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Brechfa Forest – Abergorlech, near Carmarthen

What's here

Mountain bike trail
Parking (free)
Picnic area
Play area
Toilets
Walking trail

The Gorlech Walk and the Forest Garden Walk are diverted due to a landslide.

Please follow all instructions and diversion signs on site.

Welcome

Abergorlech is home to a picnic site with childrens' play area in a wooded location where the Gorlech and Cothi rivers meet.

Strangely shaped stones have been found in the river, and examples of these Gorlech Stones are displayed in the front gardens of cottages in the villages.

Sewin (sea trout) and salmon find their way up the river Gorlech each year to spawn.

There are three waymarked walks from Abergorlech, one of which goes to Brechfa Forest Garden.

There are portaloos in the car park.

Walking trails

The walking trails are waymarked from start to finish.

Look out for the information panel at the start of the trail.

Find out about walking trail grades.

Riverside Walk

Grade: Easy
Distance: 1 mile/1.7 kilometres

This mainly level woodland trail goes alongside the scenic river Gorlech, over a humpback bridge and then returns along the forest road.

Gorlech Walk

Grade: Moderate
Distance: 3.5 miles/5.7 kilometres

This delightful trail follows the River Gorlech along forestry roads before crossing a small bridge on to a footpath and climbing uphill through mature woodlands made up of mixed broad leaf trees and conifers.

Forest Garden Walk

Grade: Strenuous
Distance: 5 miles/8.3 kilometres

This trail goes to Brechfa Forest Garden (see below)

The forest garden is made up of half of the tree species that are able to grow in the British Isles. They were planted by the Forestry Commission in the last century to assess how well they grew in Britain.

Mountain bike trail

All our mountain bike trails are waymarked from start to finish and have been graded for difficulty.

At the start of the trail there is an information panel – please read this before setting off.

Find out about mountain bike trail grades.
For a list of our mountain bike trails and information to plan your ride, go to mountain biking.
For more information about mountain biking in Wales, go to the Mountain Bike Wales website.

Gorlech Trail

Grade: Red (difficult)
Distance: 19 kilometres
Alternative starting point: Sifigwm woodland car park (OS grid reference: SN 553 395; on a minor road off the B4337, half a mile from the village of Rhydcymerau)

This trail is a hard, fast, all weather surface which becomes more and more exciting as your skill level and speed progress.

Highlights include perfectly sculpted berms and huge switchbacks, jumps and tabletops.

Brechfa Forest Garden

This was created by Forestry Commission staff in the late 1950s and early 1960s (but with the most recent plantings in 2004).

They planted a variety of trees, mainly coniferous, to assess their suitability for use in British forestry.

Many of these trees have matured and now form an arboretum with a difference as, instead of one or two trees of each type, there are whole stands of trees from all over the world.

These include:

giant redwoods from California
eucalyptus from Australia; nothofagus from South America
firs from all the continents
a variety of European species like sessile oak, walnut and spruces

Brechfa Forest Garden can be reached on the Forest Garden Trail.

Brechfa Forest

Brechfa Forest is the modern name for part of the ancient Glyn Cothi Forest.

Glyn Cothi Forest was managed for centuries by local people in order to provide building materials, products and grazing.

In 1283, following the final defeat of Wales by Edward I, Glyn Cothi became a Royal Forest administered under Forest Law for several centuries.

Since those days a very different forest has developed. In the 1900s Brechfa Forest was replanted with conifers by the Forestry Commission to boost Britain’s timber reserve after the heavy use of timber in the First World War.

Brechfa Forest covers some 6500 hectares and is looked after by Natural Resources Wales for the benefit of people, wildlife and timber production.

There are also walking and mountain bike trails from the car parks at Byrgwm and Keepers and Gwarallt.

Horse riders are welcome on forest roads.

National Forest for Wales

Brechfa Forest forms part of the National Forest for Wales.

The National Forest will:

create areas of new woodland
enhance existing woodlands
restore Wales’ irreplaceable ancient woodlands.

In time it will form a connected ecological network running throughout Wales, bringing social, economic and environmental benefits.

For more information about the National Forest for Wales go to the Welsh Government website.

Opening times

Please check the top of this page for any changes to these opening times.

The portaloos are open at all times.

Closures and diversions

Please note:

Sometimes we need to close or divert trails for your safety whilst we undertake maintenance work or forest operations
Occasionally we may have to close a site in extreme weather, such as high winds or snow and ice due to the risk of injury to visitors or staff
Please always follow any instructions onsite and make sure you follow any temporary diversion signs in place