Dog Walks: Brecon Beacons Via Neuadd Reservoir

Dog Walks: Brecon Beacons Via Neuadd Reservoir, this is a nice walk along tracks, through field and forestry, and of course passing next to the Neuadd Reservoirs, not forgetting the stunning views of the mountains.

Start/finish: Blaen Y Glyn Car Park

Directions: Blaen-Y-Glyn is part of Talybont. Talybont-On-Usk is the nearest town or village. Turn off the A40 following signs for Talybont-on-Usk between Brecon and Bwlch. Once in Talybont-on-Usk follow signs for Talybont reservoir, passing through the village of Aber, continuing until Forestry Commission Car Park signs are seen, you will pass by a Forestry Commission car park at the bottom of the incline, but continue up the steep incline and just where the road levels you will see a gravel road off to a sharp right, turn here on to the gravel road and it will lead you into the Blaen Y Glyn Car Park located in trees over a cattle grid.

Parking: Blaen Y Glyn Car Park, free to park at the time of writing, but ensure you are there in good time as it got very busy.

Nearest Public Conveniences: Talybont on Usk

Approximate Total Mileage: 5.6 Miles

Terrain: Stony Paths, Gravel Tracks, Grassy Tracks, some ditches to step over, some steady ascents and descents, hard country road, please be aware that there are some poles laid down for you to walk along to help you through a boggy area a short distance after the reservoir.

Description of suitability of and ability: sadly due to the nature of the terrain this route is unsuitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs.

Please keep your dog under strict control as there are livestock in these areas, and some steep drops!

*Click on the images below to enlarge*

Dog Walks: Brecon Beacons via Neuadd Reservoir Route:

Standing in the Blaen Y Glyn car park, leave the car park by the same exit as you entered in your car. Follow the gravel road until it joins the hard country road, here you turn right and follow along the edge of the road.

Follow along the edge of the hard road, you will go along the level, and then drop down a hill, eventually you will come to a cattle grid, pass over the cattle grid or the gate next to it, and a few steps beyond the cattle grid turn right into a large gravel car park type area.

Ahead you will see the green metal Forest Gate with Cycle Route 8 on the left gate pillar, pass around the edge of this and follow the wide gravel track ahead. In a very short distance you will come to a fork in the tracks, the left track drops down to the left and is signed Cycle Network, however you stay on the level right hand track.

Continue on until you get to the next obvious fork next to the Wooden Taff Trail Marker Post, here the main wider gravel track forks right up the hill, however you need to take the left fork which takes you on a narrower level path, and through a pedestrian gate into a field.

Continue through this field, you are walking along the top side of the field running parallel to the fence-line, you will then come to another pedestrian gate, go straight through this, and continue ahead on the top side of the field running parallel to the fence-line, you will then come to another pedestrian gate, pass through this and keep following the path ahead, you then come to another pedestrian gate, pass through this and continue straight ahead on the path.

The path soon comes to an end where it meets a hard road. Here you literally walk straight ahead and take the stony track which forks right off the road, you pass directly between No Vehicle Signs on either side of the track. Continue up this stony rocky track, you will for the most part have the forestry area on your right and a post and wire fence on your left.

Eventually the track will bring you up to a wide metal gate, pass through the gate and follow the stony track down a very steep but short descent, over a stream and up the short but steep ascent on the other side At the top of the short steep ascent you will see there is a track drops off down through the field to your left, you turn eft here, do not continue on the track which sweeps slightly right and heads on up the mountain. The path you take drops down to large metal gate in a hedge line. Go through the gate and turn right.

Follow along the track and you will meet a hard country lane, here you turn sharp left on to the hard country lane and follow it around some bends next to old Water Works Buildings. You will see the Reservoir down on your right. Just as you reach the end of the last building on your left, and before you get to the metal gate ahead, look right and you will see a path dropping down to the right just infront of two signs, take this path down this incline. The path then crosses over a little metal footbridge, and then leads you up on to the dam, continue to walk along the grassy path on the top of the dam.

At the end of the dam wall, and just after an orange Lifebuoy on your right, the path then bears left past a sign on your right ‘no diving, no swimming sign’ and takes you through a metal gate.

Once you get through the gate, turn sharp left down the hill, it almost follows the telegraph poles down the hill, at the bottom of the hill the path crosses over the stream, follow on the path on the other side of the stream, and soon you will come to a fence-line with a stile

Cross over the stile and follow the path on the other side, you are now following alongside a wooded area on your right, with a larger taller forest ahead of you. Whilst following the path and just before the wooded area ends your right take care as there is a deep but narrow ditch to cross. Continue ahead on the narrow stony track.

Your track then cross another tiny stream, there is a very tall wooded area on your right, and there is another wood over to your left. Here you will get to a very boggy area with poles laid down to walk along, pick your way through here carefully! Soon the very tall wood on your right ends and a slightly shorter one begins, here you need to cross another stream but there are stepping stones, you are still running along the path on the same route as the telegraph wires. You will pass occasional footpath signs, the path gets firmer under foot too.

Continue on this path in between wooded areas on your left and right, you will cross over another stream, down an incline, into trees and eventually you will come to the Forest green and yellow metal gate, pass by the side of this, walk forward to the hard country road, and turn sharp left down the slope.

You pass by a Bothy building on your right, then the bottom of the slope the road bears right over a stone bridge, cross over the bridge, follow the road as it bears slightly left up the hill, and soon after you will see the Cycle Network 8 sign and a track off to the right, you turn right here, there is also a car park here on your right.

Ahead of you is another green and yellow Forest gate, pass by this and continue up the gravel track. Towards the top of the incline, the gravel track eventually comes to another green and yellow Forest gate, pass by this and here also the track meets another track, you turn right here. The track goes round a right hand bend, past another green and yellow Forest gate, and soon you will come back to the hard country road.

When you meet the hard country road, turn left, either cross over the cattle grid, or go through the adjoining gate, and follow up the side of the road up the hill, eventually the road levels off, and in the area where it starts to drop down steeply, you will see the gravel road off to the left which leads you back into the Blaen Y Glyn car park where your car is parked.