South Wales

River Tawe


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The River Tawe runs from the heart of the Brecon Beacons down to near Swansea, but the area here is just north of Ystradgynlais. If you take the A4067, north out of Ystradgynlais, after around 6 miles you need to take the minor road to the left signposted to Trecastle. Then you’ll need to drive about 2 miles until the road runs right alongside the river, where there are a few small parking areas off the single track road.
Unlike most waterfalls in South Wales, this series of cascades on the River Tawe are out in open country, rather than in the wooded valleys. This makes them worth a visit at sunset, although the ridge of Fan Hir to the west means that the sun disappears well before sunset. So, you’ll have to hope for a colourful sky, and use a strong ND grad to balance the brightness difference between the land and sky.
There are several small and medium sized waterfalls along this stretch of river. They can’t match the size and majesty of many waterfalls in this region, but they are a still worth a visit in the right weather and lighting conditions.
You can also see some time lapse footage from this stretch of the River Tawe here

River Tawe, South Wales, sunset
River Tawe, South Wales, sunset