Length: 21.9 km (13.6 mi) [longer or shorter walk
possible, see below]
Ascent/Descent: 781/685m
Net Walking Time: 6 ½ hours
Rating: 7 out of 10
Take the 10.11 Bus Line 43 from Crickhowell Square to
Brecon (calls Llangattock Plas Derwen at 10.15), arrives Llangynidr
Village Hall at 10.26.
Return: 17.49 from Llangynidr Village Hall (Line
43) on the shorter ending and 16.30, 18.43 and 20.33 from Bwlch,
All Saints (Line X43) on the full walk.
This walk leads from Llangynidr village up along a
tight valley, the Cwm Cleisfer, and onto the open limestone uplands of Mynydd
Llangynidr, initially along a lane then through pastures, in the latter stages
with some difficult-to-find-and-negotiate paths near the transition to the open
moorland. Mynydd Llangynidr is a basically treeless undulating mountain of open
limestone uplands with numerous depressions, shake holes and pits, as well as
many ancient cairns (burial mounds) dotted across the moorland. You climb to
the source of the Cleisfer, a perfect picnic spot, and then across the scarred
landscape (map and compass come in handy) to the Chartist Cave, arguably one of
Wales' most important historic monuments. The Chartists were a 19th
century working-class movement for political reform and this cave is where the
local group met and stored weapons before the Newport Rising of 1839.
You cross the top of the moorland hill and descend to a remote road by an active limestone quarry and pick up a former tramway for transporting goods to the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal to skirt around the rim of the picturesque wooded Crawnon Valley. A stretch along a ridge high above the Talybont Reservoir is followed by a descent through lush pastures back to Llangynidr. To complete the walk, cross the Usk River and ascend to Bwlch on the other side for a return bus.
Walk Options:
A Variation on the Cwm Cleisfer route circumvents an often-overgrown stretch with difficult route finding.
An Extension near the end over the Tor y Foel hill adds 250m and 113m
ascent.
A Variation of the route near the end through Llangynidr leads along the
rivers Crawnon and Usk to Llangynidr Bridge rather than along the canal. This
is flood-prone when The Usk is in spate and has some steep and rocky bits.
A finish at the start point in Llangynidr is described but note that
there is only one bus late afternoon through the village.
Lunch: Picnic.
Tea:
The Coach
& Horses Inn; open all day, located 3.1 km from the end of the walk;
The Walnut Tree Café; open to 16.00,
located 2.2 km from the end of the walk;
The Red Lion;
open all day, located near the start of the walk, i.e. at the other end of the
village from the end of the walk route;
The New Inn;
open from 17.00, located right at the end of the walk.
For summary, walk directions, map, height profile, photos and gpx/kml files click here.
#2026-09-25T10:11 t=swc.332
1 comment:
7 at last night's group dinner, with 1 other excusing herself, and a n=9 th walker also in town unbeknownst.
7 of those took the posted bus, while 2 car drivers awaited us in Llangynidr.
After a cheery welcome by a local dog walker who was expousing the virtues of the village, we started our route up along the valley road. We then split 4 vs 5 to do the difficult and the easier route through the lower parts of the common.
Elevenses as per usual at the source of the stream by the hawthorn tree on the rocky outcrop and on to the Chartist's Cave, where 1 crawled into the cave and explored 2 or 3 of the chambers.
We waited on the brow to check him reappearing before moving on, and on the descent passed the first of only 4 walkers we encountered all day.
Another stop was scheduled for the head of the valley with magnificent views, but that path is now permanently blocked due to rockfall and we had to divert through the hanging wood (tough due to being steeply down and steeply back up, but very atmospheric: think mossy old trees).
So, lunch was held further along, still with views though. Later, 5 went up and over Tor y Foel, while 4 followed the main route.
The car drivers were amongst the up and over group and they convinced 2 others to finish in Llangynidr.
We reached the New Inn at 17.30 to find 2 of the car drivers/passengers there and the only extension plus full walk walker joined us as well a little later.
Fully booked for dinner they were, so we only had drinks before the car or bus (18.43) back.
Great day out.
W=thin-cloud-cover-rarely-breaking
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