Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Even if you don't take a course, Nant Gwrtheyrn's a magical place - eerily quiet and
ideal for a tranquil walk along world's-end cliffs. According to tradition it's the burial
place of the 6th-century Celtic King Vortigern (Gwrtheyrn in Welsh), who features in
many of the Arthurian legends. The old chapel has a small but compelling exhibition on
the history of the village and the founding of the centre. A 10-minute film on life in the
village is shown in one of the worker's cottages, which has been decked out in period fur-
nishings. There's also a marked 3-mile loop walk heading past the pebbly beach, various
quarries and the ruins of earlier farms.
Nant Gwrtheyrn has an isolated and dramatic setting, reached by a preposturously steep
road down into the valley, accessed from the village of Llithfaen (on the B4417). If you're
driving, take it very slowly and be extremely careful; we managed it in a small car but we
wouldn't attempt it if it were raining. Otherwise it's a 25-minute walk from the car park at
the top of the hill.
The top car park is also the start of the 30- to 50-minute track to striking
Tre'r Ceiri
, one
of the best preserved Iron Age hillforts in Europe, where the remains of 150 stone huts
have been discovered.
