Top Bluebell Walks in the Brecon Beacons
As Winter finally turns to Spring we are rewarded with the arrival of the iconic bluebells. The Brecon Beacons National Park is home to some spectacular nature reserves and woodlands which at this time of year produce fantastic wildflowers, including the much-loved bluebell.
The sight of bluebells is a seasonal highlight not to be missed. Whether you want to walk among them, or just sit back and marvel at the view, carpets of nodding blue flowers are beginning to unfold across the countryside and gardens in the Brecon Beacons. The bluebells are usually at their best in the National Park during the second and third weeks of May, but the timing depends upon the weather.
Here are our top bluebell walks for you to enjoy – why not make an afternoon of it and call in one of our pubs or cafes after your walk for a deserved drink or meal.
Incidentally, the bluebell has a couple of lovely Welsh names: bwtsiasen y gog means ‘cuckoo’s boots’ while cloch yr eos is ‘nightingale’s bell’. Oh, and our ancestors used bluebell-bulb glue to stick feathers to their arrows.
1.Pwll-yr-Wrach Reserve
The Black Mountains town of Talgarth is an excellent centre for nature-lovers, with superb woods where you can see bluebells, wood anemones and wild garlic in spring. The Brecknock Wildlife Trust’s Pwll-yr-Wrach Reserve is a beautiful spot to visit. Perfect to call in Talgarth Mill and Cafe or head to the award winning Old Railway Garden Centre in Three Cocks.
2. Castle Woods at Dinefwr Park and Castle, near Llandeilo
The bluebell display at Dinefwr Park really is a treat for the eyes and nose. Every spring, Castle Woods is carpeted with thousands of beautiful lilac flowers that grow in a race against time before the leaves return to the towering tree canopy, cutting off the sunlight once more. Learn all about Dinefwr Castle and enjoy some breathtaking views. Pop into the Cafe at Dinefwr Park, or we'd recommend heading into town to visit Diod or The Plough Inn, Rhosmaen (a short drive away).
3. National Botanical Garden Wales Springwoods and Pont Felin Gât
The National Botanic Garden of Wales has two great places you can experience bluebells. Spring Woods is best seen in both the Spring and autumn. In spring the wood is carpeted with a sea of celandines, primroses, violets and bluebells.
Pont Felin Gât is a beautiful wooded valley which offers visitors a chance to see a spectacular display of ancient woodland flowers and evocative remnants of the Middleton Hall Regency Park. 200 years ago, Pont Felin Gât was renowned for its iron-rich chalybeate springs and bisected by a necklace of lakes. Today you’ll find plenty of clues to its former uses, but you cannot miss a thundering waterfall. The National Botanic Garden of Wales also has a great cafe onsite.
4. Priory Groves, Brecon
Priory Groves is located next to Brecon Cathedral is a mixed woodland, bordering the Honddu river, with oak, beech, hazel and alder trees. Whatever the time of year there are always some birds to see. While you are near the river, look out for dippers at any time of year, and grey wagtails in summer. In spring and early summer, there is a good display of wildflowers.Call into Brecon Beacons Best Cafe The Hours Cafe and Bookshop.
5. Skirrid
A gentle stroll around the Holy Mountain during the end of April early May where the westerly slopes are carpeted with bluebells. Pop into the Walnut Tree Inn or Angel Hotel after.
6. Coed Cefn, Bluebell Woods, Crickhowell
Coed Cefn known locally as Bluebell Woods is dominated by a canopy of oak and beech and ground flora including bluebells and bramble, this ancient woodland site with an Iron Age hilltop fort alongside dry stone walls and hedge boundary incorporates a historical angle to your woodland enjoyment. Head to Book-ish Cafe, the Bear Hotel or the Dragon Inn after.
7. Coed y Bwnydd
Coed y Bwnydd is a National Trust site- the largest and one of the best-preserved hill forts in Monmouthshire. Today, dappled shade, birdsong and the heady scent of bluebells in spring means this gently rolling landscape continues to be a haven for people and wildlife alike. There are beautiful views of the Sugarloaf and wider Usk Valley.