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WALK 4

Llandysul and the Afon Tyweli

Start/Finish	Public car park, Llandysul (SN 418 405)
Distance	11km (7 miles)
Ascent	195m (645ft)
Time	3–4hrs
Maps	Explorer 185
Refreshments	Pubs and cafés in Llandysul
Public transport	Bus 40C Carmarthen–Pencader–Lampeter, then bus 621 Pencader–Llandysul; or bus 460 Carmarthen–Saron–Newcastle Emlyn–Cardigan, then bus 613 Saron–Llandysul (services Wed and Sat only); or bus 612 Newcastle Emlyn–Llandysul (services Tue only).

Starting on the banks of the Afon Teifi, which forms the border between Carmarthenshire and neighbouring Ceredigion (formerly Cardiganshire), the walk quickly crosses the river in the market town of Llandysul, back into the ‘home’ county. The majority of the walk follows quiet country lanes and a long section of the now dismantled Carmarthen to Cardigan railway that ran along the valley of the pretty Afon Tyweli before joining the Afon Teifi. With only a very short section of potentially boggy ground, this is a suitable walk for the times of year when many footpaths are impassable and traffic along the lanes is at a minimum.

From the public car park in Llandysul, walk away from the town on a surfaced footpath, signed to the Picnic Area, with the church over to the left and playing fields to the right. The footpath soon runs alongside the Afon Teifi, which forms a looping meander that initially flows away from the town before swinging back towards it. The path eventually bears right, away from the river and passes between houses to join New Road in Llandysul, which is followed to the left and to a junction with Bridge Street.

Llandysul, nestling on the banks of the river Teifi, is a traditional, unspoilt market town that has been built around its ancient church and which takes its name from the Celtic saint Tysul, who is reputed to have founded the church here in AD426. Before the days of electricity, the rushing rivers of the Teifi and its tributaries drove many waterwheels in the area and Llandysul was no exception. While none still operates commercially, several buildings can be recognised as former mills. Today the town is famous for the salmon and sewin (sea trout) that are in abundance in the River Teifi.

Go left again, crossing the Afon Teifi via the footpath on the right hand side of the road bridge, which has stood here since the Civil War. The original bridge here was destroyed by Royalists trying to protect the town from being attacked by a force of Cromwell’s Roundheads. Set across the river to the right are a series of slalom poles used by the local canoeing centre.

On the far side of the bridge, bear left alongside the first building on the left, currently a canoe hire shop, and walk through its car parking area before bearing slightly right on an initially surfaced footpath that runs to the right of an artificial pond, used by the canoe school for teaching purposes. The path soon becomes un-surfaced and is squeezed in between the river on the left and a fence on the right, before reaching a stile leading into a sloping field. Walk up through this to reach a quiet lane and follow this to the left, passing the entrance to Dol-llan Farm before climbing fairly steeply through attractive parkland that forms part of the Dol-llan estate and with improving views along the Teifi Valley. Pass Farmyard on the brow of the hill, once the estate farm to Dol-llan House during the 19th century but now a garden centre, before following the lane round to the right, now with magnificent views to the east along the Teifi Valley.

Views towards the Cambrian Mountains from near Dol-llan Farm

The site of Craig Gwrtheyrn, the Iron Age hill fort, can be seen over to the left. A large tree covered hill, it was originally occupied some 2000 years ago, but later was reputed to be the stronghold of Gwrtheyrn (also known as Vortgern), a powerful king of the Britons during the fifth century.

The lane now begins a gentle descent, passing isolated farms before a junction with the B4336. Turn right along this for 300 metres to the next road junction and turn left, following the road to Carmarthen for just over 1km before turning right down the access drive to Dolmaen Farm. After 75 metres turn left through a gate leading into a field and walk along its top edge, then right down its far edge to pass through a field gate on the left. Once through bear right and go immediately right again through a second gate, then turn left alongside a row of trees to reach a stile over a fence into a steeply sloping pasture punctuated with clumps of bramble and gorse. The next section can be boggy, but the best way of avoiding most of the wet area is to traverse across the pasture for about 80 metres, then zig-zag down to a stile and footbridge at the bottom. Head directly across the next field to the stile and footbridge spanning the Afon Tyweli on the far side.

The lovely Afon Tyweli

The footbridge is rather narrow and partly constructed from sections of railway line, but there is a comforting handrail to assist progress. Once over, continue directly ahead across a grassy meadow to reach a waymarker on the far side and here bear slightly right to a stile, then follow the winding footpath through trees to reach a further stile that gives access to the bed of the old Carmarthen to Cardigan railway line. Turn right along this and follow it for approximately 3km, passing through two gates en-route, with lovely views over the river and surrounding woodlands.

The line was authorised in 1854 as the Carmarthen and Cardigan Railway’s abortive attempt to create a rail link between the two towns. By 1860 the Company managed to construct the line as far as Conwil before having to cease further works until it could raise enough capital to build the line to Pencader in 1864. The line was extended to Landysul a few months later but by that time the Company was in severe financial difficulties and went into receivership. In 1867 attempts were made to run the line using horse drawn buses along the uncompleted sections but in 1881 the Company was wound up. The line was then acquired by the Great Western Railway who managed to complete the line as far as Newcastle Emlyn in 1898 but, despite its name, that was as far is it ever went. Instead, the link to Cardigan was achieved by the Whitland & Cardigan Railway, which followed a route to the west.

Pixie’s Ears fungi growing on a fallen tree in the Tyweli valley