Ceredigion Coast
The Hafod Estate
Picturesque landscape laid out in the 1780s, with walks engineered through gorges to waterfalls and viewpoints, being restored after two centuries of neglect.
- Distance
- 4.3 mi / 7 km
- Time
- 2 hr 30
- Ascent
- 250 m
- Difficulty
- Demanding
- 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
The Gentleman’s Walk and the Lady’s Walk loop through the estate to the falls, the cave and the alpine bridge. Steep and stepped in places.
Worth knowing
- Thomas Johnes planted several million trees here and built walks specifically to frame views.
- The house was demolished in 1958 but the designed landscape survives and is being restored.
- Some paths are rough and the gorge sections have drops.
What you’ll see
Engineered walks and viewpoints, waterfalls, the Ystwyth gorge and the church.
Background
Hafod was the most celebrated picturesque estate in Wales, visited by Coleridge and Turner among many others.