Points of interest
The Twrch Valley is a wonderful place to walk. It is hidden away at the edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park, this peaceful valley has a history.
In ancient Welsh legend, this is where King Arthur and his men hunted the Twrch Trwyth, a monstrous boar who they chased across southern Wales. The valley is said to be named after the beast.
Beneath this beautiful valley and its surrounding hills is stored a mineral wealth which has played a large part in the history of the area. Cwmtwrch is at the northern edge of the South wales coal field. Here the raw materials which drove the industrial revolution were to be found; trees for charcoal, silica for firebricks, lime for iron smelting, iron ore and above all, anthracite coal The Miners’ Trail – Ffordd y
Glowyr links Upper Cwmtwrch village with this enchanting valley and provides a gateway
to the open spaces of the Brecon Beacons National Park. It runs along the wooded Twrch valley and follows the course of the old mineral railway which once served the collieries and quarries of the valley.
Abermarlais Estate has a long history. The original house was rebuilt by Admiral Thomas Foley in 1803. By the 1970s it was in a state of disrepair and burnt down in 1980. Only the barn, a walled garden and
stone bridge, as well as some remnants of Victorian planting in the woods remain. Via Julia – Roman Road which
used to run between Llandovery and Llandeilo – the A40 follows the Roman Road part of the way, but the A40 runs to the east of the Roman Road at Abermarlais. Aberdeunant farmhouse
belongs to the National Trust. Aberdeunant is a cruck-framed farmhouse thought to be a re-built late medieval hall- house. Many original features have been preserved. It owes its survival to the efforts of generations of the Thomas family who lived there from 1852 until 1997, when it was handed over to the care of the National Trust. It used to be possible to visit the house, on request, but this is not possible now.
Y Fan is an Iron Age hillfort. Apparently it was occupied around 500 BC. It lies on private property, but Alan Richards, in his book Great Walks of Carmarthenshire, said that the owners are happy for walkers to cross over to the fort, so long as they take care with the livestock.
Libanus Chapel, in Waunclunda, near Llansadwrn, has been closed for some time. It was purchased by the Welsh Religious Buildings Trust some years ago, but it has never opened it. The chapel was originally erected by the local congregation.