All walks › Tywi Valley and Carmarthen
Tywi Valley and CarmarthenPaxton’s Tower
Folly on a hill above the Tywi, built to spite an electorate, and a view down the Tywi that takes in two castles from underneath it.
- Distance
- 3.1 mi / 5 km
- Time
- 1 hr 45
- Ascent
- 160 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
Field paths loop from the tower down into the valley and back up. Short with a steady climb on the return.
Worth knowing
- Sir William Paxton built it in 1806 after losing an election, allegedly having promised a bridge instead.
- The National Botanic Garden of Wales is two miles away and the great glasshouse is worth a day.
- The view takes in Dryslwyn and Dinefwr castles and the whole Tywi valley.
What you’ll see
The triangular tower, the Tywi valley and its castles, and the Black Mountain beyond.
Background
Paxton spent a fortune contesting the 1802 election, lost, and built the tower as a monument to Nelson and a gesture to his voters.