Friday Walk - Llangynidr to Bwlch or Circular [Crickhowell Trip]

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, 18.33 and 20.43 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 19^th 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