Bwlch Circular via Mynydd Troed and Llangors Lake walk

Via an easily accessible glacial ridge to the largest natural lake in South Wales and an ancient hillfort

Mynydd Llangorse towards Mynydd Troed SWC Walk 308 - Bwlch Circular (via Mynydd Troed and Llangorse Lake)
Mynydd Llangorse towards Mynydd Troed

SWC Walk 308 - Bwlch Circular (via Mynydd Troed and Llangorse Lake)

Jan-18 • thomasgrabow on Flickr

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The Black Mountains across the Rhiangoll Valley: Pen Cerrig-calch to Pen Allt-mawr SWC Walk 308 - Bwlch Circular (via Mynydd Troed and Llangorse Lake)
The Black Mountains across the Rhiangoll Valley: Pen Cerrig-calch to Pen Allt-mawr

SWC Walk 308 - Bwlch Circular (via Mynydd Troed and Llangorse Lake)

Jan-18 • thomasgrabow on Flickr

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Mynydd Llangorse in the Sun SWC Walk 308 - Bwlch Circular (via Mynydd Troed and Llangorse Lake)
Mynydd Llangorse in the Sun

SWC Walk 308 - Bwlch Circular (via Mynydd Troed and Llangorse Lake)

Jan-18 • thomasgrabow on Flickr

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Lake Llangorse and Central Beacons from Mynydd Llangorse SWC Walk 308 - Bwlch Circular (via Mynydd Troed and Llangorse Lake)
Lake Llangorse and Central Beacons from Mynydd Llangorse

SWC Walk 308 - Bwlch Circular (via Mynydd Troed and Llangorse Lake)

Jan-18 • thomasgrabow on Flickr

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Mynydd Troed and Mynydd Llangorse from flooded field near Llangors SWC Walk 308 - Bwlch Circular (via Mynydd Troed and Llangorse Lake)
Mynydd Troed and Mynydd Llangorse from flooded field near Llangors

SWC Walk 308 - Bwlch Circular (via Mynydd Troed and Llangorse Lake)

Jan-18 • thomasgrabow on Flickr

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Allt yr Esgair across field SWC Walk 308 - Bwlch Circular (via Mynydd Troed and Llangorse Lake)
Allt yr Esgair across field

SWC Walk 308 - Bwlch Circular (via Mynydd Troed and Llangorse Lake)

Jan-18 • thomasgrabow on Flickr

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Northerly End of The Black Mountains, from Mynydd Troed SWC Walk 308 - Bwlch Circular (via Mynydd Troed and Llangorse Lake) [Route via Pen Tir]
Northerly End of The Black Mountains, from Mynydd Troed

SWC Walk 308 - Bwlch Circular (via Mynydd Troed and Llangorse Lake) [Route via Pen Tir]

May-18 • thomasgrabow on Flickr

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Length 21.6 km (13.4 mi), with 837/840m ascent/descent. For a shorter or longer walk see below Walk Options.
Toughness 7 out of 10, with 6 hours walking time.
Walk Notes

This is a varied walk from the small settlement of Bwlch (‘pass’ in Welsh), starting from a low col high above the Usk Valley onto the rolling moorlands of Cefn Moel and Mynydd Llangorse. The following long ridge walk along good grass paths across this outlying peak’s plateau – and the subsequent optional ascent to Mynydd Troed –command panoramic views across to many of the much higher giants of the Brecon Beacons National Park: across the Rhiangoll valley to the south-western flanks of the Black Mountains massif, west to the Central Beacons and south to Mynydd Llangynidr and Mynydd Llangattock.
A road descent leads to Llangorse village for lunch and around its iconic lake, of glacial origin and the largest natural lake in South Wales, with its watersports centre – and the only crannog outside of Scotland and Ireland. This is a busy touristic site in season.
Leave the crowds behind to further circumvent the large lake through pastures to a remote bird hide and an even more remote church-with-views in Llangasty-Talyllyn and then up the Allt yr Esgair ('wooded slope of the ridge' in Welsh). It is crowned by an Iron Age hillfort and a Roman road and overlooks the valley of the River Usk to the west and south and Llangorse Lake and the Black Mountains to the northeast. You then follow the Roman Road back down to Bwlch.

Walk Options

Cut out the steep ascent to Mynydd Troed (2.2 km/1.3 mi and 260m ascent/descent) for a 6/10 walk.
Cut out the ascent to the Allt yr Esgair Iron Age Hill Fort site near the end by contouring around the hill’s flank and along the ruined Paragon Tower folly.
An easterly route from the summit of Mynydd Troed along the ridge and down into the Cwm Sorgwm and back up over Pen Tir to the Cefn Moel and to Bwlch adds 800m distance and 245m ascent (8/10).

Maps OS Explorer: OL12 (Brecon Beacons National Park)
OS Landranger: 160 (Brecon Beacons)
Harvey Superwalker XT25: Breacon Beacons East/Bannau Brycheiniog Dwyrain
Harvey British Mountain Map: Breacon Beacons/Bannau Brycheiniog
Travel

Bwlch (All Saints Church/New Inn) Bus Stop, map reference SO 148 220, is 219 km west northwest of Charing Cross, 223m above sea level and in Powys, Wales. Bwlch is served by line X43 (Abergavenny – Brecon) with 7-8 buses a day Mon-Sat and 5 on Sundays and Bank Holidays.

Saturday Walkers’ Club: This walk is doable as a daywalk from London, especially if you have motorised transport, but also if taking a train to Abergavenny to connect to above bus service.

Lunch

The Castle Inn B4560, Llangors, Brecon, Powys, LD3 7UB (01874 658 819). The Castle is located 11.9 km/7.4 mi into the walk.
The Red Lion B4560, Llangors, Brecon, Powys, LD3 7TY (01874 658 825). The Red Lion is located 12.0 km/7.4 mi into the walk.
Lythic Brewing Tynewydd Farm, Llangors, Brecon, Powys, LD3 7UA (07542 425 408). Lythic Brewing is located 12.1 km/7.5 mi into the walk.
Lakeside Bar & The Lake Café Llangorse Lake, Llangors, Brecon, Powys, LD3 7UA (01874 658 170). The Bar and Café are located 12.7 km/7.9 mi into the walk.

Tea

The New Inn Bwlch, Brecon, Powys, LD3 7RQ (01874 730 215).

Tea (Pen Tir Route)

Mynydd Ddu Tea Rooms Cwmdu, Crickhowell, Powys, NP8 1RU (01874 730 289). Located 5.8 km/3.6 mi from the end of the walk.
The Farmers Arms Cwmdu, Crickhowell, Powys, NP8 1RU (01874 202 132). A community-owned pub, located 5.8 km/3.6 mi from the end of the walk.
The New Inn As above.

Welsh Glossary

aber: estuary, confluence, river mouth; afon: river; affwys: abyss; allt: hillside, cliff; aran: high place; ban/fan/bannau (pl): peak/beacon/crest, hill/mountain; big: peak; blaen: source of river, head of valley; bod: dwelling; bre: hill; bron: hill-breast; bryn: hill; bwlch: gap/col/pass; cadair: chair; cae: field; caer/gaer: stronghold, fort; capel: chapel; carn/garn/carnedd/garnedd: cairn, heap of stones, tumulus; carreg/garreg: stone, rock; castell: castle; cefn: ridge, hillside; celli: grove/copse; cerwyn: pot-hole; cist: chest; clog/clogwyn: cliff; clun: meadow; clwyd: hurdle/gate; clydach: torrent; coch/goch: red; coed: wood; craig/graig: rock; crib/cribyn: crest, ridge, summit; crug: mound; cul: narrow; cwm: hanging valley/corrie/bowl/dale; cyfrwy: ridge between two summits (saddle); ddinas: fort; dibyn: steep slope, precipice; dim: no; din: hill-fortress; disgwylfa: place of observation, look-out point; dôl: meadow; du/ddu: black, dark; dwfr/dŵr: water; dyffryn: valley; -dyn: fortified enclosure; eglwys: church; eira: snow; eisteddfod: meeting-place, assembly; esgair: ridge; fach/bach: small; fawr/mawr: large; fechan: smaller; ffald: sheep-fold, pound, pen, run; ffordd: way, road; ffridd: pasture; ffrwd: stream, torrent; ffynnon: spring/well; gallt: wooded hill; ganol: middle; garth: promontory, hill, enclosure; glan/lan: river-bank, hillock; glas: green (when referring to grass, pasture or leaves), blue (when relating to the sea or air); glyn: deep valley, glen; gors: bog; gorsedd: tumulus, barrow, hillock; gwyddfa: mound, tumulus; gwylfa: look-out point; gwyn/gwen: white; gwynt: wind; hafn: gorge, ravine; hafod: summer dwelling; hen: old; hendre(f): winter dwelling, old home, permanent abode; heol: road; hesgyn: bog; hir: long; is: below, lower; isaf: lower/lowest; llan: church, monastery; llawr: level area, floor of valley; llech: slab, stone, rock; llther: slope; lluest: shieling, cottage, hut; llwch: lake, dust; llwybr: path; llwyd: grey, brown; llwyn: bush, grove; llyn: lake; llynwyn: pool/puddle, moat; maen: stone; maes: open field, plain; mawn: peat; mawnog: peat-bog; melyn: yellow; merthyr: burial place, church; moel/foel: bare, bald/bare hill; mynydd: mountain, moorland; nant: brook/stream, dingle/glen; neuadd: hall; newydd: new; ogof/gogof: cave; pant: hollow; parc: park, field, enclosure; pen: head, top/end, edge; penrhyn: promontory; pentre(f): homestead, village; perfedd: middle; perth: bush, brake, hedge; plas: hall, mansion; pont/bont: bridge; porth: gate/gateway, harbour/bay/landing-place/ferry; pwll: pit, pool; rhiw: hill, slope; rhos: moor, promontory; rhudd: red, crimson; rhyd: ford; sarn: causeway; sgwd/rhaeadr: waterfall; sticill: stile; sych: dry; tafarn: tavern; tâl: end, top; talar: headland (of field); tan/dan: below; tarren/darren: escarpment; tir: land, territory; tor: break, gap; tre/tref: settlement, hamlet, town; twlch: tump, knoll; twll: hole, pit; tŵr: tower; twyn: hill; tŷ: house; uchaf: upper, highest; uwch: above, over; waun/gwaun: moorland, meadow; wen/wyn: white; y, yr, ‘r: the; ynys: island, holm, river-meadow; ysgol: ladder, formation on mountain-side/school; ysgwydd: shoulder (of mountain); ystafell: chamber, hiding-place; ystrad: wide valley, holm, river-meadow.

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Start Bwlch, Powys, South Wales, LD3 7RQ Map Directions

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National Rail: 03457 48 49 50 • Traveline (bus times): 0871 200 22 33 (12p/min) • TFL (London) : 0343 222 1234

Version

May-23 Thomas G

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Walk Directions

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This is just the introduction. This walk's detailed directions are in a PDF available from wwww.walkingclub.org.uk