All walks › Ystradgynlais & the South
Ystradgynlais & the SouthCray Reservoir
A quiet circuit of a small reservoir in the western Bannau, with Fan Gyhirych filling the view and almost nobody about.
- Distance
- 3.1 mi / 5 km
- Time
- 1 hr 40
- Ascent
- 120 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
Follow tracks around the reservoir shore, crossing the inflow at the head and returning on the opposite side. Undulating but never steep.
Worth knowing
- Far quieter than the Talybont or Beacons reservoirs and just as pleasant.
- Wildfowl in winter, and the light on the water in the late afternoon is the best of it.
- Exposed to westerly wind across the open water.
What you’ll see
Open water, moorland, Fan Gyhirych above, and wildfowl in the colder months.
Background
Cray was built in the 1900s to supply Swansea, part of the same wave of reservoir building that reshaped the uplands of mid and south Wales.