All walks › Caerphilly and the Eastern Valleys
Caerphilly and the Eastern ValleysBlaen Bran Community Woodland
Two reservoirs in a hanging valley above Cwmbran, with community-planted woodland replacing conifer and open mountain above.
- Distance
- 3.1 mi / 5 km
- Time
- 1 hr 50
- Ascent
- 220 m
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Shape
- Circular
Where it is
The circle shows the general area, not the exact start. Use the directions link below to get to the car park itself. Contours and paths shown are OpenTopoMap, drawn from OpenStreetMap data.
The route
You climb from Upper Cwmbran to the reservoirs and into the woodland, returning by a loop. Steady climbing.
Worth knowing
- The woodland is community-owned and is being restored from conifer to native broadleaf.
- The reservoirs supplied the ironworks villages below from the 1830s.
- The ridge above links to Twmbarlwm for a longer day.
What you’ll see
The two reservoirs, young native woodland, and the Severn estuary from the tops.
Background
Blaen Bran was bought by the community in 2010, one of the first community woodland buyouts in Wales.