We've Warned Natural Resources Wales And Bannau Brychieniog Again That Serious Accidents WILL Occur
Wales Outdoors delivered yet another five star event in the waterfalls area of the Bannau Brychieniog (Brecon Beacons National Park) on Monday just gone. Andy took a little time out from the group to check out the progress at what has become a very sad area for some, there having been, relatively recently, four deaths and multiple serious accidents and incidents. The upshot of Andy’s investigations was that not a lot has changed, and it is clear to Wales Outdoors that there remains a clear and present danger of further accidents, incidents and deaths at this location. This blog post therefore is a timeline of warnings and a further warning to staff working for both Bannau Brychieniog and Natural Resources Wales that we hold them responsible for the danger posed to members of the public brought about by their poor management of the waterfalls area.
Conspiracy!
Andy is in communication with the mother of a young man who lost his life in the waterfalls area, and his death, Andy feels, can at least in part be attributed to the aforementioned poor management of routes, footpath maintenance and signage. The mother has made it known to Andy that the coroner of the forthcoming inquest, who she desperately wants Andy to meet so that he can provide his evidence dating back to 2022, has lost all of the evidence that to date she has supplied. So Andy’s evidence, her and her sister’s witness evidence and we assume evidence provided by rescue services and the authorities in question. So there is the conspiracy. How can that be? That grieving mother and aunt have had to re-submit their evidence and the inquest date is as far away now as it was in August of 2024. Has someone in the Welsh Government, with a nod and a wink, magicked the paperwork away? Perhaps, but of course we will never know.
The Incompetence
What follows is a timeline of complaints during which deaths and serious accidents occurred and, despite agreement to Andy’s recommendations in October 2024, remedial action has still not been implemented.
May 2022 - We first raised concerns regarding the closure of a path enabling a circular route at the waterfalls area, linking lower and upper Clun Gwyn waterfalls. We said that this path closure was dangerous and ill thought through. It was admitted at an on site meeting in October 2024 that the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority closed this footpath ‘without a plan’ for visitors in place.
September 2022 - We sent an email to the national park warden for the area and outlined, once again, our concerns and advised that accidents and perhaps deaths would occur at this location if action was not taken. Full details here.
January 2023 - Two women drowned. The exact circumstances are not known and the authorities have failed to provide the information they have on the deaths. However, we believe that it is possible that the authorities path closure, without thought for visitors desire lines, and the promoting of an alternative that involved a river crossing above a waterfall played a significant role in the tragedy.
February 2023 - Communication with both NRW and the BBNP led us to believe that these authorities have no understanding of visitor behaviour at the location. See details here. We warned both that ‘if action is not taken prior to April and the start of 'the season' further serious incidents will occur.’
April 2023 - We came to the end of useful communication with the authorities - detailed here - and warned ‘I therefore reiterate my assertion that this area will be the location of incidents, accidents and there is a strong possibility of further deaths.’
August 2024 - Read this full report on the June 26th 2024 death in the waterfalls area that we believe is the responsibility of the authorities who poorly manage the area.
October 2024 - An on site meeting was arranged with NRW staff and Andy Lamb of Wales Outdoors and all aspects of the complaints that Wales Outdoors have been raising since May of 2022 were accepted and plans for remedial action agreed. Read about this here.
The Reality
On the ground, in the area of concern today, the ‘desire lines’, the routes visitors wish to walk, still remain clear and inviting. These desire lines can take the unwary onto dangerous ground, bypassing the signage which is poor and often obscured or missing. Due to the closure of the ‘circular route’, with no alternative made available to visitors, many choose to navigate a route of least distance, rather than retrace their steps and ascend a steep hill that they had previously walked down. We predict that 2025 will be no different to 2024 and that there will be accidents, incidents and the clear potential for deaths at this location. Both Bannau Brychieniog and NRW have been, once again, made aware of our concerns and our frustration with the manner in which this matter has been handled.
What NRW Say
‘We are currently awaiting the outcome of an HRA application and SSSI assent we have submitted for 2025/26 for various proposed works within Waterfall Country, including the creation of an alternative route to former footpaths 86 to achieve a circular route between Sgwd Clun Gwyn Isaf and the Four Falls Trail.
Regarding former footpath 86, we are aiming for a full inspection of the path to be undertaken this financial year, the results of which will aid NRW in determining the future of the footpath. Until such time, the existing health and safety barriers and footpath closure signs will remain in place at either end of the path to dissuade the public from walking along the path, and visitors will continue to be advised against walking along the route by BBNPA engagement staff on site.’
Outlook
NRW are in no rush to make safe the footpaths they have responsibility for. Indeed, there is now no safe path from Sgwd yr Pannwr to Lower Clun Gwyn, NRW having removed the duckboards a few weeks ago, and the area around Lower Clun Gwyn is as bad as it could be, with ineffective signage and clear desire lines leading off from the closed footpath. It would seem that late 2026 is a deadline set for completion of improvement works. Bear in mind Wales Outdoors has been complaining about this area since 2022 and that two deaths possibly attributed to the original path closure and one death we think definitely attributed to the path closure along with multiple minor and major incidents in the area have been recorded, one must ask why the long delay to act?
Letter to NRW and Bannau Brychieniog Dated 12th April 2025
Thank you for your response xxxx and I've copied in xxxx at the BBNP.
I must say that I don't think enough action has been taken. Since 2022 when I first raised my concerns, there has been a failure on the part of the authorities to understand how visitors use the area. This appears to still be the case.
Easter is now upon us and the area around Sgwd Isaf Clun-Gwyn remains as confusing and as dangerous as it has been since the BBNP closed the path linking it to Sgwd Clun Gwyn.
It appears that you will not be working on this area this year and that 2026 will be the earliest date for improvement works. That is four years of chaos that BBNP and NRW have presided over...
I predict further accidents, incidents and the possibility of deaths at this specific location, attributable, as I believe the death was in 2024 and perhaps the two women in 2023 too, to the closure of the path without having a plan in place, and by poor diversion signage and monitoring of the newly created desire lines.
Look, it's simple. Make safe the desire line and formalise that as a new route, at least until your reports have been finalised and debated. Better still, dig deep and put in place a safe route along the course of the closed path. That is what most European national parks would do, turning that section into a feature of the hike. Indeed, the closure of a public footpath ought to be the absolute last resort, not, as it appears, UK authorities go to. In my capacity as one of ten founder members of European Trails, I must say the shoddy nature of the trails, and specifically around the Clun Gwyn's, really puts the UK towards the bottom of any top trails chart...
In the meantime, the precious SSSI status of the area is being trampled upon by hoards of 'lost' hikers, making new paths where there were none and damaging the forest floor and endangering themselves and others in the process.
Once again, your previous actions and current inactions in this area will lead to further serious incidents at this location. These incidents that will occur, including the possibility of further deaths, are wholly preventable by a plan of work to mitigate such incidents. I've been asking for that plan of work since 2022. I therefore hold the authorities responsible for any incidents that are yet to occur and when they do I will detail my warnings to both BBNP and NRW and the lack of urgency shown by both.
Our next social group hike is 'Llangattock Escarpment Circuit' on the 3rd May - to register visit https://www.facebook.com/events/606227712015006/ or https://chat.whatsapp.com/BQzqRMhzjDOBUatO7ZMmiq - all are welcome (£5 to register) Walks can be as cheap as £2.91 - Subscribe to our blog to receive our once every three or four days posts, delivered to your inbox, and then you can attend as many hikes within a year as you choose. There are other benefits too - check them out :)
Get £10 Off the best Map App out there by signing up to our partner in the outdoors Outdoor Active
You can book our walks and tours through the Wales Outdoors Website.
1. Subscribing monthly via Substack
2. Making a one-off contribution via BuyMeACoffee
Your support is what allows these articles to keep being created and is enormously appreciated. Thank you.
