Just minutes away from the busy tarmac of the M4 lies a peaceful woodland sanctuary with a stunning secret waterfall. Penllergare Valley Woods, located just off Junction 47 of the M4, is an award-winning park near Swansea which was voted the best motorway stop-off in the UK.
With 275 acres of lakes, woodland, historic features and magnificent trees, visitors can enjoy over 12km of paths and tracks for their fix of fresh air and nature spotting. But the star of this spectacular site is the waterfall located on the River Llan which meanders through the Victorian estate.
Penllergare Woods was owned by the Dillwyn Llewelyn family in the 19th and early 20th centuries but the estate itself can be traced back to 1608. The romantic setting was once enjoyed by John Dillwyn Llewelyn, a pioneer in science, nature, photography and astronomy in the 19th century. You can get more Swansea news and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
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The site was later neglected and overgrown but has been saved by a small charity, The Penllergare Trust, who have rescued and restored the historical site to a beautiful landscape which can be enjoyed by visitors. The magical site is home to hundreds of acres of ancient woodlands and two stunning lakes.
In spring and summer, the woods bloom with bluebells and in autumn the area is vibrant with reds and greens. You might spot birds like willow warblers, whitethroats and kingfishers on your walks there. In the river and lakes, you could see an otter or even a European eel, and during the evening bats fill the sky.
While the park can be explored at any time, car parking, toilets and an on-site coffee shop have set opening times. The car park is open from 9am-5pm and parking can be paid by cash or card. Barriers to the car park lock at 5pm. The coffee shop is run by volunteers and serves up a range of warming hot drinks and freshly baked cakes from 10am-4pm. Toilets are also open 10am-4pm.
The future is looking bright for the historic estate as a new visitor centre is emerging which will tell the incredible story of Penllergare Valley Woods and its 19th century owner John Dillwyn Llewelyn. General manager of the Penllergare Trust, Lee Turner, told WalesOnline in August: "This is a fantastic achievement for Penllergare with help from so many people, the National Lottery, Heritage fund, a host of other funders and donators, and of course, our wonderful volunteers. Penllergaer and its picturesque Victorian landscape is well appreciated by local communities but we are now getting visitors from all over the world. We need to provide visitors with facilities which reflect Penllergare’s national importance.
"It has been our wish for many years to be able to convey the magical stories and world firsts that happened here, and we will finally be able to do so in our wonderful new visitor centre. We have relied on a gazebo on our terrace for many years with no internal coffee shop seating. The new centre will have 60 internal seats in a space which will convey the history and amazing biodiversity which Penllergare enjoys all year round."
