles.
  2. Essentially, you will stay on road A4067 for nearly all of the way. We didn’t stay in Swansea, but instead in Neath, so if you are starting somewhere else, plan accordingly.
  3. We did park somewhat distant from the entrance. It wasn’t a difficult walk to get to the entrance and I believe they had assistance for people that needed it.
  4. There is an entrance fee to get into the Showcaves and other attractions.

Accessibility: 8/10 (easy/moderate)
Height: 50′
Length of Hike: 0.5 miles round-trip

Other waterfalls in the cave

Where in the World are the Dan yr Ogof Showcave Waterfalls?

Advertisement

Aberdulais Falls, Wales

/ waterfallrecord / Leave a comment
Aberdulais Falls in May 2018

My husband and I visited a number of waterfalls when we visited Wales in May 2018. Some of the falls we found on a strenuous 8 mile hike. Others, like Aberdulais Falls, were rather easy to visit. I think we did pass the parking lot and realized that we needed to turn around.

We stayed in Neath as there were waterfalls nearby and Brecon Beacons National Park isn’t terribly far away. Aberdulais Falls is the closest waterfall to Neath that we visited. Once you find the parking area, there is an entrance fee to enter the park. It is part of the National Trust and there is a nice café and gift shop. There is also a lot of history at Aberdulais Falls, as I believe the waterfall was used as a source of hydroelectric power/milling.

As of writing this, Aberdulais Falls National Trust is temporarily closed. When I head to their website, it mentions being closed for essential maintenance. A reopening date isn’t listed, so keep checking the website and google if you’re interested in visiting.

Directions:

  1. From Swansea or Neath, hop on the A465 heading northeast.
  2. Take the A4109 exit toward Seven Sisters/Blaendulais/Tonna.
  3. At the roundabout, take the third exit onto Main Road/A4109. Aberdulais Falls is on the left.

Accessibility: 10/10 (easy)
Height: 13′
Length of Hike: roadside

A wider view of Aberdulais Falls

Where in the World is Aberdulais Falls?

Rhaeadr Dyserth (Dyserth Waterfall), Wales

/ waterfallrecord / Leave a comment

DSC_0638

Rhaeadr Dyserth in June 2018

Many of the waterfalls I visited in Wales required some hiking. Rhaeadr Dyserth was one of the few waterfalls that didn’t require any hiking (beyond getting closer to the falls). So while it’s in a cute little city and does require a bit of driving out of the way to see the falls, it’s worth it for the quick viewing opportunities (though the hikes in Wales were stunning).

Getting to the falls isn’t particularly difficult, though it is very easy to miss the parking area for the falls (and the parking area is rather small), though it isn’t wildly difficult to track backwards. From there, you can see the falls, but you can also walk a little bit closer to get a much better view. I believe there was a request for payment to enter the park, though I don’t remember how much. The paved path to the falls is beautiful, though there were a lot of little bugs flying around! It’s a quick stop to photograph the falls. While you’re there, check out the walls…no one is really sure where the walls are from.

Directions:

  1. Head toward Dyserth, Wales.
  2. From A5151 (High Street in the town), turn right onto B5119 (Waterfall Road).
  3. The falls will be on your right, with the parking area to the north of the falls.

Accessibility: 10/10 (easy)
Height: 69′
Length of Hike: negligible

Where in the World is Rhaeadr Dyserth?

Sgwd Clun Gwyn (Fall of the White Meadow), Wales

/ waterfallrecord / Leave a comment

I just got back from a twelve day trip to England and Wales. While there, I visited a number of waterfalls in Wales. While some of the waterfalls were relatively easy to visit, the waterfalls here were a bit more of an adventure, so I’m going to write about them before I forget anything!

Sgwd Clun Gwyn, Fall of the White Meadow, is the first of four waterfalls you’ll encounter along the Four Falls Trail in Brecon Beacons National Park. If this were the only waterfall in the area, it wouldn’t be nearly adventurous, beside the drive there. (The road to and from the falls is barely even wide enough for one car, as are most of the rural roads in the UK, it seems.) The other falls require more effort, though it is worth it if you’re prepared. I wasn’t as prepared as I should be, thinking it wasn’t nearly as long of a hike to all four falls.

It’s just under a mile from the car park to Sgwd Clun Gwyn, and it’s mostly easy going on the way to this waterfall. There are two options for seeing the waterfall. The better option for viewing the falls is to veer right at the fork, cross the bridge over the small stream, and walk a short distance to view the falls (which will be to your left). There is a trail on the other side that leads to the base of the falls, but currently there’s a large tree hanging right in front of the falls, making photography difficult.

To see the other falls, you’ll veer left at the fork I mentioned, and continue on your way. It does get a bit more uphill/downhill along the way, though that’s not really the difficult part. It’s the “spur” trails that lead to these falls that are more strenuous as they require a lot of uphill/downhill climbing. I’ll post more about those later. It’s about 5.5 miles round-trip to see all four falls, and it took us a bit over 3.5 hours.

Directions:

  1. Main route A465 will likely be your starting point. Take the exit to Glynneath, which will put you on A4109.
  2. From A4109, you’ll very quickly after turn right onto B4242, and then left onto Pontneathvaughan Road. You’ll continue on this road for about 5 miles.
  3. Google Maps tried to direct us down a very narrow country road (which didn’t have any signage for the falls). I continued until I saw the actual sign for the waterfalls trail, and turned right. It was still a very narrow road but it led us directly to the

    Cwm Porth Car Park. (You can also start at the Gwaun Hepste Car Park, though it does lead you down some different trails.)

  4. There is a £4 fee to park, and then you can start the hike to the falls.

Accessibility: 8/10 (to this waterfall), 3/10 (for whole set)
Height: 40′
Length of Hike: 2 miles round-trip to this waterfall, 5.5 miles for the whole set

DSC_0380

Sgwd Clun Gwyn in June 2018

Where in the World is Sgwd Clun Gwyn (Fall of the White Meadow)?