Work to make Elan Valley more accessible to visitors completed

A project to make woodland in the Elan Valley more accessible to visitors has been completed thanks to £53,000 of Welsh Government funding.

Work has included creating accessible paths, with better surfaces, accessible gates and steps to the top of Pen y Garreg Dam, in Penbont Woods, along with a viewing platform and an accessible picnic table.

Two shelters, providing more information on the Celtic rainforest in the Elan Valley and the recently reopened Devil’s Gulch, a popular waking route, have also been built.

The Celtic rainforest is an ancient a temperate rainforest, which once covered much of Ireland and the west of Britain but still exists in small fragments, in places like the Elan Valley.

The work was made possible thanks to the 80% grant funding secured by Powys council’s Economy and Climate Service from Welsh Government, as part of its Brilliant Basics scheme.

Assets

“Tourism is very important to the Powys economy. We, therefore, want to do everything we can to protect the assets we have and make our beautiful county a more attractive place to visit,” said Cllr David Selby, Powys County Council’s Cabinet Member for a More Prosperous Powys. “I hope many more people will now be encouraged to explore the Elan Valley.”

The improvements have been managed by Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water, which also provided the rest of the funding.

The Brilliant Basics scheme has allocated £5 million to small-scale tourism infrastructure projects across Wales for 2023-25.

Minister for Social Partnership, Jack Sargeant, said: “Through our Brilliant Basics scheme, we want to ensure that the stunning beauty of Wales is open and accessible for all.

“The investment at Elan Valley has led to a host of improvements and additions which will help make local people and visitors’ time at one of Wales’s most spectacular spots even more special.

“This project is a great example of organisations working together, and I thank Powys County Council and Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water for overseeing this work.”

In total, Powys County Council was successful in securing £300,000 from the scheme which is being spent on 10 projects creating better access, car parks, trails, electric vehicle charging points, signage and interpretation, and toilet upgrades at various locations.