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WALK 2

Cenarth and Newcastle Emlyn

Start/Finish	Car park, Cenarth Falls (SN 269 416)
Distance	11km (7 miles)
Ascent	305m (1005ft)
Time	3–4hrs
Maps	Explorer 198
Refreshments	Pubs and cafés in Cenarth and Newcastle Emlyn
Public transport	Bus 460 between Carmarthen and Cardigan stops in both Newcastle Emlyn and Cenarth. No services on Sun.

The River Teifi is one of the longest rivers in Wales and recognised as being of international importance for its wildlife. It also forms the county boundary in this part of the country, so the southern half of the walk is in Carmarthenshire, while the northern half steals over the border into Ceredigion. It also visits the spectacular Cenarth Falls and the lovely town of Newcastle Emlyn. It mainly follows clear footpaths, quiet lanes and largely clear tracks, but a problem could lie at the start of the walk when the river is in spate and the riverside footpath is under water; at such times a short section of road can be used to avoid the hazard.

From the car park, join the riverside footpath, passing the spectacular falls and walking along the beautiful wooded gorge of the Afon Teifi. The building on the opposite bank is a 17th-century flour mill, complete with waterwheel. If the river is in spate and the riverside path inundated, go left along the road for a short distance and take the first turning on the right, opposite the chapel to rejoin the walk in 800 metres.

Cenarth is famous for its waterfalls, where salmon can be seen leaping in the autumn as they head up the Teifi to their spawning grounds, and where canoeists pit their skills against the cascades throughout the year. The traditional coracle is still used by fishermen on the river and Cenarth is the home of the National Coracle Centre of Wales.

Cenarth Bridge over the Afon Teifi

Eventually the footpath swings left, away from the river, climbing gently through the edge of woodland to a junction with a quiet lane (an alternative start joins here), bearing right along it. After negotiating a sharp left bend by Penwenallt Farm, continue for a further 150 metres then go right, through a kissing gate in the hedge, cross a field to another kissing gate on the far side and once through, turn left to walk along the top edge of a steeply wooded gorge, with glimpses through the trees of the Teifi Valley to the right. The path eventually begins to descend, emerging onto a farm track, where it is necessary to climb a stone step stile to the left of a gate before proceeding into the hamlet of Cwm-cou and a surfaced lane which bends round to the left and a junction with the B4333.

Turn sharp right along the road for 200 metres, taking the second lane on the left, signposted as a No Through Road, cross a bridge over the little Afon Ceri and proceed along a surfaced lane through the hamlet of Pont-Ceri, before climbing steadily out of the valley with ever improving views over the Teifi and Newcastle Emlyn to the right. At a T-junction in Adpar (site of the first printing press in Wales, set up in 1718) turn right and descend steeply before swinging left to a road junction with the bridge over the river to the right. Join the pedestrian footpath over the bridge and walk up Bridge Street into Newcastle Emlyn. To visit the castle ruins, go left by the old Town Hall in Market Square, continuing along Castle Street to the very artistic entrance to the castle grounds.

The attractive entrance to the castle at Newcastle Emlyn

Newcastle Emlyn is a busy and bustling town with a market every Friday and an array of small shops, inns, cafés and restaurants. Prior to the building of the castle by Meredith ap Rhys Gryg, on its almost island peninsular in the Teifi Valley in 1240, only a few roughly built cottages stood around the outer banks of the river. Following its construction, a cluster of dwellings sprang up, some for soldiers and Lord Meredith’s dependants, others for newcomers and traders to the region seeking both work and protection. All that remains of the castle today is the gate and a few walls, with much of the stone being reclaimed to construct buildings in the town.

Continue along the main street, now Sycamore Street, and go left, passing more shops, pubs and cafés, to just after where the road curves left and here turn right, immediately after passing the Plough Hotel, into Porth Street. At the T-junction at the end, cross the A484, turn right on the opposite side and take the first road on the left, signposted to Capel Iwan. After 80 metres, go right along the initially surfaced public bridleway, eventually descending through trees to cross a footbridge beside a ford and, once over, follow the stony track round to the right, climbing energetically through woodland, to reach a lane. Follow the lane to the right, descending to just beyond the Give Way signs, then turn left along a surfaced track to the rear of houses to reach farm buildings. Pass through a waymarked gate to the left of the buildings, continuing along a rough farm track, the first 100 metres of which can be muddy, to reach a stile. Once over, walk down the left side of a field for 300 metres, climb another stile on the left, continuing on the opposite side of the fence, with various fallen boughs and branches that you may have to limbo under or hurdle over before joining the access drive to Gillo Farm and a junction with the A484.

Cross straight over onto the surfaced public bridleway on the opposite side, but where this curves rightwards towards Gillo-fach, go left along a pleasant track that climbs steadily over the brow of a hill, beneath shady boughs. Pass through two gates in quick succession, that also double as a cattle penning area, continuing along a stony track which is the access drive to Old Vicarage Farm, a very substantial property, and once past this proceed ahead along a grassy track leading to a gate and field. Once through, walk along the left side of the field, descending gently to a pedestrian gate at the bottom and continuing along a sunken footpath between trees, soon passing the Old School House on the right and the church on the left. Bear left on a footpath alongside the wall of the churchyard, descending past The Old Ale House and Three Horseshoes pub to the road. Turn right into Cenarth, passing the National Coracle Centre on the right.

The National Coracle Centre houses a unique collection of coracles, not only from Wales, but from around the world and gives a fascinating history of the craft. The idea of making a boat by covering a framework of branches with animal hide is a universal one and each region and country adapted their local resources to fit the job. Here in Wales, the earliest coracles used hazel and willow as the framework, preferably covered in horse hide. Later coracles used flannel coated in pitch, tallow or tar, but today’s designs use calico with a proofing of pitch. In the early 1860s, the heyday of coracle fishing, there were over 300 boats fishing on the Teifi.

Cross the bridge back to the car park and the start.