Hafod Estate — Attraction in Pontarfynach

We called in to Hafod Estate, having first found it in the National Trust book. It was a stop on our holiday and somewhere to stretch our legs before lunch. We parked the car, donned walking boots and set off, along the Waterfall's Trail, passing by the church. We walked down quite a steep hill, and through woodland that had been felled. The estate is managed by Natural Resources Wales and is a working forest. We stopped off by the waterfall and came across what appeared to be a massive dinosaur footprint!! I think nature had been at work here, but it was fun standing in it. We walked along beside the river for a while, surrounded by trees, before arriving at a viewing point. Well, what was left of one!! As we sat on a bench, we could see as far as the bushes in front of us as everything had grown tall. We walked through a garden of interest, with a gate at either side and stone faces at the top. In the centre of the lawn, we could make out the Trinity, three circles similar to a shamrock. This was a place of calm, a place to lose yourself in your thoughts before venturing further. We crossed the road beside a bridge and followed the river to a bend. Here, we were able to step across the stones and sit in the middle of the river, water flowing past on either side. It was a wonderful feeling to be sat here, lost in time. We continued on our journey, eventually arriving at the stables. For a contribution, you could make yourself a drink, buy some post cards, and a book depicting the history behind the Johnes Family, his wife's love of gardening and the local mining activities. From here, we walked over the fields, past a holiday home, up a steep climb to the carpark, and lunch. Apart from a portaloo, there are no other facilities at the car park. Devil's Bridge is a short distance from here. With our lunch eaten, we set off to find our holiday cottage. Hafod seemed to offer lots of walking trails, with stunning views to be seen. Although the carpark seemed busy with walkers of all ages, we saw very few on our walk. For a place to chill, to find peace and calm with nature, I would recommend Hafod. Driving the mountain road from the Elan Valley would add...

This location is a HUGE forrest/ walking trail area...

Without doubt it really is a wonderful labyrinth of forest trails.. Some stunning scenery can be viewed as you walk around this vast area..

Waterfalls ( weather dependent in my opinion),are great to see as you follow shingle/ chippings pathways..

A number of bridges are around to walk over and view the Waterfalls aswell..

Different colour coded designated walks, moderate to intense capabilites..

So now to a point I must add in relation to capabilites..

Being slightly disabled myself, we went to the accessible parking area..

Honestly, it's NOT worth finding this area as its a small carpark that you need to drive along an uneven forest traik, more suited to 4x4's/ all terrain vehicles.. I eventually found it, and its isolated and well away from the main carpark area..and to be honest, it's almost an impossible task for disabled people to walk these trails. So i drove back to main public parking area...

Yes if someone is wheelchair bound and a relative or carer are physically strong to walk up and down these trails,then go for it..

People who need walking aids, you will absolutely struggle to climb these pathways..

Nothing is impossible in life, I get that.. But these forest trails are at times very very steep, twisted and uneven ...

So I'm just warning you about the difficulties you will face if disabled..

For those of you who are physically fit, or perhaps not so fit but enjoy a good walk.. Or the orienteers amongst you, will enjoy these challenging and amazing forest trails.

I see no reason why mountain bike enthusiasts won't enjoy this either..

My personal disability allows me to walk, and I found the experience very challenging...it needed me to take rests along the routes.

But I...

The Hafod Estate is a special place, which is a “must see“ for any nature or countryside lover, particularly one with an interest in history, who can do the graded walks, which take in the varied aspects of the grounds: mixed woodland, fields, tumbling water courses, the River Ystwyth, gardens and mansion ruins. My wife and I have been twice, this time in autumn, rewarded with seasonal colours.

The estate as we see it today, after considerable restoration, was largely developed in the late 18th and early 19th centuries as an example of picturesque landscape, by the owner Thomas Johnes.

Using Google Maps should bring you to the car park by Hafod Church - well worth a visit for itself - where a map of the estate and its walks should be available for purchase, but if not there’s an explanatory board. (To avoid disorientation, please note that the map is “upside down” - it runs south to north - and the church’s “east” window faces south west.) The colour coded routes are well signposted and paths are generally clear. Some routes can be mixed and matched and can involve steepish climbs.

Obviously, conditions underfoot will vary, but in all instances I’d recommend grippy walking shoes as a minimum. Waterproof footwear can be good too, as some areas...