links Shrewsbury to Swansea, calling at Llandovery, Llandeilo, Ammanford and several other stops before terminating in Swansea.
The M4 motorway and the A48 dual carriageway run east to west through the county, while the A40 runs northeast to southwest, passing along the Tywi Valley and through Carmarthen and St Clears. There is also an extensive network of other A-roads and numerous minor roads throughout the county, with good access to all the major towns and villages. There is an excellent bus service, particularly between the main towns, and even many of the remote villages have a service, although these may not be as frequent and non-existent on a Sunday.
See Appendix B for useful contact telephone numbers and website links.
Staying in Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire is a recognised tourist destination and as such is well served with all types of accommodation, including B&Bs, hotels, self catering options and many caravan, camping and even glamping sites. The seaside resorts are very popular and tend to book up early for the main school holiday weeks. Away from the main towns, accommodation is less frequent, particularly in the mountainous areas, where a little forward planning is advised.
Looking north along Cwm Lliedi Reservoir (Walk 21)
For Walks 1–4, ‘In and around the Teifi Valley’, Newcastle Emlyn would be a suitable base to stay as it has a good range of accommodation, along with Llandysul. For Walks 5–8, ‘Castles, gardens and forests’, either Carmarthen or Llandeilo would be suitable centres. Llandovery has the most diverse range of accommodation for Walks 9–12 ‘The Cambrians of Carmarthenshire’, and it would also serve as a good base for the Walks 13–18, ‘The high mountains of Y Mynydd Du’, along with Llandeilo and the towns and villages in the Amman Valley to the south. The area containing Walks 19–23, ‘History and heritage’, provides the largest choice of places to stay, with Llanelli, Burry Port, Pembrey, Kidwelly and Ferryside all having a range of accommodation providers. Finally, Walks 24–30, ‘Dylan Thomas Country’ are also well served with Llansteffan, Laugharne, Pendine and St Clears being good bases.
Please refer to Appendix B for details of websites, addresses and telephone numbers that may assist with a stay in Carmarthenshire.
Clockwise from left: common orchids; a wildflower-strewn meadow; cinnabar moth on thistle; rowan berries
What to take
Much of Carmarthenshire’s weather comes winging in on southwesterly air streams, meaning rain is always a possibility, so a good set of quality waterproofs is a must, along with a few spare warm layers for cold or windy days. Also, a number of the walks venture out into high moorland and mountain terrain, where conditions underfoot can get pretty wet, so a stout pair of waterproof boots is also recommended. Because weather conditions can change quite rapidly, particularly on high ground, the appropriate map, a compass and a whistle should also be packed. That said, warm, sunny days are equally likely and the southwesterly air streams tend to bring mild conditions. Because of the county’s outstanding array of scenery and prolific wildlife, a camera and binoculars are also worth packing.
Maps and waymarking
The walks in this book are covered by seven 1:25,000 Ordinance Survey maps:
Outdoor Leisure 12 (Brecon Beacons National Park. Western area)
Explorer 164 (Gower)
Explorer 177 (Carmarthen & Kidwelly)
Explorer 178 (Llanelli & Ammanford)
Explorer 185 (Newcastle Emlyn)
Explorer 186 (Llandeilo & Brechfa Forest)
Explorer 187 (Llandovery)
Cenarth (Walk 2)
Waymarking is generally very good to excellent, apart from on some of the exposed ridges, moors and mountains, where a map and compass may be necessary; GPS signals are fine in most areas. The furniture on most of the walks is good, with sound stiles and many new pedestrian and kissing gates. Many of the walks pass through woodland where fallen trees may present an obstacle. Where such obstacles were found, mention is made in the text and, if necessary, an alternative route given.
‘Carmarthenshire Footpaths’ sign
Using this guide
There are 30 walks in this guide, 26 of them being circular and four of them being linear along sections of the Carmarthenshire Coast Path (CCP). The walks are organised into six loosely defined geographical areas. Walks 1–4 cover the northwestern area, Walks 5–8 the central region, Walks 9–12 the Cambrian Mountains and upper Tywi Valley, Walks 13–18 the Y Mynydd Du (the Black Mountains), Walks 19–23 the southeastern part along Carmarthen Bay and Walks 24–30 the southwestern corner and holiday resorts along that stretch of coast.
The Tywi Valley from Carreglwyd (Walk 15)
Some are relatively short excursions that can easily be completed in a few hours, while others require considerably more time and can be quite challenging as they head out into open country, where knowledge of map and compass use is highly recommended.
The time needed to complete the walks will vary, depending on fitness, experience and even the composition of a party, should there be several people attempting a walk together. However, it is roughly based on a person being of reasonable fitness and able to cover around 2mph.
In places, it’s possible to link some of the walks together to make a lengthier outing, or even to shorten some, should time be an issue. Where this is the case, there is mention of the fact in the introductory paragraph to the walks concerned. The four linear walks, along the CCP, all have good bus or rail (or both) links back to the start.
Routes are illustrated with extracts from the OS 1:50,000 Landranger maps, but it is highly recommended that the relevant 1:25,000 Explorer maps also be referenced and carried. The main route is highlighted in orange, with any alternative route marked in blue. In such cases, the alternative route is described in the main route description. Features along the way that appear on the map are highlighted in bold in the main description.
The contents of this book hardly scratch the surface of the plethora of potential walks that are available in Carmarthenshire, but I hope you enjoy any that you attempt and that it whets your appetite for walking in this fabulous county.
IN AND AROUND THE TEIFI VALLEY
The pretty Nant Tinc on the return leg towards Bronwydd (Walk 1)
WALK 1
Bronwydd and the Gwili Valley
| Start/Finish | Bronwydd Village Hall car park (SN 419 246) |
| Distance | 11km (7 miles) |
| Ascent | 260m
|
