Page Two

A Self-Guided Walk from the Brecon Beacons Park Society

Waterfalls and Ridges (continued)

At 719 metres (2360 feet) Fan y Big is an excellent viewpoint (somewhat surprisingly it is actually lower than Bwlch y Ddwyallt) with a  terrific outlook to the major peaks of Cribyn, Pen y Fan and Corn Du and a great panorama of the park in general, with its multiple ridges, cwms and summits. Here you will also find the plinth of rock known as the “diving board”. It projects out over Cwm Cynwyn and features in many a dramatic photograph.
If you go out onto the “diving board” be aware that although the ground below is not as precipitous as some photographs imply you would never the less bounce a long way down!

The 'Diving Board' on Fan y Big

The route now descends from Fan y Big on the stone pitched path above the head of Cwm Cynwyn to Bwlch ar y Fan known as “the Gap Road” [0316-2053].  
At this point you encounter the farm track which is believed to have been a Roman Road possibly connecting the forts of Dol y Gaer and Y Gaer.
Cross the Roman Road and take the faint path running south, down towards the Upper Neuadd reservoir keeping the Nant Yr-hen-heol on your left (do not take the much more pronounced path which skirts round below Cribyn).
Bear left at a small cairn just before you reach the reservoir to avoid some boggy ground, cross the nant, and enjoy a gentle stroll through the stand of scots pines on the eastern bank of the reservoir.
From the eastern end of the dam continue on a land rover track, which becomes a metalled road, through woods to the filter house [0318-1800].
From the filter house walk along the metalled road for about 0.75km (0.5 miles) and just past where “the Gap Road” track joins from the left, go left onto the Taff Trail [0355-1733].
Follow the Trail for 1.6km (1 mile) through the forest to reach the Merthyr Tydfil to Talybont-on-Usk road. The remains of the Torpantau station are on the east side of the road [0500-1679] the unsafe station building having been demolished many years ago.
Turn left (north-east) and walk up the road over the last bit of uphill and back to the car park.

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