Parking

To get to the car park, take the Crickhowell road out of Gilwern, past the garage on the left, turn left opposite the Corn Exchange pub and go up Church Road. The car park is a few hundred yards up on the right.

Directions

1. Facing the canal, turn left and follow towpath under Bridge 104 and pass Castle Narrowboats on the right. Cross the little bridge and turn left immediately to go down steep steps, then go left again under the canal.
2. Continue up track to join the road. Turn left and go through Maesygwartha village, passing Old Rectory Close on right and then Beaconsfield on left. After village limit sign, tur left down steep lane and continue to bottom of hill (Clydach House on the left).
3. Follow the road round to the right as far as the junction with the Heads of the Valleys road. Pass cattle grid on left, and go uphill on the Old Rock road. Just before you reach Church Road on the right, take a footpath through a gate on the left, signposted ‘Clydach Ironworks’.
4. The steps lead you to the underpass below the Heads of the Valleys road. The path forks after a few yards, continue downhill and follow ‘Clydach Gorge Heritage Trail’ markers to reach a gate. Take the driveway on the right as far as the iron bridge (1824), cross the bridge to enter ironworks. (An information board here gives the history of the site)
5. EITHER return by the same route ….
6. OR make a circular walk. Go to path at the far end of the works, go uphill to reach the road and turn right. Turn Right into Danycoed and turn right again to pass between bungalows then take footpath on the right passing through a gate. This leads to a footbridge over the Heads of the Valleys road.
7. On the other side turn right to join the Old Rock road again. Go downhill passing houses and take 1st left - no street name here. When the road forks take the right down Church Road. pass a footpath on the right, then Bethlehem Baptist Chapel on the left, eventually reaching the Maesygwartha sign again. It was here that you took the narrow lane to reach the Ironworks on the outward stretch.
8. At machine House on your left keep left along road to finally return to Bridge 104 and the car park.

Map

61GilwerntoClydachIronworks