Start and Finish: Llandrindod Wells Distance: 4.5miles Notes: A circular walk of about 41/2 miles on public rights of way and country roads. Not suitable for pushchairs. Boots or strong shoes are advisable. OS Map: 1:25000 Adventure 500.

Walk Description

From the carpark go clockwise round the Lake and after 200 yards turn left through a metal kissing gate on to a tarmac track. Where this swings left keep straight on through the trees. The path comes out on a grassy slope still going uphill.

At the top just into a woodland turn sharp right, over a stile and still go uphill. Turn left at the crosstrack after you start to go down, and then go through a wooden gate.

Turn right towards the church, which you can see on the hill, go to the left of the telegraph pole and through another gate onto the road.

The church was the original Church of the Trinity, this building erected in 1500s, but on an earlier holy site because a Celtic Sheela na Gig was found during renovations in Victorian times under the floor of the porch. The Sheela is now in the Radnorshire Museum in the town.

For a shorter walk go down the hill, with care because of traffic, to the Lake and continue clockwise round the Lake to the start.

For the longer walk go across the Church carpark, take the gate into the field and follow the wall of the churchyard round to a gate and steep steps down onto a track by a large hopper. Turn right on this track and after a few yards leave it to go up a slope next to the fence on your left.

Cross the stile at the top and bear right to follow the edge of a lawn in front of the house on your right. You will come to a farm track, turn left and follow this until you go through a gate to an open field.

On your way you pass to your right the entrance to the Radnorshire Wildlife Trust Pentrosfa Mire Nature Reserve where you are welcome to pass half an hour or so. Leaflets are available from Llandrindod TIC and the information board on site. You might even see rare crested loons.

Going on with the walk keep the hedge/fence to your left and go through two fields. There is a stile a little to your right into the next field. Go across the field to a small recess and cross the hidden stile. Now with the hedge on your right go over another stile and aim for some Scots Pine trees.

There is a stile to their right and you go diagonally over the next field, aiming for a telegraph pole from where you can see the kissing gate that leads to a lane behind some cottages which takes you down into Howey. To get to Howey turn right at the road.

To continue the walk turn left and walk up the hill passing the Baptist Chapel on your left. The hill steepens and at the second sign for Brynhir farm, go left over a stile towards a disused quarry. There is a stile to your left leading to a rough track going uphill. At the corner of the hedge keep straight ahead towards a transformer pole and go through a gateway a few yards to the right.

Follow a broad but not very distinct track uphill through the bracken. Continue through a gap in the remains of an old wall and then curve left uphill to cross a stile by the gate.

Keep straight on over the next field to cross the stile below the forestry plantation and drop down following a faint path. Turn right onto a grassy track which is still going downhill.

There are remains of old lead mines on each side of the path. It is said that the Romans mined lead here but these mines were exhausted before the First World War.

Your can see the Church from here, so follow the track through gates which you must leave as you find them until you have come full circle. Go up the steps and round the churchyard wall until you come to the Church car park.

Turn left down the road to the lake and finish the walk by going clockwise round the lake to the carpark by the picnic site.

Additional Information

Before the railway came to Llandrindod, the address of dwellings in Llandrindod parish was 'Near Howey' because Howey was the larger settlement.

There is a carpark, restaurant and public toilets at the Lake and public houses and a Post Office/general store in Howey where it is possible to park and start the walk from there.

This walk has been published by kind permission from Llandrindod Wells Town Council.

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