All walks › Tywi Valley and Carmarthen
Tywi Valley and CarmarthenPumsaint and the Cothi
Riverside and farmland below the Roman gold mines, in a valley where the Romans cut seven miles of aqueduct along the contour.
- Distance
- 3.7 mi / 6 km
- Time
- 2 hr 10
- Ascent
- 220 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 follow the Cothi from the village and climb to the aqueduct line before returning. Gentle throughout.
Worth knowing
- The Roman aqueducts are visible as terraces along the hillside and are remarkable engineering.
- Dolaucothi gold mine is a short walk and has underground tours in season.
- The Pumsaint stone in the village is associated with five saints of local legend.
What you’ll see
The Cothi, aqueduct terraces on the hillside, and the mine workings above.
Background
The Romans built seven miles of aqueduct to bring water to the gold workings, using it to strip the hillside by hushing.