a Black Mountain landscape shaped by rock
a walk in the Geopark’s southern fringe from Garnant in the Amman valley
Summary
The walk starts at the car park in Garnant (OS grid ref SN 686134) off the cul-de-sac Upper Station Road opposite the new school, Ysgol y Bedol. It is about 8km / 5 miles long, climbs 230m / 750ft in total and should take between 2 and 3 hours. It explores the slopes of Drysgol, the hill rising to the north of Garnant and in particular, Cwm Pedol to its east and Cwm Berach to its west where the rocky foundations of the area are exposed at the surface.
There are several stiles and gates on the route. Some paths are hard-surfaced though others are quite rough and can be wet and slippery at times. Please be aware that route-finding in Cwm Pedol can be tricky. The walk can also be reached on foot from the Black Mountain Centre by following quiet roads and paths or the Aman Valley cycleway (NCN 437) along the former railway from Brynaman to Garnant.
Walk description
Navigational text is plain. Interpretive text in italics.
1. Turn left out of Upper Station Road along Folland Road, before turning right up Hendre Road, joining the bridleway and continuing to Llandeilo Road.
2. Cross the road and follow the farm track for 1km (just over 1/2 mile) before turning left at Cwm Pedol-isaf to reach the open moor. Ascend rightwards for 90m then turn right, descending the track into Cwm Pedol. Fork left after 125m along the slope, keeping left at the next fork as you enter open woodland and continue to a stile. The steep slopes forming Craig Fawr above you are the backscar of a landslip which occurred some time after the last Ice Age i.e. the last 15,000 years. The woods have grown across the tumbled mass of rock and earth which slipped down into Cwm Pedol. The higher slopes are formed in the Farewell Rock, a sandstone which extends to the summit of Drysgol. Continue to a gate beyond a small stream. Higher up the valley the waters of the Nant Pedol can be seen tumbling down from the Twrch Sandstone upper slopes of Tair Carn Uchaf. Pass through and walk with the fence at your left, pass a ruin and cross a stile back onto the open hill.
3. Turn left and follow a track gently up the steep slope of Graig Fawr. Stop at the brow to admire the views across Cwm Pedol to Foel Deg-arbedol and, if it’s clear, to the rugged limestone ridge of Cribarth in the distance to its right. To the south, beyond the Amman valley are the Pennant Sandstone hills of the South Wales coalfield. Follow the path as it crosses the broad southern slopes of Drysgol, passing below a ruin with trees alongside. These southern slopes of the Black Mountain are littered with the remains of former dwellings, dating from the Bronze Age through to mediaeval times and later. Continue along the moorland path with a wall away to your left for about 1km (just over 1/2 mile) before following the path down into Cwm Berach. At this point the descending path is more or less following the line of the Ty Llwyd fault along which the rocks have been displaced downwards to the west. Though it’s no longer active, movement on the fault would have generated earthquakes. At the stream, take a minute to look at the rock exposed in the steep valley sides – this the Bishopston Mudstone which you can see crumbling away. The Rhasfach coal seam which occurs in the mudstones of the Lower Coal Measures was mined downstream from this spot.
4. Cross the Nant Berach at a wooden footbridge and climb past Blaen Berach before rejoining Llandeilo Road. Turn left and follow it downhill for 1km ( just over 1/2 mile).
5. Turn right over a stile and follow a path through woodland. Long ago this was a road connecting the Aman valley with Llandeilo. It can be quite wet in parts today! Cross a stream and then ascend to Hen Bethel Chapel before continuing onto Heol Felen / Felen Road. Originally a branch of Cwmllynfell Chapel, this chapel is the oldest in the valley, dating back to 1773. Turn right and follow Heol Felen down to Folland Road, before turning left back to the car park.