Waterfall Country — the wooded gorges where the Mellte and Hepste rivers tumble off the Beacons — packs more waterfalls into a few square miles than anywhere else in Wales, and this is its greatest hits tour.
The circular trail visits four named falls: Sgwd Clun-Gwyn (“fall of the white meadow”), Sgwd Isaf Clun-Gwyn, Sgwd y Pannwr, and the showstopper, Sgwd yr Eira — the “fall of snow” — where the path leads directly behind the curtain of water.
It’s a proper half-day out: allow three to four hours, wear boots you don’t mind muddying, and expect happy spray on your face at the finale.
“We did a tour of the “four falls”, a 30-minute drive away — well worth a visit.”
Worth knowing
- The ledge behind Sgwd yr Eira was historically used by farmers to drive sheep across the river — it’s often called the only waterfall in Wales with a public footpath behind it.
- “Mellte” means lightning — a nod to how fast the river rises and falls after rain.
- At Cwm Porth car park the river vanishes into Porth yr Ogof, the largest cave entrance in Wales — around 20 metres wide. Peer in from the outside; entering is for equipped cavers only.
- Around 170 steep steps drop down to Sgwd yr Eira — what goes down must climb back up.