Parking
Lay-by opposite Brithdir Village Hall. Use designated parking places only and do not block field entrances or residential access.
Overview
About Foel Caerynwch
Why go
- Wide Meirionnydd views from a quiet summit
- A compact loop with a real hill climb
Heads up
- Rough, wet field paths and stiles
- Parking is limited to the lay-by opposite the hall
The summit opens out to wide views across the Meirionnydd hills, and the smooth, rounded shape of the ground up here was carved by glaciers. The lower part of the loop threads through the long-settled farmland around Brithdir, with its scatter of old houses and field boundaries. This is a quiet hill rather than a busy one, so you may well have the top to yourself.
Parkwolf’s verdictThe payoffMap & elevation
The route
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Eryri Tour Guide
Your drive to Foel Caerynwch, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Eryri National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this area
Torrent Walk0:00 / 0:28
“You're approaching the B4416 lay-by for Torrent Walk near Brithdir, a loop through the Afon Clywedog's wooded ravine.”
Plays on the road 1.1 km from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Eryri Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- One Nugget, Five Rings
- Cloth Across the Atlantic
- Lunch at the Old Courthouse
- The Harpist Behind Tŷ Siamas
- 298 audio storiesacross Eryri’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Grey Heron, Tawny Owl, Common Raven, and 9 more
- Works offlinemaps, 120 trails, 82 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Foel Caerynwch
The route in briefA circular walk from the lay-by opposite Brithdir Village Hall up to the summit of Foel…
A circular walk from the lay-by opposite Brithdir Village Hall up to the summit of Foel Caerynwch (Y Foel) and back down a mapped return path. The complete loop measures around 2.3 miles (3.7 km), with about 1.5 hours typical walking time. Total ascent is about 175 m (570 ft), climbing from roughly 150 m at the road to a little over 320 m at the top.
How the walk unfoldsLeave the village hall along the pavement, heading towards the green bus stop and post box.
- Leave the village hall along the pavement, heading towards the green bus stop and post box.
- Turn left just before the chapel onto a no-through road and follow it past Cefn y Maes.
- Go through a gate towards Tyn Llidiart, then pick up the signposted permissive path and follow the stone wall.
- Cross a field and zigzag up the slope to the summit, which is where the climbing is concentrated.
- From the top, follow the white posts east across open-access land for about 400 m to a stile.
- Descend around the hawthorn trees, cross the lower field, join the public footpath and gravel track, then take the road back to the start.
Difficulty and footingGraded moderate.
Graded moderate. Paths are unsurfaced and steep in places, with rough grass, a stile to cross and field sections where the line on the ground is faint. The ground below the hawthorns on the descent can be very wet, so plan for boots and waterproof layers, and keep an eye out for the white posts on the open ground above. Carry a detailed topographic map, or a loaded GPS track, and know how to use it for the field crossings.
Parking and dogsStart and finish at the lay-by opposite Brithdir Village Hall.
Start and finish at the lay-by opposite Brithdir Village Hall. Use designated parking places only, and take care not to block field entrances or residential access. Dogs are allowed on the public footpaths and the open-access land here. On open-access ground they must be on a lead no longer than 2 m from 1 March to 31 July, and a short lead is sensible anywhere near livestock or wildlife. Expect sheep in the fields and at least one stile to lift a dog over.
If you want something longerA separate, considerably longer route links the wooded Torrent walk and the Caerynwch estate…
A separate, considerably longer route links the wooded Torrent walk and the Caerynwch estate with the same summit. Choose that one for a half-day outing with river and woodland scenery; choose this loop for a compact hill climb with a clear viewpoint at the top.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Eryri
77 sightingsGrey HeronMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
17 sightingsTawny OwlMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
32 sightingsCommon RavenMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
21 sightingsGreat Spotted WoodpeckerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
18 sightingsEuropean RabbitMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
161 sightingsViviparous LizardMost seen around 10 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Eryri. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
