A beautiful forest with trails and waterfalls has been named the UK’s best autumn walks. Hafren Forest lies north-west of Llanidloes, an ancient market town in central Wales. The forest covers around 15 square miles and consists mainly of pine and spruce trees.
It takes its name from the Afon Hafren (Welsh for ‘River Severn’), which rises in a deep peat bog half a mile west of the forest, high on the slopes of Pumlumon, the highest mountain in central Wales. In no time at all, the river becomes a torrent with falls and cascades plunging headlong through the forest. Planted in 1937, the forest is continually changing with the felling and planting of trees. It was created on the land of 12 upland sheep farms that had been purchased. The forest is home to Bronze Age copper and lead mines, most notably “Nant yr Eira” and “Nant yr Rickett”. Although the forest still produces timber for Natural Resources Wales, it has also developed as a wildlife habitat and as a tourist attraction. The red kite is seen in the area, along with many other birds, plants and animals.
There are numerous footpaths, and many bridleways that are popular for mountain biking and horse riding. A walk along one of the trails, which are waymarked from the car park, is a great way to enjoy the river.
The longest route takes you to the Source of the Severn, just outside the forest’s boundary. At 8.1 miles, the trail is ‘strenuous’ and takes about five hours to complete.
The next longest is the Blaen Hafren Falls Trail, with views of the waterfall. It is a ‘moderate’ route that is 3.8 miles long and will take about one and a half hours.
The well-known Severn-Break-its-Neck Trail is ‘moderate’, 1.4 miles long, and takes an hour to complete. It has views of a wildflower meadow, the river, and a waterfall.
The shortest route is the Cascades Walk, which is ‘accessible’, 0.6 miles, and only takes 30 minutes. It is a boardwalk trail along the river to the cascades.
There are picnic areas near the car park and a riverside accessible trail to a viewing platform over the cascades.
