Rhaeadr y Cwm — "waterfall of the valley" — on the Afon Cynfal in the Vale of Ffestiniog is one of those waterfalls that most visitors to Eryri never find. A short walk from the A470, largely unmarked, in a gorge of ancient oak woodland above the Ffestiniog valley, it is spectacular in spate and entirely its own in dry weather. This is Experience #95 of the Snowdonia 100.
Finding It
| Start | A470 near Ffestiniog village — look for the Afon Cynfal bridge |
| Distance | 1.5km each way on rough paths |
| Ascent | Minimal |
| Navigation | Requires OS map — paths not well-signed |
| Best conditions | After rain — the gorge is at its most dramatic in spate |
The Gorge
The Afon Cynfal cuts through a narrow gorge of dark volcanic rock in the floor of the Vale of Ffestiniog, its waterfalls and pools largely hidden from the surrounding farmland. The main fall — Rhaeadr y Cwm — drops approximately 12 metres over a lip of rock into a deep pool. The gorge walls carry ancient ferns and mosses; the oak woodland above filters the light into the rock cathedral below. In full spate after autumn rain, the falls fill the gorge with sound and spray.
Nearby: Cynfal Falls
The same gorge contains Rhaeadr Cynfal, a second waterfall upstream that is associated in legend with Huw Llwyd — a 17th-century poet, soldier, and reputed wizard who lived nearby and, according to tradition, communed with spirits in this gorge. The combination of spectacular natural feature and local legend is classically Welsh, and the walk through the gorge delivers both without the crowds that attend better-known sites.
Experience #95 of 100 — Hidden Eryri category.
Independently written — Snowdon.com