Review of Garwnant – Archie the Cocker

Hiya, I’m Archie! @archiewyn. I’m a 4-month-old golden Cocker Spaniel living in South Wales. I’m a bundle of energy and am always excited to be out and about exploring so I’m so excited to be writing a blog for dogfuriendly!

Garwnant is the PERFECT place for us four-legged adventurers. The visitor centre is situated at the foot of the Brecon Beacons National Park – so until I’m big enough to climb Pen-y-Fan with my humans, this is the ideal place for me.

There are so many great things about Garwnant, I wasn’t too sure where to start so I thought I’d be better off making a list!

The Walks at Garwnant

There so many different paths at Garwnant, it’s difficult to know where to start! From the car park, you can choose from three different routes – just follow the colour coded arrows! There’s a sign in human talk which explains all of the different routes – luckily there’s something for everyone, from little pups to big dogs which is why I’ve been going there since I was little!

The three routes from the visitor centre aren’t too long and come around in one loop which means there’s plenty of time to dry off after having a swim in the river and get rid of muddy paws in the long grass before hopping back in the car! You can even mix up your routes, you’ll easily find your way back to where you started!

Now – I don’t mean to be biased, BUT, my favourite trail is the Wern Walk. It’s the longest of the trails (which means more time to explore) and you get some of the best photo opportunities along the way. The Brecon to Cardiff Taff Trail also goes through the Visitor Centre so for any extra energetic explorer, this is a good route for you. The routes at Garwnant mean that although it’s a popular place to visit, there’s plenty of room for everyone.

The Cafe at Garwnant

There’s not much better than a dog friendly cafe! The staff here are always so welcoming and are ready to give me some attention when I walk through the door. The humans say that they have some delicious cakes (I mean, how would I know?!) and there’s always a cold drink for me too. Us well-behaved pups are welcome to relax inside, but I quite enjoy sitting at the picnic benches while the sun is shining!

The Sculptures at Garwnant

Now, bare with me on this one. Sculptures?! YES!

Along the trail are some beautifully carved wooden sculptures of well known fictional characters. I’m not afraid to say that at first, I wasn’t a fan of these! I got a little confused when the didn’t make a fuss of me and I thought they were REAL humans and animals. But they’ve grown on me, or rather I’ve grown on them!…it’s perfect for small humans (aka children) as they seem to know exactly who they are. I’m not too sure what a Gruffalo is.

Accessibility at Garwnant

This is an important one. I’ve mentioned already that there is something for everyone at Garwnant, and that really does mean everyone! The Willow Walk is accessible to wheelchairs and buggies. It’s a 1km loop from the car park and back to the Visitor Centre. Leaflets can be picked up from the Visitor Centre!

Bone-us Features at Garwnant!

• Garwnant has a large car park, and is only £2 per car (which means you can stay for as long as you like!)
• There’s also a park for any two legged short humans who want something to do.
• While you’re walking along the route you’ll see bilingual signs noting the names of different trees and flowers, again perfect for any curious children!
• Garwnant is a short journey along the A470 and is well signposted. It’s a must for anyone visiting the area or for locals wanting an interesting walking route close by!

Visited This Pretty Part of South Wales?

Have you ever visited the beautiful Garwnant? Let us know in the comments below. Follow Archie’s adventures via Instagram @archiewyn.