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Walks Around Talgarth
If you are planning to visit the annual Hay Book Festival then Talgarth is an excellent place to stay. It is no more than a 20 minute ride to the Festival site and the the Shuttle stops just outside the Castle Hotel .
But what about those days when the bustle of the Festival site and Hay town center just do not appeal? We checked out the local Tourist Information Center (manned by volunteers) and were delighted to learn that there are many longer and shorter walks in and around the town. The 20 minute walk to Pwll-y-Wrach waterfall and nature reserve is perhaps the finest amongst them.
A leaflet published by The Brecknock Wildlife Trust, who maintain the Reserve, is available from the Tourist Information Center and the following description is both useful and accurate:-
Pwll-y-Wrach (Witches’ Pool) is the Brecknock Wildlife Trust’s most visited nature reserve. Its 17.5 hectares of beautiful ancient woodland run along both banks of the River Enig. Near the eastern end of the reserve the river plunges over a spectacular waterfall into a dark pool below. The main access to the reserve is from the site’s main car park. From here an easy access path leads you in to the centre of the reserve and a small waterfall. Other paths within the reserve allow you to create a circular walk. All paths, except the easy access trail, are unsurfaced and can be very muddy and slippery at times. They can be narrow with an uneven surface and steps. Sturdy shoes or boots are recommended. The walk from the road to the main waterfall and back is about 1 mile.
The full text of the leaflet can be found here .
We elected to walk from Talgarth town center and enjoy the surrounding countryside (see photo album below). En route we passed the entrance to the Mid Wales Hospital (a former 'lunatic asylum'). This is a very creepy old place and there is no public access. It has, however, been visited by many 'urban explorers' and there are plenty of photos on this page
Once you enter the reserve the nature of your surroundings changes completely. You are enveloped by a leafy canopy of deciduous trees and accompanied by the sound of running water as the River Ennig (not much more than a stream here) flows lazily toward Talgarth a mile or so down the hill.
The waterfall itself is no Niagara Falls but it is an idyllic spot and a perfect place for relaxation, quiet contemplation or just 'staring vaguely into space'.
All in all this is the ideal location to 'decompress' after too many hectic days and beery nights at the Hay Festival.
Bronllys Castle is no more than a 10-15 minute walk from any of the hotels in Talgarth. The scant remains of the former fortress have been painstakingly preserved by Cadw to provide access to the top of the 12th century keep. This is an excellent vantage point for panoramic shots and video of both Talgarth and the ramparts of the Brecon Beacons to the south.
From the Wikipedia Bronllys Castle :- "Bronllys castle is a motte and bailey fortress standing south of the village, towards Talgarth. The castle was founded in or soon after 1144 when the district was granted to Walter de Clifford by Roger Fitzmiles, 2nd Earl of Hereford. Walter seems to have been responsible for building the round tower on the motte for in 1165 it caught fire and a stone tumbling from the battlements killed Earl Roger's last surviving brother Mahel de Hereford"
