Not every waterfall walk needs to be a five-mile expedition. The Elidir Trail starts behind the Angel Inn at Pontneddfechan and follows the wooded river upstream to Sgwd Gwladys — the Lady Falls — a graceful curtain of water in a mossy amphitheatre.
It’s about an hour and a half there and back on a mostly level, well-made path, which makes it the perfect first waterfall of the weekend, the rainy-morning option, or the gentle recovery day after Pen y Fan.
When the river is low you can pick your way to the ledge behind the falls. And because the trailhead is a pub doorstep, the walk ends the way all good Welsh walks should.
Worth knowing
- Sgwd Gwladys is often called the most graceful of Waterfall Country’s falls — and the easiest to reach.
- The riverside path is mostly level and well-surfaced as far as the falls viewpoint.
- The Angel Inn at the trailhead is a historic walkers’ pub known for generous Sunday roasts.
- Extend upstream to Sgwd y Bedol and Sgwd Ddwli if you want more — the gorge keeps going.