Walks in Brechfa Forest from Abergorlech

Abergorlech is a lovely village where the Gorlech and Cothi rivers meet. There is an entrance to Brechfa Forest here which is well worth exploring.

You can reach it in 15 minutes by car from Tŷ Mawr Country Hotel. Strangely shaped stones have been found in the river here, and examples of these Gorlech Stones are displayed in the front gardens of cottages in the villages. Sewin (sea trout) and salmon find their way up the river Gorlech each year to spawn.

There are three way marked walks from Abergorlech, one of which goes to Brechfa Forest Garden. There is also a great pub – The Black Lion which maybe open for lunch or a drink. These walks are well signposted and easy to follow.

This was created by Forestry Commission staff in the late 1950s and early 1960s (but with the most recent plantings in 2004).

They planted a variety of trees, mainly coniferous, to assess their suitability for use in British forestry.

Many of these trees have matured and now form an arboretum with a difference as, instead of one or two trees of each type, there are whole stands of trees from all over the world.

These include:

• Giant redwoods from California
• Eucalyptus from Australia; nothofagus from South America
• Firs from all the continents
• A variety of European species like sessile oak, walnut and spruces

Brechfa Forest Garden can be reached on the Forest Garden Trail.

The Riverside Walk 1 mile, easy.

This mainly level woodland trail goes alongside the scenic river Gorlech, over a humpback bridge and then returns along the forest road.

The Gorlech Walk – 3.5 miles, moderate

This delightful trail follows the River Gorlech along forestry roads before crossing a small bridge on to a footpath and climbing uphill through mature woodlands made up of mixed broad leaf trees and conifers.

The Forest Garden Walk – 5 miles, strenuous.

It will take you around 3 hours to complete, we suggest you wear sturdy walking shoes. The walk starts from the car park and weaves it way along the side of the river up into the forest. The forest features over 180 different species of trees including in the Forest Garden at the top the most amazing Redwoods, Eucalyptus and Cedar Trees. The forest garden is made up of half of the tree species that are able to grow in the British Isles. They were planted by the Forestry Commission in the last century to assess how well they grew in Britain.

There are some benches to rest along the way but please note this is a hard work as you will ascend over 961 feet. Great views throughout the walk. Here is a Picnic Bench which is in the Forest Garden, a great place to smile and be happy you made it to enjoy the most unusual trees for the UK.

Giant Redwood