How to Visit Henrhyd Falls, The Tallest Waterfall in South Wales

How does visiting the tallest waterfall in South Wales sound? Not so sure? What if we told you Henrhyd Falls was used as a filming location in the Batman movie The Dark Knight Rises?

We thought the combination of these two facts might catch your attention! 

So, if you’re ready to see this magical waterfall keep on reading for some useful information prior to your visit.

Facts About Henrhyd Falls

Located in the south-western section of the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park, north of the town of Coelbren, lie the magnificent Henrhyd Falls. While strictly speaking it isn’t part of Waterfall Country, the area within the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) named for its large number of waterfalls, many still consider it to fall within that umbrella.

With a drop of 90 ft (27 m) it is the tallest waterfall in South Wales. Other than being the tallest, Henrhyd Falls became famous after being used as the entrance to the Batcave in the Batman film The Dark Knight Rises.

Where to Park to Visit Henrhyd Falls?

The closest you can park to the waterfall is a free National Trust Car Park. (Address: 33 Dol Henrhyd, Coelbren, Neath SA10 9PG).

It’s a small car park (fits around 15 to 20 cars), so either get there early or later in the day. We also recommend planning your visit during a weekday to truly enjoy the experience.

If you don’t have your own car but would like to enjoy the freedom of a private vehicle, then you can always hire a car to get to Henrhyd Falls.

There’s a gate to the left side of the car park which is where the trail to Henryhd Falls starts.

What to Wear?

You’re in Wales, so the choice of clothing is dependent on the weather on the day of your visit. Even though we visited the waterfall at the end of July it rained all day. This made the waterfall even more impressive, but we also got incredibly wet. 

The path can be uneven and can get wet, muddy and slippery very quickly. Therefore, it goes without saying, comfortable and waterproof shoes are a must! We suggest wearing layers too, as you might get warm one minute and cold the next. Even if the day you visit is a dry one, if you wish to walk behind the falls you might want to pack something waterproof. 

The Trail to Henrhyd Falls

As mentioned above, you start the trail by going through two gates located at the left of the car park. The path is wide and easy to follow and the trail itself isn’t difficult. But you’ll need to climb some steps and the hill upon return.

The walk starts off gently, but then it turns rather steep until you reach the wooden bridge which crosses River Nant Llech. You can have a sneak peak of the waterfall and you can definitely hear it from the trail. The bridge was actually built by volunteers back in 1985. After crossing the bridge, you have to climb up a set of stairs before carrying on along the path. Due to a landslide which destroyed the path steps were added to this section of the trail in 2001.

Once you’ve reached the top of the steps you only need to walk a few more minutes to reach the waterfall. There are quite a few photo options around the waterfall so if you’re blessed with dry weather make sure you take some from every angle!

The best part is that you can walk behind the waterfall. There’s a sign stating that you should beware of the falling rocks. On the day of our visit the weather conditions were really rough, making the path dangerous. Plus, the waterfall itself was extremely powerful so we didn’t want to put ourselves in danger, so we didn’t go behind it.

Additional Things to Do in Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons)

If you want to spend a few more hours within the area you can combine the Henrhyd Falls with the Nant Llech walk. After you’ve climbed back up from the falls you just need to follow the footpath. It takes over two hours to complete, and you’ll see a few smaller waterfalls. 

However, if you’d like to see some more impressive waterfalls, you should do the Four Waterfalls Walk. The trail is only about 15 minutes’ drive from Henrhyd Falls. If you’d like to learn more about this trail, then make sure you read our detailed blog post.

If you enjoy hiking, then consider completing the Pen Y Fan Horseshoe ridge trail.

Although we couldn’t walk behind the waterfall and take more photos, it was still a fantastic experience seeing it. Have you ever been to the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park before? How much of the area did you manage to explore? Let us know in the comments below.