Powys Walks

All walksLake Vyrnwy & the Berwyn

Lake Vyrnwy & the Berwyn

Llanwddyn and the Dam

A short circuit below the Vyrnwy dam through the woods of the rebuilt village, with the old village lying under the water above you.

Distance
2.5 mi / 4 km
Time
1 hr 25
Ascent
140 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

Walk out from the village on woodland paths and tracks, climbing to the dam for the view over the lake before returning. Short and sheltered.

Worth knowing

  • The village you are standing in was built to replace the one drowned in the 1880s. The graves were moved too.
  • The dam face is impressive from below, which most visitors never see.
  • Sheltered woodland walking, so a reasonable option in poor weather.

What you’ll see

The dam from below, mixed woodland, and the memorial to the drowned village.

Background

The original Llanwddyn, with its church, two chapels, three pubs and thirty-seven houses, lies beneath the reservoir. The inhabitants were rehoused in the new village below the dam in 1888.