Semi-Sabrina Narrative

12 miles

Semi Sabrina shares significant portions of its route with the comprehensively marked Glyndwr’s Way and the Severn Way. For the sake of clarity and brevity, these two routes are referred to along the shared sections by their initials, GW and SW. Those portions of your route off GW and SW will be confirmed by the presence of Sarn Sabrina (SS) way-marks.

1. The Semi Sabrina walk commences from the Severn Porte area by the river. From the registration point at the Church Hall (registration on event day only), follow the path down to the river. Walk through the park, keeping the river to your left and leave by the entrance next to the Long Bridge. Turn left over the bridge and then left again along the B4518, signposted to Llyn Clywedog.

After about 200 yards, turn right at the finger post signposted for both Glyndwr’s Way and the Severn Way, taking you into Allt Goch wood. Follow the path up through the wood, but don’t miss the point where GW and SW leave the main track and climb up the hill to your left.  Stay with GW.

Follow GW and SW past the golf club out onto the road and then turn left, through a farm and then ahead through the gate into a lane. Again look out for the point where GW leaves the lane and SW continues ahead. At this point turn left and follow GW through the gate and follow the way-marks down through 3 fields to a narrow road. Turn right along the road then, after 50 yards or so, turn left over the stile follow the GW way-marks down through a further 3 fields until you reach the road to Y Fan.  Cross the road and walk along the drive towards Garth Farm until you reach the end of the hedge on your right. Just after this point, follow the GW way-marks up to your right through the trees and then out into a field. Continue along the fence line to a small quarry where you pass through a gate onto the open hillside. Follow the green track across the hillside and go through the left hand gate of the two in the fence ahead of you. Continue along the lane, through the field gate and turn sharp left to the fence then sharp right along the fence. When you reach the farm track, turn left over the stile and walk through the field, parallel to the track, to the stile at the end and out onto the road (B4518).

Turn right along the road for about half a mile then turn left, following GW through Bryntail Farm and on to the disused Bryntail Mine below the impressive Clywedog Dam. Continue to follow the GW way-marks away from the mine and up the road to the Lookout above the dam where you will find the Red Kite Kiosk. This is your first check point and there are toilets here.

2. On leaving the Red Kite viewpoint, continue to follow the GW markers up the slope to the road and turn right and follow the road down to Ty Coch. At this point you leave GW. Continue ahead, along the road and after about 50 yards turn left at the lane to Deildre Fawr. Go over the cattle grid and down the drive and, where the track bears right into the farm, go through the field gate ahead. Bear diagonally left across the field, keeping to the left of the copse of trees, and pick up the green track taking you to the way-marked gate on the far side. Go through the gate and follow the path down through the trees. Continue along, through a further gate, until you reach the huts belonging to a shooting club. Turn right here, through a wicket gate, and cross the Nant Gwestyn stream over the footbridge just below the falls. Go up the track, through the gate for about 50 yards until you see a small quarry and bridleway fingerpost in front of you. At this point, leave the track and turn right onto the open field. Keep to the centre of the field along the valley, picking up the green track that will become more pronounced as it climbs and takes you on through two field gates. At the second gate, continue ahead, bearing slightly left for about 150 yards, out onto the tarmac road at its right angled bend and junction with the track to Brithdir. This is your second checkpoint.

3. Turn left and follow the SS way-marks for some 2 miles along the road until you reach a bridleway finger post pointing down a farm lane to your left (The entrance to Lower Cefn Penarth Farm). Turn left into the lane, but then go through the field gate immediately on your right and turn left along the fence, parallel to the lane.  Keeping the fence line on your left, follow the way-marks down through 2 fields and out through a field gate onto a stretch of tarmac road.

Go straight ahead on this road for some 200 yards or so, ignoring a bridleway finger-post pointing left part way along, to another field gate in front of you. Go ahead through the gate and follow the way-marks through 3 fields and through a further gate into a wooded lane. The River Clywedog is now below you on your left. Continue to follow the lane towards a bungalow. Bear off left here and cross the stile, continuing ahead, through a gate and across a footbridge before climbing up to the lane on the far side.

Turn left and follow the lane above the river. This becomes a tarmac drive which will carry you in to Llanidloes at the Shortbridge. Cross the bridge and take the first left (Pen y Craig Street), which will take you to the finish of your walk back at the Church Hall.