Taff Trail in South Wales

Over 3 days in late October we biked down this very scenic trail. We started in the small market town of Brecon, nestling in the Brecon Beacons National Park, and journeyed via mountains and the Welsh valleys to the capital, Cardiff.

Our family’s experience ranges from, Nathan (8) who has just progressed to a 24″ MTB, for whom this was his first long ride, my beloved, Mary, who cycles to work about once a week during daylight saving time, to me, who covers some 3k miles per year commuting. As this was our first taste of a family cycling holiday, we wanted something with lots of ‘traffic free’, not too arduous, yet varied enough to be interesting. This trail certainly fit the bill.

From Brecon, the trail follows the canal as far as Talybont, where it starts to climb into the mountains, first along roads, as far as the reservoir, then on a disused mountain railway which is now a logging track. (This was really the only section you wouldn’t want to try on a road bike.) At first the gradient is not too steep, but once past the point where the railway dived into a tunnel, the last half a mile of hill had Nathan walking, as I just couldn’t push him any more!

Once over the pass, it’s downhill all the way to Cardiff, surely, please. Well, nearly, there were a couple more climbs that morning on forest tracks, and one really interesting technical section involving a slippery wooden bridge at the bottom of steep gravel approaches. However, once past Ponsticill, you hit the real joy of this ride: tar-maced old railways. These lead smoothly and forever downhill towards the sea. The route is well signed, avoids roads so well that we struggled to find a place for lunch in Merthyr and is well maintained.

From Merthyr south, you’re travelling along the backs of what were once mining towns in the industrial heartland of South Wales. The contrast between the heather and bracken at the tops of the hills with overgrown slag heaps is stark, though no less beautiful in autumnal colours. All around are reminders of the industrial past, blast furnace relics in Merthyr, the ubiquitous railways, and, in Aberfan, a memorial garden for the school children killed when a slag heap moved.

Towards Cardiff is the fairy tale Coch Castle. There are two routes here, one up to the castle, which is a steep climb, the other (which we had intended to take) stays beside main roads and is far less scenic.

From here south, the route into Cardiff is full of people out jogging, for family rides, walking, and just enjoying being beside the river. We were lucky enough to see salmon leaping at waterfalls. The route through the city is easy, even with an 8 year old, as the only place you’re in contact with traffic is at controlled crossings. After passing the cricket and rugby stadia, you end up at the redeveloped docklands, with the formal start/end right beside the new National Assembly building.

Our journey: Day 1 10 miles to Brecon to Talybont reservoir, overnight at the Allt B&B in Talybont. Day 2, 30 miles from Talybont reservoir to Cilfynydd, overnight at the Commercial Inn. Day 3, 20 miles into Cardiff. We had a car with us, and at the end of each day, I’d cycle back to pick it up – which gave me a bit of a longer ride and saved us having to carry luggage with us.

A great route, loads of interest, and highly recommended.