Sgwd Gwladys Waterfall
Waterfall Powys, Wales
About Sgwd Gwladys Waterfall
Sgwd Gwladys — or Lady Falls — sits on the Afon Pyrddin about a 30-minute walk from the village of Pontneddfechan along the mostly flat Elidir Trail. The river drops around 6–7 metres over a lip of 'Twelve Foot Sandstone', and because the rock tilts gently southward, the water is pushed against a high mudstone cliff before spilling over the left side of the ledge — giving the fall an asymmetric, theatrical look. The plunge pool below is large and deep enough to swim in. A path lets you squeeze around behind the curtain of water, which is most of the fun. The trail itself follows a route once used by horse-drawn drams carrying silica rock from 19th-century mines, and you can still spot one of the old mine workings along the way. The name goes back further: Gwladys was said to be a daughter of Brychan, the 5th-century king of Brycheiniog, and the Welsh name was anglicised to 'Lady's Falls' sometime before 1900. Autumn is a good time to visit, when the surrounding oak woodland turns and the river runs higher after rain.
Location & details
- Category
- Waterfall
- Region
- Powys, Wales, United Kingdom
- Coordinates
- 51.77132, -3.60088
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