The Caerfanell is a river which rises in the central section of the

Brecon Beacons National Park Brecon Beacons National Park, officially named Bannau Brycheiniog National Park (), is a National parks of the United Kingdom, national park in Wales. It is named after the Brecon Beacons (), the mountain range at its centre. The national park ...

Powys Powys ( , ) is a Principal areas of Wales, county and Preserved counties of Wales, preserved county in Wales. It borders Gwynedd, Denbighshire, and Wrexham County Borough, Wrexham to the north; the English Ceremonial counties of England, ceremo ...

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

. It rises as Blaen Caerfanell on the plateau of Gwaun Cerrig Llwydion and drops steeply down south-eastwards into the head of Glyn Collwn before turning east then north-east into Talybont Reservoir. It emerges from th
hydro turbine
beneath the dam just above the village of Aber and continues northwards to its confluence with the

River Usk The River Usk (; ) rises on the northern slopes of the Black Mountain (''y Mynydd Du''), Wales, in the westernmost part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Initially forming the boundary between Carmarthenshire and Powys, it flows north int ...

at the hamlet of Llansantffraed. Its principal tributaries are the Nant Bwrefwr, Nant Tarthwynni, Clydach and Cwy.Ordnance Survey Explorer map OL12 'Brecon Beacons National Park: western area'

Access

The river is shadowed for much of its length by the

Beacons Way The Beacons Way (Welsh: Ffordd y Bannau) is a waymarked long distance footpath in the Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales. It is a linear route which runs for east to west through the National Park, and passes many of the most important landmar ...

and by the eastern loop of the

Taff Trail The Taff Trail () is a Walking in the United Kingdom, walking and cycle path that runs for between Cardiff Bay and Brecon in Wales. It is so named because it follows the course of the River Taff. Along much of its length, it follows the Natio ...

. Its uppermost reaches are within open country and accessible to walkers. Paths accompany the river at Blaen y Glyn where it and its tributary the Bwrefwr, drop over a series of falls which are a very popular natural attraction during both summer and winter months.

References

{{authority control Brecon Beacons Rivers of Powys Rivers of the Brecon Beacons National Park