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Bronwydd to Newchurch circular, Carmarthenshire

Difficulty Moderate

Walking time 5 hours 30 minutes

Length 15.7km / 9.8mi

Route developer: Dennis Hills

Route checker: Carolyn Hills

Start location Car park at Bronwydd Community Hall.
Route Summary A pleasant circular country ramble on footpaths, an old drovers' road, bridleways, and lanes through the green hills of Carmarthenshire with some historical points of interest. Part of the route is on footpaths alongside the lovely Gwili River.
*move mouse over graph to see points on route
Getting there

The village of Bronwydd is 3 miles north of Carmarthen on the B4301. Take the A484 from Carmarthen and turn right at the sign for the Gwili Railway.  Continue less than 1 mile and the free parking is on your left at the Bronwydd Community Hall.

Description

A few sections of this walk are by the side of roads, take care and stick to pavements / verges.

[1] Starting at the Community Hall in Bronwydd, use the footpath alongside the river to leave the car park and turn left at the road to cross the Gwili River bridge.  Turn right onto a lane passing the sheep wash on your right and walk for 250 feet then turn right over a stile.

(A) All that remains of the old sheep wash are some mangled iron panels.  Until the 1960’s sheep from the area were washed here to clean their fleeces before shearing.

Follow the riverbank through fields and woodland, crossing 4 stiles, to reach a stile onto a country road. Turn right on the road, cross the bridge and continue over the Gwili Railway tracks and walk uphill to reach the A484 and turn left.

(B) The Gwili railway was opened in 1860 and operated until 1973.  In 1978 volunteers reopened it as a tourist attraction. Plans are to extend it down river to Carmarthen.

[2] Within 100 yards cross over the A484 and  take a driveway on the right.  Follow it past the house Ffynnon Wiber on the right.

(C) Ffynnon Wiber, meaning Vipers Well is an old cottage with a healing well which people used to visit in the hope of curing their ailments.

Pass another house on the left to reach two field gates.  Use the stile by the right hand gate and follow along the hedge to another gate. Turn right after the gate onto an old drovers’ track.  Follow this track in a westerly direction for 0.6 miles, ignoring any turns.  The track changes to a green lane and eventually crosses a field to a double metal gate. Turn left and follow the farm driveway (ignoring a right turn to another farm) to meet a road by a bungalow.

[3] Turn right and follow the road, ignoring a lane to the left, until just after Clydfan and Cwm-castell farm. Turn left onto the driveway for Llecheigon and then immediately right onto a bridleway.  Proceed for 0.9 mileS on this bridleway up a secluded valley, crossing Nant Hir stream and continue northward to a road.  Turn left and walk through the hamlet of Newchurch.

(D) The information board opposite the church tells of the Rebecca Riots. Bands of men disguised as women protested the imposition of road tolls.

Continue on for about 50 yards, and then turn right onto a farm driveway just past Ger y Llan.

[4] Go up the driveway, cross the farmyard, go through a gate and after a short uphill climb turn right before the next field opening onto a track. Follow this track turning left by two gates, then later going through a gate and turning left, and further on through another gate onto a field.  Walk down the field with the hedge on your right to a gate.  Go through the gate, turn left to reach a lane and then turn left onto the lane.  Follow this lane for 0.3 miles, then turn right onto a footpath through an iron kissing gate.

Continue down this footpath alongside the stream to the site of the old reservoir of Nant Cwm-tawel.

(E) The Cwm Tawel Reservoir was constructed in 1900 at the cost of £20,330 to supply water to Carmarthen town. Springs above the dam were channelled down to brick chambers and then piped into the dam. The reservoir was abandoned and drained in 1970 when a more modern water works was opened at Capel Iwan.

Shortly before reaching the A484 turn sharply right up a waymarked track and right again onto a footpath.  You will climb steeply up through Allt Foel-fawr, crossing over three old logging roads, to reach a fence alongside a golf course.  Turn left and follow the path to a kissing gate.  Through the kissing gate, follow the way-marked route across the golf course to a car park.

[5] Turn left on the road and follow it for 0.3 miles, reaching a “No through” road near Ffoslyn. Turn left down this road and proceed for 0.6 miles passing Foel Fawr, Foel Fach, and Golygfa. Continue on the farm track passing a modern barn on the left until you reach two field gates. Use the right hand gate to continue into a field, bearing left onto a green lane part way down the field.  Follow this green lane and continue on it when it becomes a gravel track.  Upon reaching Cwmdwyfran, bear left to pass through a gate and turn right down the driveway.  Continue until you meet the A484 near the Old Smithy.

(F) The old smithy dates from the 16th century and closed in the 1950's. It was built by Iron entrepreneur Robert Morgan who lived at Cwmdwyfran farm above the village.

[6] Turn right on the A484 and walk along the pavement for 0.1 miles, then cross the A484 and use a stile on your left just before the “40” mph sign. Walk past the house and down a field to cross the Gwili railway line and meet the River Gwili.  Turn right and follow the footpath back to the car park.

POI information No details available.
Notes No details available.
Acknowledgements

Thanks to Alan Richards for his book "Great Walks in Carmarthenshire", published in 2009, which inspired us to make this walk one of our favourite local walks.

  • A train arriving at Bronwydd Arms station.
    A train arriving at Bronwydd Arms station.
    By - Photos by wheffles : on the map, in Google Earth (KML)
  • You may park at the Bronwydd Community Hall.
    You may park at the Bronwydd Community Hall.
    By - C. Hills
  • There is an interesting information panel about the area beside the car park.
    There is an interesting information panel about the area beside the car park.
    By - C. Hills
  • Walk past the remains of the old sheep wash by the Gwili River.
    Walk past the remains of the old sheep wash by the Gwili River.
    By - C. Hills
  • Take the stile leading off the road after the sheep wash.
    Take the stile leading off the road after the sheep wash.
    By - C. Hills
  • The old Drovers Road eventually crosses a field to a double metal gate onto a farm road.
    The old Drovers Road eventually crosses a field to a double metal gate onto a farm road.
    By - C. Hills
  • Turn off the road at Llecheigon and follow the bridleway sign.
    Turn off the road at Llecheigon and follow the bridleway sign.
    By - C. Hills
  • Be sure to read the information panel in Newchurch.
    Be sure to read the information panel in Newchurch.
    By - C. Hills
  • Before reaching the A484, turn right uphill on a gravel track.
    Before reaching the A484, turn right uphill on a gravel track.
    By - C. Hills
  • Follow the waymarked route across the fairways of Carmarthen Golf Course.
    Follow the waymarked route across the fairways of Carmarthen Golf Course.
    By - C. Hills
  • You will have good views (on a clear day) going downhill towards Cwmdwyfran.
    You will have good views (on a clear day) going downhill towards Cwmdwyfran.
    By - C. Hills
  • Go through a gate (or use the stone stile beside it) when you reach the attractive buildings at Cwmdwyfran.
    Go through a gate (or use the stone stile beside it) when you reach the attractive buildings at Cwmdwyfran.
    By - C. Hills
  • You will see the Old Smithy on your left as you reach the A484.
    You will see the Old Smithy on your left as you reach the A484.
    By - C. Hills
  • After crossing the A484 and the Gwili railway track, follow the lovely Gwili River back to the car park at the Village Hall. Watch for Dippers and Kingfishers on this stretch.
    After crossing the A484 and the Gwili railway track, follow the lovely Gwili River back to the car park at the Village Hall. Watch for Dippers and Kingfishers on this stretch.
    By - C. Hills
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