On the first Saturday of January, my husband and I set out for our first day hike of the year. It was a day I had eagerly anticipated, because I was finally going to visit the Chartist Cave, a landmark that had eluded me throughout 2024. I think I’d planned to hike to it on four separate weekends last year, but every time had a last minute ‘nope’ thanks to a named storm or very low cloud.
Cast you mind back a few weeks and you’ll remember there was more than just a chill in the air. The ground was pretty well frozen solid and there was a light dusting of snow over that. The forecast warned of snow and ice later in the day, but the cloud base was high and set to stay that way until mid-afternoon, providing the ideal conditions for this hike. So, with plans made to ensure we would be back at the car before the weather turned, we dressed for the cold, packed some snacks, and headed over to Wales.
The Hike in Summary
Preferring loops over there-and-back hikes every time, our route, which I’ll talk about later, was more than just the Chartist Cave. It allowed us to explore Mynydd Llangynidr, right on the southern boundary of the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park. The 7.8 miles took us four hours, including time spent exploring the cave itself.
The path across the landscape was often indistinguishable, and we had to rely on landmarks and our OS Map to navigate through the barren scene. Even on the clear day we had, this hike required some map reading and navigation skills – and I’m glad we were prepared for that. The terrain was predominantly frozen marshland, with patches of ice in places, which did occasionally give way to reveal the freezing bog beneath. As such, and despite it being a short hike, it was a reasonably challenging day out.
Things got much easier after the cave, when we spent an hour or so hiking along the Cambrian Way. I really enjoyed this section, and it definitely piqued my interest for a future long-distance hike. We celebrated by bagging Mynydd Llangynidr trig pillar, and by watching a bird of prey trying to catch its lunch.
Terrain and difficult route aside, the scenery and tranquillity made this hike wonderful. The Chartist Cave was a fascinating glimpse into the region’s history, and I was thrilled to have finally made it there. We also saw only one other person throughout the day – hiking on a very cold day in January has its benefits!
This really was the perfect way to start the year, and we thoroughly enjoyed every moment of our little adventure in Wales.
The Long Way to the Chartist Cave
We started (and finished…) at a reasonably-sized parking area on the B4560, a little over 3 miles north of Garnyldan and 2.5 miles south of Llangyndir (here on Google Maps and here on OS Maps). There are (perhaps obviously) no facilities here other than somewhere to leave the car, but you’ll find pubs and other things at either end of this rather beautiful B-road.
As mentioned above, instead of doing what could have been a simple linear hike from the car to the Chartist Cave and back using the reasonably well-trodden Cambrian Way, we wanted a circular walk. And in the interests of making the ‘second half’ of the hike shorter than the first, we headed off into the landscape to find Llangynidr Reservoir.
We followed the B-road south for a short distance, before picking up a farm-type track onto the hilltop to head towards the reservoir. I really do love a properly wild and rugged landscape, and this gave me that in spades. It was so open and exposed, with vast, sweeping views in every direction.
The cold weather that day added to the barren nature of the scene. The ground was covered in a heavy layer of white frost and the water-filled Shake Holes were frozen over. It was a wonderful scene. There was even a strange stillness at the start of the day, but the wind picked up later, when it howled through the heather.
Using my Navigation Skills
As it had been very cold for a few days, were fortunate that the bog (this hilltop is basically one massive bog), was mostly frozen over. This made things much less squelchy than they might normally be. Hiking over frozen bog is much easier than hiking over thawed bog, even with the risk of sliding! The firm ground allowed us to make steady progress without having to traverse through waterlogged ground.
But even then, the terrain to and beyond the reservoir was a little unkind. Shake Holes, large rocks, and endless marshland presented obstacles that tested our agility (and boots)! The path wasn’t always easily discernible on the ground, blending seamlessly into the surrounding landscape, and we had to negotiate our way through (and over) the heather here and there. I know mountain leaders do navigation training in this area, and I can see why – it’s an excellent place to hone skills in map reading and compass work.
I’d downloaded (and printed) a route on OS Maps curated by a well-known walking magazine, but I suspect this is one of those routes the creator had not actually walked as it was incredibly inaccurate. Or maybe just not recently. It had so much promise, but the discrepancies between the route and the reality were notable, and at times it felt like we were forging our own path rather than following a set trail. Hence why I haven’t linked to the route this time.
Still, once we’d decided the route was only to be used as a rough guide, rather than following it properly as we might normally with a curated hike, we had a much better time. We used the line drawn on the map along with our map reading abilities to explore this part of the Welsh wilderness.
The Chartist Cave
It was all good fun, though. Despite navigation challenges, and missing out one feature on our intended route to avoid more wobbling across heather, we did make it to the Chartist Cave. I reckon it was worth it.
Originally known as Tylles Fawr (The Great Hole), the Chartist Cave is a historically significant site located on Mynydd Llangynidr in southern Powys, Wales.
In 1839, Chartist rebels used this cave to secretly prepare and stockpile weapons, including pikes, in anticipation of their attack on Newport. This event, known as the Newport Rising, was one of the most significant protests in the Chartist movement, which fought for democracy and workers’ rights. The cave’s remote location made it an ideal hiding place for the rebels.
The Newport Rising ultimately ended in tragedy, with about 22 demonstrators killed when troops opened fire on them. The leaders of the rebellion were convicted of high treason and sentenced to transportation for life. Today, the Chartist Cave serves as a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made in the quest for political reform and the enduring struggle for social justice.
I can see why the Chartist Cave is a popular spot for both history enthusiasts and outdoor adventurers – it’s a super interesting feature with a great story attached. The fact it’s possible for hikers to venture into the cave makes it even more interesting, as so often these places are (quite rightly) secured behind ironwork.
We’d gone prepared with head torches, and enjoyed a little mooch inside the main cave opening, but we didn’t go through the narrow gap to the next chamber – maybe another time. It was the perfect place to drink my flask of tea and eat some snacks, though, and more than suitable reward for all that hiking.
The Cambrian Way
Once we’d finished at the Chartist Cave, we hopped on the Cambrian Way, which would take us most of the way back to the car. Which was much easier going than anything we’d walked on up until this point.
The Cambrian Way is a challenging long-distance trail that spans 298 miles from Cardiff to Conwy in Wales. It takes hikers through (and over!) some of the best mountainous scenery Wales has to offer, traversing rugged uplands and visiting many of the country’s highest peaks, including Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon). The route, which isn’t officially a National Trail, is a popular trek for experienced walkers.
This tiny little taste of it really piqued my interest. Unusually for waymarked trails, while the OS Map shows green diamonds showing the existence of an official long-distance route, there is no dotted or dashed line showing an actual public right of way here. On the ground we found a well-trodden path, and we were grateful for it. But if our experience of the rest of our hike that day was anything to go by, I know it isn’t all like that!
It was along this stretch that we bagged our only trig pillar of the hike. I mean, did you even go hiking if you didn’t take a photo with a trig pillar?! This one sits at 541m above sea level, and provides really fantastic views of Mynydd Llangynidr and the surrounding Welsh mountains. I love how many of the trig pillars in Wales have the iconic red dragon painted on them, too.
And apart from watching a bird of prey hunt for some lunch, and wandering around the Blaenonneu Quarry to see if there were any good photographic compositions to be had, our hike was done and dusted.
An Adventure Hike!
At the time, I definitely wished we’d taken the simplicity of the Cambrian Way directly to the Chartist Cave without all the extra bits. But as I write this, reflecting on what was actually a really fun day out, I can admit I’m glad we saved the Cambrian Way for the second half of the hike. Not only did it mean the final two-and-a-bit miles were an easy straight-ish line from the Chartist Cave in the direction of the car, but I think had we taken the easy route there, we’d not have experienced the real adventure of this hike.
Despite the routing difficulties, the hard going terrain, and the incredibly cold weather, the sense of satisfaction on this particular Saturday morning was nothing short of invigorating. I felt like I was exploring – on a real adventure. I thoroughly enjoyed the frozen marshlands and the rugged, undulating terrain. Even though it was hard work.
And the Chartist Cave really was an excellent reason to go for a hike, one that I definitely recommend.
The experience was a good reminder of the importance of being prepared and adaptable in the outdoors, and it left me with a sense of accomplishment as well reminding me of the wonderfully wild beauty of Wales.
Here’s to many (many) more hiking adventures like this in 2025!
If you want to hike to the Chartist Cave, you can find it on OS Maps via this dropped pin (approximate location). You can work out your own route!!
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