Craig-y-nos Castle.
Around 1 hour 45 minutes.
3.8km (2.4 miles).
Easy, with one gentle ascent to the Caves.
A walk around the historic grounds of Craig-y-nos Country Park and a visit to Dan-yr-Ogof Caves .
From the
entrance to Craig-y nos castle on the A4067, turn left and head South for
150 metres to a wooden gate on your left beside the car park to the Castle.
Be careful here as there is no pavement but you can walk some of the way
on a narrow grass verge.
Turn left through the gate and continue North-Easterly to pass through a
kissing gate and then descend a zigzag path to arrive beside a recently
renovated Pavilion.
This was originally the Croquet and Tennis lawn of the Castle.
Turn right in front of the Pavilion and head SE to a track on the corner
of the lawn.
Go through a hunting gate and after 10 metres turn left through another
wooden gate.
Bear right here alongside a wire fence and carry straight on through some
beech trees, ignoring a way-marked path on the right.
At the far end of the field, turn left and walk beside a fence to come to
a stile, which leads down to the river.
Turn left before the stile and continue Northerly, along the edge of a hay
meadow.
Look for a plaque commemorating the planting of an oak tree in 1914 on your
right.
Go through an ornate white Iron Gate (which has a date of 1881 on it) and
continue to follow the River Tawe upstream to a white Iron Bridge, which
contains the initials “A P” within the railings.
Cross the bridge and continue straight-on North-Easterly, through a Rhododendron
tunnel to emerge at a wooden seat by a large, shallow pond.
Turn left here and then bear right across some duck-boarding.
After the boarding, tread across some concrete slabs and two slatted wooden
bridges to pass through a wooded area.
At some wooden stepping-stones, turn right onto a main gravel track heading
North.
At a wooden fence by a notice board, go left, either across stepping-stones
or the wooden bridge in front of you.
Be careful, as the stepping-stones can be slippery in wet weather. Go straight
ahead at a gate (or stile) and bear right at a copse as the wire fence goes
off to the left.
After 30 metres you will see an old ford across the river Llynfell, which
is too deep to cross on foot now.
Keep straight on to a gate/stile and 20 metres later turn left to walk beside
the river on a permissive path.
Continue over some duck-boarding and pass beside a pond to your right and
look for a stile with a finger-post which is beside the main road.
Cross the A4067, with caution, and turn right to walk up the grass verge
beside the road until you come to the driveway to Dan-yr Ogof Caves.
Turn left here towards the caves and view the rare-breed farm on your right,
if you wish, before turning left and ascending the short hill to the Caves.
Various attractions are available at the Caves as are refreshments and souvenirs.
After viewing the Caves, descend the hill, keeping to the right-hand side
of the car park and look for a way-marked footpath and stile down some stone
steps.
Cross the stile and proceed straight ahead across a field with standing
stones in it, keeping a stone wall to your left to arrive at a metal stile
which will lead you to the A4067 again
Cross the main road and retrace your steps by the pond, across the duck-boarding,
then the footbridge or stepping stones and into the rear entrance of the
Park.
Keep to the main gravel track, which turns grassy but follows the river
Tawe downstream.
At the confluence with the river Lynfell, bear right across an oak footbridge
and right again to walk upstream of the Lynfell.
After 50 metres turn left and at the Duck Pond turn left again to arrive
at the Country Park car park, where there is a National Park Information
Office. Here you can view an exhibition of the history of the area, and
purchase souvenirs, maps and National Park publications.
Exit from the main gate to the A4067, turn left and left again to re-enter
the Castle grounds.