Day 1 of the Brecon Beacons Way - Llangadog Station to Carreg Cennen Castle

(S) Leave Llangadog Station through a white gate and turn right along Station Road (A 4069) crossing the railway line with care. Go past the Telegraph Inn and head into the village. Go over the bridge that crosses the Afon Brân and continue to the church. After passing The Red Lion but before reaching The Goose & Cuckoo, turn right up Walters Road by the newsagents. At the top (50m) turn left and follow the road out of the village, heading for Pont Carreg-Sawdde. The road arches round to the left to meet the main road again but turn sharp right next to a bus shelter along Bethlehem Road to go over the bridge that crosses the Afon Sawdde to Felindre. At the road, junction bear left and follow Bethlehem Road for about 100m with cottages on both sides. At a sharp left hand bend in the road, take the narrow lane off to the right that leads up to another road junction in about 100m. Here, turn left to head out of the hamlet, heading for Bryngwyn Farm. Go through the farm to reach the minor road and keep straight on, heading south-west to Bronallt Farm. Go straight past, still on the minor road, until you get to Dolau farm, then bear left up a track to the woods. Follow this track through the woods to emerge once again on the main Bethlehem Road. Turn right and follow the road into the hamlet of Bethlehem.

(1) Ignore the road going off to the left and press on past the Post Office until you reach a track leading off to the left, next to a yellow gritter box and Public Footpath sign. Go through a farm and continue to the minor road. Here, turn right and head past Glangeidrych and Rhuad-y-môn. Go past a T-junction (road joining from the right) and head uphill, still on the road until you reach a road leading off to the left, over a cattle grid to a small car park. From the car park take the path up the hill to Garn Goch Hillfort. Keep straight on over the other side of Y Gaer Fach (the Little Fort) to Y Gaer Fawr (the Big Fort), bearing north-east then turning south to Garn-wen. Follow the track south, climbing towards Carreglwyd, keeping to the west of Pen y Bicws. Bear right to enter the wood, then turn 90º left at a crossroads of paths near some small buildings to head south-west out of the woods and along with Carn Powell (a low crag). Go down to the crossroads next to some woods on the left and carry straight on, along the road sign-posted Trapp (heading south-west) to pass a road coming in from the right and another woods on the left, Blaencib. Before you get to Hafod Farm (on the right) take the path leading off to the left at the end of the woods and just after a track on the left with a metal gate. Go over the style and head over the moorland to a disused quarry. Heading south-west, then south, yen south-west again, the path with coming out at Cilmaaenllwyd Farm. Head through the farm to Castle View

(2) From Castle View, follow the signs to Carreg Cennen Castle, avoiding the road off to the right (no through road) eventually reaching The Barn café. If you have time, a visit to the castle is recommended (£5.50 Adult entry fee). Otherwise, head over to Ffairfach for the night as there is little or no accommodation near the castle. If you are on a one-day-trip you can catch a train in Ffairfach back to Swansea or back to Llangadog if you left your car there.(E)

Getting to Llangadog Station can be wearisome but the train can get you there from Bristol, Cardiff and Swansea or from Manchester, Birmingham and Shrewsbury in a certain amount of comfort. I personally prefer to get to the destination the day before if transport is complicated but a midday start is no big deal for this walk if you are doing it in the summer months (the recommended period being May to September). If the days are short, you'll have to get started sooner. Overnight stays at the end of the route are non-existent, so organise a taxi to take you to Ffairfach or wherever you have got a bed for the night (remember to book it for the next day to take you back to the trail).