All walks › Brecon & the Usk Valley
Brecon & the Usk ValleyLlangorse Lake
The largest natural lake in south Wales, with a reed-fringed shore and a reconstructed crannog offshore. Quiet on a weekday, busy with boats in August.
- Distance
- 2.8 mi / 4.5 km
- Time
- 1 hr 15
- Ascent
- 30 m
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Shape
- There and back
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
From the common, follow the shore path along the water’s edge and through the reed margins, returning the same way. Level throughout, though wet underfoot in places.
Worth knowing
- The crannog reconstruction is visible from the shore and there are information boards explaining it.
- Great crested grebes display here in early spring, which is worth a special trip.
- Blue-green algae blooms can close the water for swimming in hot summers. Check before you plan to get in.
What you’ll see
Reed beds, grebes, reed warblers, and the artificial island out on the water.
Background
The crannog is a man-made island built around 890 AD, the only one of its kind in Wales, and almost certainly a royal residence of the kings of Brycheiniog. It was burned by a Mercian raid in 916.