Towy Valley
Towy Valley
The Towy Valley is one of the most beautiful in the whole of Wales; the River Towy itself is the longest flowing river which is just in Wales, at well over 70 miles. In the distance of the picture above you can see Dryslwyn Castle a famous landmark in the locally. But there are several castles in the Towy Valley.
The river rises in the Cambrian Mountains of Mid Wales and flows into Llyn Brianne a lake created in the late 1960s to control the flow of the river to provide water extraction further down the valley. This lake ran very low this summer 2018 when there was a shortage of rainfall and the flooded buildings were exposed once again. I remember well when they were last exposed back in the early 1980s.
From the wilds of Mid Wales the Towy flows past the many pretty but small market towns in the county, These include Llandovery, Llandeilo and Carmarthen and then past Llanstefan into Carmarthen Bay. As it enters the sea, the Towy is joined by the Rivers Gwendraeth and Taf. It is the Taf which comes out at Laugharne to which many of our visitors go and are astounded at the tranquil beauty of the estuary. The Towy Valley has lots of birdlife including dippers, grey wagtails and cormorants and is famous for salmon and sewin and more recently otters too. If you go to Paxtons Tower near Llanarthne you will get wonderful views of the valley.
In recent years Carmarthenshire and the Towy Valley in particular have become one of the most popular cycling destinations in the UK.
Visit this link here here if you are keen to find out about the many cycle trails which have been developed in the valley. Or click here to see our previous blog. If you would like to bring your bikes when staying at Old Oak Barn we have safe and secure storage available.
The youtube link below says it all!
Photos courtesy of Discover Carmarthenshire – thank you.
Towy Valley Cycle Path
Towy Valley Cycle Path
Who wouldn’t want to walk or cycle along the River Towy as in the picture below!
Looking east towards Dryslwyn from Paxton’s Tower
The views in this part of Wales are out of this world and it is no surprise that at last a proper walkway/cycle route is being developed in the Towy Valley. Plans are now well underway for the Carmarthenshire cycle route/footpath which will link Carmarthen with Llandeilo. It follows an almost adjacent route to that of the River Tywi also spelt Towy.
The path will link in with major tourist attractions through the stunning Tywi Valley countryside. These popular tourist attractions include of course Aberglasney and Dinefwr
A fantastic aerial shoot has been released – click here
The 16 mile Towy Valley Cycle Path path will cost between £5 and £8 million, and a strong set of partners and stakeholders are being formed with funding in place from Welsh Government and the council. It will also give people a sustainable and healthy travel option, connecting with villages between the two main towns. It is anticipated that this will bring in thousands more visitors into the county and we think some of our visitors here at Old Oak Barn will want to enjoy the walk too. The project will inevitably create a number of jobs which will also be a boost to the local economy.
The path is being developed in phases. Initial works have already taken place between Fronun and Bwlch Bach, near the concrete works in Abergwili. Talks with landowners are ongoing, and various grant applications are still being prepared and submitted. The timeline for opening has not yet been released but lets hope it is not too far in the future!
Walkers Are Welcome took the photo above which shows Llandeilo looking west down the valley with Paxtons Tower in the distance.
