A beacon of helpfulness

Nick Hatton wrote of his concern regarding accommodation and signage along the Beacons Way. I completed the walk in October 2016 and had a fantastic time, spending most nights in a B&B, one night in The Star Bunkhouse in Bwlch (highly recommended) and one night in a caravan.

Did I get lost at all along the route? Yes, twice, but that was because I wasn’t paying attention. In terms of accommodation on the Western side of the Beacons Way, it is doable even if each day’s route doesn’t end at a convenient distance from a B&B.

At the end of Day 4, I was fortunate to get a lift from the Storey Arms to my pre booked B&B in Libanus (Tai’r Bull) just a few miles along the A470. The following day I caught a bus opposite the pub back up to the Storey Arms for the start of Day 5.

The YHA in Llanddeusant was closed on Day 7, as it was only open when there were volunteers, so I stayed in a caravan at the Black Mountain Camp site. This did mean an additional 1.5 mile walk both days, a struggle at the end of a long day, but not impossible.

There isn’t any accommodation close to Carreg-Cennen Castle, but after calling one or two B&Bs in advance, the owner of the one I ended up staying at kindly picked me up from the castle and dropped me off the following day. Maybe that is an option? It was about 5 miles from the Castle.

If you’re feeling energetic the final day can be added on to Day 7, making it a 20+ mile walk, but then you wouldn’t need accommodation near the Castle.

In some places the signage could be a little better perhaps, but I think as long as you have a map and compass, plan well and pay attention to the route it’s doable without difficulty.

All the best with the rest of ‘The Beacons Way’ Nick!