Break-Its-Neck Waterfall, Llyn Heilyn and Bryn-y-Maen

The walk starts from Warren Woods, just under a mile from the village of New Radnor, so named for the labyrinth of rabbit warrens that kept the locals fed for centuries. In those days, the area was a large moorland, but the Victorians decided to create a picturesque forest and it is now dwarfed by towering beeches, oaks and conifers as a backdrop to the main attraction of the area, the Water-Break-Its-Neck waterfall. The waterfall is a spectacular site after a few days' rain, but can be reduced to a trickle after a long, dry period. It plunges into a deep gorge with its own microclimate.

After exploring the woodland and waterfall, the walk climbs out of the valley on a very steep path and the rest of the walk is across moorland with some spectacular views. Lynheilyn is encircled, a natural lake on the Welsh moors, then an ancient stone-lined track is followed higher up onto the moors. There are plenty of opportunities to see birds on the walk. The area is popular with red kites and it is actively managed for one of the largest populations of red grouse in Wales. As you would expect, there is also a variety of different species that can be spotted in and around the lake, including wigeon, tufted ducks, teals and curlews.

You may be tempted to tackle the walk immediately after heavy rain to see the waterfall at its best. However, there are several ford crossings on the moorland and these may become impassable after a lot of rainfall. There had been some recent rain after I took on the walk to see the waterfall at its best and the streams that had to be crossed later in the walk were just about passable, so it is just a case of getting the balance right.

Wales - Mid Wales - Powys - Countryside

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Walk id: 8689

Walk grade

Moderate Walk

Length

7.7 Miles

Height gain

360 Metres

Duration

3 Hours 42 Mins

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