The A4069 from Brynamman to Llangadog climbs to nearly 1,600 feet over the open shoulder of the Black Mountain — a swooping sequence of hairpins, moorland straights and quarry scenery that Top Gear made famous and driving lists have loved ever since.
From The Old Exchange you can be at the southern end in about twenty minutes, drive the pass with a stop at the summit viewpoints, and drop into Llandeilo for coffee among its colourful Georgian streets — one of the best small shopping towns in Wales.
Cyclists know this road too: it’s #95 in the “100 Greatest Cycling Climbs” and a regular feature of the Dragon Ride. Go early on a weekday and you’ll have the mountain nearly to yourself.
Worth knowing
- Made famous by Top Gear in 2011 — regularly listed among the UK’s best driving roads.
- Average-speed cameras operate on the pass — the views reward a gentle pace anyway.
- Sheep have right of way, always.
- Combine with Carreg Cennen Castle and Llandeilo for the classic western loop.