This short woodland wander to one of Britain’s most unusually named waterfalls is ideal for a family adventure, come rain or shine, says
Abigail Whyte
aving an adventurous but young family, it can sometimes be challenging for me to find walking trails manageable for little legs. Thankfully there is an ideal place in the Radnor Forest not far from our home. Once the royal hunting ground of Norman kings, the forest is now a landscape of hill farms, moorlands and steep, narrow valleys, patrolled by red kites.
HPICTURESQUE LAND
Warren Wood is 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, now dwarfed by towering beeches, oaks and conifers planted in the 1800s to provide a bit of scenic beauty for the picturesqueloving Victorians.
There are three short trails in the wood, each waymarked with coloured signs. All three routes are worth walking, but our go-to is the Water-breakits-neck Trail (blue waymarkers).
FAIRY FALLS
Starting from the Warren Wood car park, the Water-break-itsneck Trail (¾ of a mile) climbs gently south of the river for 500m to a spectacular viewpoint over the top of the puzzlingly named Water-breakits-neck falls. The small but gorgeous cascade has created its own microclimate. We have been lucky enough to visit just after a spell of rain when the cascade was in full vigour, and we were very thankful for our waterproofs. The fine rainbow mist in the air and green lushness of the gorge make for a perfect fairyland setting, and if it’s a hot day, there’s nothing more refreshing than pulling your boots and socks off for a cooling paddle.
ARBOREAL VALLEY
Continue to follow the blue markers, first climbing to the other side of the valley, then descending through more woodland back to the car park.
The slightly shorter Waterfall Walk (⅓ of a mile, follow the red waymarkers) leads you along a stream past curtains of ferns, moss-covered boulders and oaks dripping with lichens to the bottom of the falls.
The Warren Trail (1½ miles, follow the green waymarkers) is an energetic loop away from the waterfall, taking in the largest trees of the woodland and some ornate stone bridges crossing the Black Brook. While it’s only a short walk, there are some strenuous climbs. All three trails are manageable in a day, allowing time for picnic stops and paddles.
How to get there: