Pontbren Dingle, Carmarthenshire

Pontbren Dingle is a magnificent stretch of broadleaf woodland running along the Afon Araeth valley, a tributary of the Afon Tywi (River Towy) a short distance away. There is even a series of waterfalls in the wood, which was well enough known in the past that there is a postcard featuring it.

Almost the entire woodland is classified as Ancient Semi Natural Woodland.

Video of the river (opens in a new window).

Trees: The wood is mixed broadleaf, predominantly beech, oak, and ash, with a hazel and holly understorey and other broadleaf trees.

Boundaries: The western end of the wood, Pontbren Dingle itself, spans both sides of the valley, The northern boundary is fenced from adjoining farmland. Most of the southern boundary is the track, with a short section at the western end (as far as the end of the road), where the river is the boundary.

The eastern end of the wood, Pen-rhiwiau Wood, has the Afon Araeth as its northern boundary, a tiny stream as its eastern boundary, and an earthbank, fenced in places, as its southern boundary.  As is usual where a river is a boundary, the owner of this woodland is deemed to own to the mid-point of the river. 

Wildlife: There is evidence of deer being present, or passing through the wood.  Buzzards have been seen circling overhead.

Buildings: The old Bethel Baptist Chapel is opposite the wood, but it is unused and now unsafe. There is a small building on the boundary of the wood, near to the Chapel, used occasionally as a meeting room.

Access: There is good access from the Bethlehem road over a road that leads to the old Bethel Chapel. There is room to park within the wood next to the old meeting room opposite.  From here a track continues alongside the southern/south-western edge of the wood, although the further along the track you go the rougher it gets. As far as anyone knows, only a few locals use this track on foot, but the Ordnance Survey records it as having some sort of public access.

The woodland runs along the Afon Araeth valley, and as such the terrain is dramatic, and steep in places. Routes of access are not always easy to find, but very rewarding when you do.  The waterfalls are accessed by a path that runs alongside the river, starting from the main access track just beyond the old chapel building: two paths have been cut through the undergrowth - the first, 50m beyond the meeting room building leads down to the river and is a dead end.  The second, 80m beyond the meeting room building, leads all the way to the waterfalls. The woodland further up the valley is accessible by coming in off the main track beyond the waterfalls, and then walking up the river bed, or at the upper level, where the land levels off towards the southern boundary.  The easiest point is from the far southern point, opposite a gateway into a neighbouring field. This route passes right next to the old corrugated shed, and continues fairly level along the length of the wood. This part of the wood is the most secluded. All of these routes are shown on the wood map below.

Sporting rights: Included

Mineral rights: Included, except as excluded by statute.

Fencing obligations: No known obligations

Public footpaths: There are no public footpaths or public access of any kind within the land.

Local area: The woodland is 2½ miles from Ffairfach (where there is a railway station) and 3 miles from the centre of Llandeilo.

Photographs: were taken in August and September 2025

VIEWING: You are welcome to visit this wood by yourself.  Please ensure that you have a copy of these sales details with you: we recommend either printing the details or downloading them to your phone/tablet/laptop before you go. Please take care when viewing as the great outdoors can contain unexpected hazards and woodlands are no exception.  Make sure you take a copy of the sales particulars with you, as there may be no mobile signal at the woodland.

Interested in this woodland? Get in touch with us:

Contact Sandra Colley on 07769654392 or email us at [email protected] with your details.