DISCOVER
There are fine examples of plummeting H2O all over the country – these are just a few of our favourites.
Sgwd yr Eira, Rhondda Cynon Taf
Situated in the heart of what’s known as Waterfall Country in Brecon Beacons National Park (Bannau Brycheiniog), this curtain-like cascade is the highlight of the Four Waterfalls Walk – a local classic.
And the reason it stands out is not due to its height or power, but rather that it gives you the chance to do something you might never have done before – to actually walk behind a cascade.
Astrip of shale in the limestone has eroded to form a convenient ledge for you to walk along and view the world behind a curtain of falling water. This is actually a public footpath, though you can expect to get wet, and it’s not wise to try it when the river’s high.
Even without this fantastical thrill, Sgwd yr Eira (meaning Fall of Snow) is a magnificent sight, situated deep in lush woodland. And it would be rude to visit without checking out the other three falls on the same walk and in the same forest.
Sgwd Clun-Gwyn is the easiest to see and can be very loud – the water falling onto one ledge before the main drop. Sgwd y Pannwr is a broad cascade, often with several spouts across its breadth, giving it an enchanting quality. Then there’s Sgwd Isaf Clun-Gwyn – a sequential series of falls and pools.
WALK HERE: The waymarked Four Waterfalls Walk (or Four Falls Trail) begins at Gwaun Hepste car park (SN935123), north of the village of Pontneddfechan, and is 5½ miles long.
Falls of Glomach, Highland
These take a bit of reaching – a 12-mile return trip through a remote estate that will take you most of a day. But the rewards are wild Highland landscapes, and one of the tallest and most spectacular waterfalls in Britain.
The Falls of Glomach are 113 metres high and the name Glomach means hazy, due to the mist that often surrounds its powerful plummet. It drops so far into a deep gorge that it’s not possible to see the bottom from the main lookout – to do so requires a precarious descent down an exposed path.
The main path to the falls starts at the National Trust for Scotland’s Kintail & Morvich Estate.
WALK HERE: The easiest route for the walk is at walkhighlands.co.uk – search for Falls of Glomach.
Stickle Ghyll, Cumbria
Not so much a single waterfall as a series of smaller cascades. So why mention them? Well, they make an ideal introduction to ghyll scrambling (clambering up streams). So long as the water’s not too high, all the rocky ascents between the car park and Stickle Tarn are manageable for anyone who enjoys Grade 1 scrambling.
It’s a lot of fun, with pools to play in and the craggy peaks of the Langdale Pikes lo
