Henrhyd Falls Walk: Visiting the Highest Waterfall in South Wales

Henrhyd Falls was one of two waterfalls we visited while staying at Poston Mill Park in Herefordshire. The other was Sgwd Yr Eira, which involved a longer and more demanding walk.

Henrhyd Falls was quite different. The walk was much shorter and, from what I remember, easier overall. This made it easy to combine with a few other places we were visiting in the area that day.

The waterfall itself is also rather special. Henrhyd Falls is the highest waterfall in South Wales, dropping around 27 metres into a wooded gorge. You can also walk behind it, something that always makes a waterfall visit that little bit more memorable. 

About Henrhyd Falls

Henrhyd Falls is near the village of Coelbren, on the western side of Bannau Brycheiniog, also known as the Brecon Beacons National Park.

At around 90 feet or 27 metres high, it is the tallest waterfall in South Wales. It drops into the Graig Llech Gorge, surrounded by woodland, moss-covered rocks and ferns. 

There is also a rather fun film connection. Henrhyd Falls was used as the entrance to Batman's Batcave in The Dark Knight Rises. In the film, Batman disappears behind the waterfall to reach his lair. 

We didn't visit because of the Batman connection, but it is a nice little fact to know before you go.

Parking at Henrhyd Falls

There is a National Trust car park near Coelbren, and parking is currently free. The car park is just outside the village on the minor road towards Pen y Cae. Brown tourist signs point towards Henrhyd Falls from the A4067 and A4221. 

From the car park, you can either do the longer Henrhyd Falls and Nant Llech walk or simply walk down to the waterfall and return the same way.

We chose the shorter option as the waterfall itself was what we had come to see.

The National Trust gives the return distance from the car park to the falls as around one mile or 1.5 km. 

Walking to Henrhyd Falls

Although this is a short walk, it isn't completely flat.

From the car park, the trail heads downhill through the woodland. There are uneven sections, stones and steps along the route, so I would still recommend proper walking shoes.

Looking back at our photographs, there was quite a mix of terrain. Some parts were straightforward woodland paths, while others were rockier. We also crossed a small wooden bridge before continuing towards the waterfall.

The route also has a steep flight of stairs near the beginning as well as some uneven surfaces. The path can also become muddy and slippery after rain. 

Compared with our walk to Sgwd Yr Eira, however, I remember this one feeling much more manageable. It was certainly much shorter.

As you get closer, the woodland opens up and you begin to see the rock face and the waterfall ahead.

 

Seeing Henrhyd Falls

Our first proper view of Henrhyd Falls was lovely.

The water drops over a broad rock ledge into the pool below, with steep rock walls rising around it. Even though there wasn't a huge amount of water flowing when we visited, it was still impressive.

We visited in early April, and you can see from the photographs that the weather was actually very good. There was plenty of blue sky and sunshine coming through the trees.

I can imagine the waterfall looking completely different after a long spell of heavy rain. The National Trust says wetter conditions are one of the best times to see the falls, although naturally this also means muddier and more slippery paths. 

Personally, I didn't mind that the flow wasn't particularly strong during our visit. It also meant we could get quite close to the waterfall without being completely soaked by the spray.

Walking behind Henrhyd Falls

For us, this was the best part of the visit.

A narrow path follows the edge of the rock and takes you behind the falling water.

There is quite a difference between this and walking behind Sgwd Yr Eira.

At Sgwd Yr Eira, the path continues behind the waterfall and comes out on the other side. At Henrhyd Falls, the section behind the waterfall is effectively a dead end. Once you have walked behind it and taken in the view, you turn around and come back the same way.

You can see this quite clearly in our photographs. Bhavin, in the red jacket, gives a good idea of the scale of the waterfall and the narrow path beside it.

The ground here was rocky and damp, so we took our time. The National Trust also warns that spray from the falls can make the ground slippery. 

Even with the lighter water flow, standing behind the waterfall was great fun and definitely worth doing.

The walk back to the car park

Once we had spent some time around the waterfall and walked behind it, we retraced our steps.

This does mean that some of the downhill sections from the outward walk become uphill on the way back. However, because the distance is fairly short, I don't remember finding the return particularly difficult.

If you only want to see Henrhyd Falls rather than doing the longer Nant Llech trail, I think this is a very doable little walk for most people who are comfortable with steps and uneven ground.

It isn't suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs because of the steps and rough terrain. 

Tips for visiting Henrhyd Falls

A few things I would keep in mind:

• Wear shoes with a good grip. Some parts are rocky and can be slippery.
• Take extra care if you walk behind the waterfall.
• Expect the route to be muddier after rain.
• If you want to see a stronger waterfall, visit after a period of rainfall.
• Allow some extra time to enjoy the waterfall rather than simply walking there and straight back.
• The shorter waterfall walk works well if you want to combine Henrhyd Falls with other places in the area.
• Dogs are allowed but should be kept on short leads. 

Is Henrhyd Falls worth visiting?

For us, yes.

Henrhyd Falls doesn't require a long day of walking if you simply take the short route from the car park. Yet you still get a lovely woodland walk, an impressive waterfall and the chance to walk behind it.

We didn't see Henrhyd Falls at its most powerful, but that didn't take away from the visit. I actually enjoyed being able to get close to it and spend some time behind the waterfall.

If I had to compare the two waterfall walks we did on this trip, Sgwd Yr Eira was the bigger walking experience. Henrhyd Falls was the easier and quicker outing. Both were worth visiting for different reasons.

If you are exploring this part of South Wales and want a waterfall that doesn't involve a long hike, I would certainly add Henrhyd Falls to your list.