Sarn Sabrina Narrative

26 miles

Sarn 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 Sarn 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.

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 where you turn right through the gate. Continue to follow GW down to the shore of Llyn Clywedog and, keeping the lake to your right, follow the shore round to the Sailing Club (there are toilets here, just ask). Leave the sailing club via the access road and, after crossing the cattle grid, turn right and cross the stile to descend to the lake shore once more. Continue to follow GW along the shore of the lake and then bear left, away from the shore to an old ruined cottage on your left. Bear right here, below the tree line to the top left corner of the field. On reaching a stile, cross onto open field and, just above the fish-farm, look out for the GW way-mark ahead and down to your right. Follow GW down to the track and out onto the road. At this point you will leave GW.

Turn right along the road and follow the SS way-marks along the road that runs alongside Llyn Clywedog. After about 1.5 miles you will reach a picnic area and toilet block (closed). Continue along the road, passing the Severn Trent boardwalk where the Afon Biga enters the Clywedog. Cross the bridge and cattle grid, and then ignore GW which crosses the road at this point. Continue to follow SS along the road to the T junction where you turn left and continue to follow the road for a further half mile or so to Cwm Biga Farm. This is your second check point and you are welcome to stop here and eat. Do not go through the farm gate, but go to the third, large, wooden gate clearly marked with the SS way-mark. There will be seats, etc. here where you may stop and take refreshments.

3. At this point you enter the Hafren Forest. Follow the SS way-marks along the forest track for about 2 miles until you reach the 5-way intersection. Treat this as a roundabout and take the 3^rd exit, continuing for about three quarters of a mile or so until your route meets the Source of the Severn Walk. Turn right at this point, leaving the forest track, and follow the path out onto Pumlumon (Plynlimon) and the Source of the Severn. This is your third check point.

4. Having reached the Source of the Severn, retrace your steps to the forest track and turn right then immediately left. You are now on the Severn Way (SW). Follow this down hill, over the small bridge, to the Blaen Hafren Falls and the next forest track. Turn right then left again along the SW and follow it down through the trees, over a second small bridge and on to a third bridge where SW meets the Wye Valley Walk. Cross the bridge and continue along the track, meeting the board walk that takes you on to the car park at Rhyd y Benwch. This is your fourth check point and there are toilets here.

5. From the car park, return to the river, turn left along the SW and follow it along the bank and up the wooden steps and into the field. Your route then continues above the river and passes along another stretch of boardwalk before entering, and going through, a conifer plantation. On emerging from the trees turn right over the bridge, then turn immediately left and continue ahead for about 200 yards until you see the ‘Severn Break Its Neck’ falls down on your left. Cross the falls and turn right, after which you will emerge onto a tarmac road. Turn right along the road and follow the SW way-marks, past Guefron Farm on your right, until you come to a bridleway finger post pointing along a track up to your left. At this point leave SW and walk left up the track way-marked SS. Follow the green lane up the hill and through Brithdir, then along the track up to the tarmac road.  This is your fifth check point.

6. Turn right 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 Short Bridge. 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.