Stage 1 – Rhyd-y benwch (Hafren Forest car park) to Llangurig

It is possible to walk to the start point from Llanidloes along the Severn Way – this is a 13km (8mile) way marked route along minor country roads that follows the River Severn upstream.

Please make sure you are prepared with all you need for a day walking, including enough food and drink as there are no places to stop and buy anything along the way.

If you are collecting passport stamps for the Wye Valley Walk you need to make sure before you leave Rhyd-y-benwch take your photo beside the info board or scan the QR code on the ‘All Walks’ sign and collect your digital passport stamp when you have mobile signal later in the day.

When you’re ready – follow the ‘All Walks’ path downhill to meet the River Severn. Turn right along the boardwalk. Follow the gravel track uphill past the decked seating area, through the mossy woodland full of ferns and foxgloves in season, keeping left at the junction of paths to follow the river on your left. Pass a timber picnic shelter and follow the path round to the right and then cross the ‘Severn Bridge’. The streams here are stained bright orange, a sign of having flowed through copper-bearing strata.

The tiny stream is the River Severn – the next time it’s seen along the River Wye Walk is near the other end of the trail on Stage 17.

Turn left and follow the sign for the Wye Valley Walk. Follow the track beside the stream, the Afon Hore (‘afon’ is the Welsh word for river), ignoring the bridge and gates to either side. The path soon starts to gently climb, then more steeply along a shale path, as the stream beside you bubbles over boulders. Look out for bilberries in summer and lichens and mosses throughout the year. As you climb you will catch glimpses of the brooding moorland slopes of Plynlimon. When you reach a wide forest track, turn left over the bridge, where the Afon Hore forms a small waterfall. Take the first forest track on your right, which winds uphill along a series of wide bends.

During the 18th and 19th Centuries, mining for silver and lead was a major industry in this part of the country. In this valley there were at least four lead mines with Nant-yr-Eira Mine also producing copper. The remains of Nant-yr-Eira Mine are hidden in the woods down to the right of the track. In the late 19th century some 33 tonnes of lead were recovered from old Bronze Age open cut mine workings, shafts and levels here. With there being so many old mine shafts in this area – for safety, please stick to the main path.

Eventually you emerge from the forest and go through a metal gate (SN828 868). Continue on a gravel road which soon reaches a high point of 479m, where the view opens out below. Stay on the gravel road as it curves downhill.

If you would like to take a short detour to see the source of the Wye – the first signposted path on the right (at OS grid reference SN 825 872) leads to a viewpoint offering superb views towards the source (which is around 2km away). Whilst the land where the actual source of the Wye is is open access land, it is boggy, uneven and not waymarked, so not recommended. Plynlimon is the highest point in the Cambrian Mountains and one of the most important upland areas for nature conservation in Wales.

Back to our walk, the main gravel trail continues downhill, passing on the right the site of the Nat Lago Lead Mine which operated from 1846 to 1917. Please stay on the main path here as the former shafts are dangerous.

Continuing on, you go through a gate beside a small plantation. Soon after, at the junction of tracks, keep right downhill. At the next WVW signpost you catch your first glimpse of the Wye to your right, where a gage hut straddles the tiny stream, monitoring the flow of the Wye. Keep on the main gravel road, through a gate passing the Sweet Lamb Rally Complex (SN827850) to your right.

Keep straight on, ignoring the bridge to the right and instead walk further on to the left of the stock sheds. Ignore the road to the right. You will come to a small bridge over the Wye that you will cross. Continue on the farm track with the river to your left, ignoring any tracks off to left or right. The track becomes tarmac as you pass through the farmyard and motorcycle training facility buildings to reach the A44 at Pont Rhydgaled (SN 840 824).

Cross the A44 with care, turn left and immediately right (signposted Wye Valley Walk), crossing the Afon Tarrenig just before it flows into the Wye. Soon after the bridge, turn left to walk along a level forestry track until you reach a gate on the left (SN 851 821). If there has been heavy rainfall and the river levels are too high – you can take a higher route through the woodland that’s clearly marked on Ordnance Survey maps. Go through the gate and bear right on the track. When you reach the river bank, keep right of the fir trees (to avoid marshy area) and join the flood bank further along. Turn right through the gate into a meadow, ignoring the footbridge over the Wye to Llanifyny, and keep left to follow the field boundary. Go through a double set of gates over a stream.

Continue along the field boundary to the corner of the field and cross a small bridge over a stream. Turn left and go through a gate, turning right to walk along a tree-lined riverbank.  Go through another gate into a field and keep left along the riverbank. As the river curves to the right, keep to the left of the old fence line, heading for a gate in the distance. Go through this gate and walk straight ahead towards a nearby way marker.  Turn left and walk uphill to a way marker post to the left of the field. Keep on the same line uphill heading for a gateway with a way marker. Go through the gateway (may be muddy so watch your step) and keep left along a boggy section heading for another way marker. Continue across the field following the contour line to the way marker beside a tree. Head across the next field on the same contour. You will soon see a red bridge over the Wye in the distance. Aim for the gap in the hedge and keep going on the same line (across a boggy patch) and a small stream. As you near the bridge, head for a pedestrian gate. Go through the gate, over a small bridge and follow the fence down to the track in front of Hendre. Turn left and walk down to the river behind the wooden cabin and lake.

At the river, turn right to head towards a gateway. Go through the gate and bear right, away from the river, heading for a tall way marker sign. Turn left at the sign and follow the track to another gateway, heading uphill, away from the river. You pass a tumble down farm building on the right. Continue climbing through gates. Where the track levels turn left downhill. Keep on this track as it crosses a stream and curves around Ty-mawr Farm. At the weak bridge on the left, keep straight on, through the farmyard and keeping to the left to go through a gateway into the field. Continue along the riverbank, through fields on a stony track with the river just to your left, until you reach a gate where the track leaves the river, veering rightish. Keep to the right of the fence line on the stony track, taking a short cut as the river meanders left. At a large ash tree follow the path to the left of the tree to go through a gate. Head straight across the field and go through another gate to rejoin the riverside path.

Cross a tiny stream and keep straight on alongside the Wye. At the way marker, bear diagonally right towards a metal gate. Go through the gate, cross the bridge and follow the fence uphill to a gate on the right. Go through the gate into the woods and turn left. Follow the path around to the left and uphill to a tall waymarker. This area of recently cleared forest is liable to be overgrown with bracken in summer. You come out on a wide forest track where you turn left. Keep on, passing through a gate beside a cattle grid. Go through another gate to pass Pen-y-geulan to your left and turn right immediately down the lane. Cross the cattle grid and turn left down a tarmac lane. At the T-junction turn right beside Glangwy Farm Camping. Keep on this lane, ignoring the track to the left, go past Troed-yr-esgair. After Pen y Rhos cottage on the right go through a metal gate and keep straight on. Go through another gate and turn left straight away, over a stile and follow the fence on the left uphill, until reaching a stile on the left. Go over the stile and head diagonally right uphill across the field heading for a marker. Follow the marker to walk along the top of the old hedgerow bank and over a stile heading for another gate. Turn right before the gate and walk uphill to another stile. Go over the stile and turn left. Follow the fence uphill and just before the fir plantation ends the path turns right steeply uphill. Follow the fence line through a gate.

The path curves slightly to the right, but still mirroring the fence line, staying high to avoid boggy ground. Then turn left aiming for the gate in the corner of the field. (Note: gate is not in the location shown on the OS map.) Walk along the right hand fence line a short distance to pick up a track, curving to the left below the summit. Mirror the hedge line on the right, soon passing a gateway. Follow the sheep track along the same contour line. There is a bank to your right which may be obscured by bracken in summer.

Keep to the left of the bank and fence posts, eventually spotting two telecom towers. Head straight for them as the path descends, goes through a gateway (SN 899 793) and passes to the right of them. Go through a gate into Lywn-gwyn farmyard, around the pond and follow the track round to the right. Turn left onto a tarmac lane heading down to Llangurig, which you can now see in front of you. St Curig’s Church comes into view as you meet the Wye. At the main road, turn left over the bridge for services in Llangurig and to pick up your passport stamp at Llangurig Post Office Stores.

That’s stage one of the Wye Valley Walk complete.