11 kilometres (7 miles) involving 400 metres of ascent (1300 feet)
Compiled by: Anne Pritchard
Weather can change very rapidly in this area of the National Park. Protective clothing should be taken and walking boots are a necessity, as is an OL 13 Ordnance Survey map
Take the road downhill at the left of the pub. Cross a bridge over the Afon Honddu, go over the stile opposite and turn right on a way-marked footpath alongside the river and across fields, bearing left around some woodland, for 700 metres to Strawberry Cottage [3129-2149].
There is an information board for the woodland nature reserve just over the fence at the corner of the woodland.
Pass in front of the cottage and keeping close to the wall on your left, take the path up following the edge of Strawberry Cottage Woods, through a plantation then across a hillside field to Great Llwygy farm [3198-2150] with a mast in the trees on your left.
At the farm, turn left on a track and follow the ‘Beacons Way’ way-marks for 2 kilometres, past Trawellwyd, as far as an information board on Hatterrall Hill [3206-2296].
The ramparts of Pentwyn Iron Age Hill-fort are on your right.
Follow the wall on your left for 500 metres.
The stone walls of the enclosure which comes into view up ahead of you provide shelter and a good place to stop for a break while you take in the view.
One of the Art Installations on the Beacons Way Art Trail is set into the wall on the eastern side of this enclosure.
Turn left on a track past Three Wells farm, until you reach a gate marked Box Tree Cottage. Go through the gate and, after 80 metres, where the dry-stone wall on your left turns left and the track which you have been following veers to the right, LEAVE THE TRACK and follow a faint grassy path straight ahead over the brow of the hillside. The path soon becomes more obvious as it begins to descend. Go through a gate onto Access land [3110-2323].
* After 250 metres, just before a stile, turn right on a sheep-track following the mountain wall for 1 kilometre. When the wall turns sharp left at the head of the valley, follow it down to meet a distinctive path coming in from the ridge on your right. Continue through a gate and down to a stream, cross the stream and go through a gate onto a path which, after approximately 800 metres, takes you through Ty-hwnt-y-bwlch [3030-2399].
* There is an alternative route from the stile in the previous paragraph, which is recommended if the sheep track is overgrown with late summer bracken.
After 250 metres, cross a stile and bear right on a footpath (shown on the OS map) keeping above the ruins of Ty Canol and to the right of a stone barn and across fields to Blaenyoy Farm. Go through the farmyard and up a grassy track, cross a stile and turn left to cross a stream. Go through a gate onto a path which, after approximately 800 metres, takes you through Ty-hwnt-y-bwlch [3030-2399].
Keeping the mound of Cwmyoy Graig on your right follow the path around it, turning right at a point where a smaller path heads straight on down, then left where your path turns away from the Graig between drystone walls, to emerge at a T-junction and information board. Go left through a gate and down to Cwmyoy Church [2990-2338].
This fascinating old church is built on a landslip and is said to lean more than the leaning tower of Pisa. Do take a few minutes to go inside the church and have a look around.
Turn left out of the church, go through the gate and turn right onto the road ahead and on a bend after 25 metres turn left onto a footpath. Follow the wall on your left to the corner, then go straight ahead until the stile which you are heading for comes into view. Carry on following way-marks across the fields to Perthi-crwn [3082-2314].
Walk up the drive between some restored buildings, and carry straight on for 70 metres until you reach the edge of the field. Ignoring a more obvious path to your left, head slightly right and down across the corner of the field to a gate, go through and follow the hedge on your left through a second gate into a green lane. Turn right at the end, parallel to the hedge, and go down to a gate. Turn right into a lane and after 150 metres go left over a stile [3089-2269].
Follow the way-marks straight across the fields, a footbridge and a ford (with stepping stones) to a gate and stile onto the lane by the Honddu bridge, cross the bridge and head back up the lane to the Queen’s Head.
© Anne Pritchard