Deep within the alluring landscape of Wales, there are countless swathes of lakes. We feature 12 of them.
Wales is dotted with imposing mountains and covered in ancient forests. But what few travellers realise is that there are many expanses of lakes hidden inside these attractive landscapes. Others embrace their remote location, providing a lovely backdrop for trekking, meditation, or the more daring thrill of wild swimming.
Included are twelve of the finest:
Wales’s National Botanic Garden
Following a seven-million-pound, five-year restoration project, the National Botanic Garden of Wales has restored many lakes from the Regency period. In the 18th and 19th Centuries, William Paxton constructed these lakes to supply water to his Middleton Estate. They are a beautiful example of a Regency designed garden.
Encircled by a wonderful walkway, visitors will observe a serene and still lake one moment, and then hear the roar of water pouring over cascades, a waterfall, and a weir the next.
Along this trail, you will encounter Pwll yr Ardd, which translates to Garden Pool, Llyn Uchaf, which translates to Upper Lake, and Llyn Canol, which translates to Middle Lake. Llyn Mawr is the largest lake, with a surface area of approximately 65,000 square metres, while Llyn Felin Gat overlooks a finely crafted wooden bridge. You may encounter perennials, hellebores, lilies, otters, and kingfishers if you’re fortunate.
Talley Lakes
Talley Abbey is the only ecclesiastical structure in Wales that belongs to the Premonstratensian order. Beyond Talley’s skeleton remains are two lakes separated by a narrow strip of land. These were developed during the most recent ice era.
Not surprisingly, the abbey was named Talley (Talyllychau), which means “head of the lakes.” The 27-acre lower lake is surrounded by alder and willow carr and reed marsh. Due to its secluded location, it contains ducks, swans, and grebes. The upper lake is around 16 acres in size, and in the summer you can find yellow-and-white water lilies floating on its surface.
Dinefwr Lake
Dinefwr Park is around 27 kilometres from Llyn y Fan Fach. The estate’s white cattle are thought to be from the same herd that the Lady of the Lake nurtured. This lake is located in an ancient deer park and is known as the Lake of Reflections because it purportedly makes you appear wealthier than you actually are.
According to tradition, a farmer saved his life by reflecting himself and his ten animals in a lake to make it appear as if he had twenty cows.
Llyn y Fan Fach
To reach the summit of Llyn y Fan Fach, a pleasant four-mile climb is required. There, you will encounter the Bannau Sir Gaer mountain ridge, which borders a glacial and fascinating lake. The lake Llyn y Fan Fach is associated with the legend of The Lady of the Lake.
According to the legend, a young farmer witnessed a lovely woman rise from the lake in the 13th century. He gained her hand in marriage on the condition that she would leave him if he struck her three times. Unfortunately, the farmer did strike her, and she fled back into the lake with her magical farm animals, leaving her boys behind. These boys were known as the Physicians of Myddfai, and they provided medical care to the English royal court.
Fish, red kites, carrion crows, buzzards, and kestrels inhabit the lake, a nature sanctuary. While there is a sign stating “no swimming in the wild,” there have been times when travellers have disregarded this regulation and deemed the risk to be worthwhile.
The lakes of Elan Valley
Twelve areas of Special Scientific Interest occupy nearly the whole 180 square kilometres of the Elan Valley. Within this territory are numerous dams that supply Birmingham with potable water. Craig Coch is the tallest, rising 340 metres above sea level and including a lake behind its Birmingham Baroque design
Also particularly popular are the Garreg Ddu and Pen y Garreg dams, which are bordered by a forest of trees and undulating hills that make the environment resemble a cross between the Lake District and the Great Lake near Hogwarts.
The lowest dam is Caban Coch, which mimics a natural cascade and includes a tranquil lakeside stroll through bluebell woods.
In conclusion, Claerwen is twice as large as the other dams, and its reservoir is nearly as large as all the other lakes combined. The Claerwen National Nature Reserve can be circumnavigated through a 6-mile-long path that begins on the northern edge of the lake.
Bosherston Lily Ponds
Bosherston The National Trust owns and manages the Stackpole Estate, which contains the Lily Ponds. It is believed that King Arthur found Excalibur here, and that this was his last stop before sailing to Avalon.
Swans and pike are abundant in the ponds, and during the summer months, water lilies cover the lake’s surface. In the fall, take a mile-long stroll around the lakes to observe oranges, yellows, and reds reflected in the water, or search for otters.
Llynnau Cregennan
The lake’s name comes from the Welsh word Crog-gangen, which meaning hanging branch. It is said that criminals were hung from the branch of a neighbouring oak tree. Its location on the northern slopes of Cadair Idris, approximately 200 metres above sea level, and overlooking the Mawddach Estuary make Llynnau Cregennan one of the most picturesque spots in Snowdonia National Park.
The National Trust owns the property surrounding the lake, which includes two tiny hill farms, sheep grazing, and anglers hoping to catch trout. It is also an excellent spot to learn about the prehistoric history of Wales, as there are Bronze Age hut circles and Neolithic standing stones in the region.
Lake Vyrnwy
The Lake Vyrnwy in Powys was constructed in the 1880s to supply Liverpool with potable water. The lake itself is five miles long and half a mile wide and contains 12 billion gallons of water.
Lake Vyrnwy, with its moors, woodlands, and farming, has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The lake’s low pollution and 40,000 brown trout make it one of the best sites in the UK for stargazing. The flat 12-mile path around the lake is ideal for riders. Photographers are often awestruck by the Straining Tower, a pointed tower rising from the lake’s depths. It resembles a fairy-tale castle, and its arching bridge surely contributes to this impression.
Llangorse Lake
Llangorse Lake, located east of Brecon, is the largest natural lake in Wales. It was formed millions of years ago at a height of 145 metres above sea level.
Llangorse is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a popular fishing destination for anglers seeking pike, bream, tench, perch, eels, and roach. You can rent a boat, stand-up paddleboard, windsurf, dinghy, or rowing boat from Llangorse Common. There is an abundance of species in this area, including otters, water voles, swallows, Canada geese, warblers, swifts, and coots, which will delight nature lovers. Following the footpath along the western shoreline to the Llangasty Nature Reserve is one of the greatest ways to observe these animals.
Beyond this, Llangorse Water is renowned for its afanc (lake monster), Gorsey, and its crannog – the only one of its sort in Wales. The latter is a 40-meter-off-the-north-shore manmade island that is over 1,000 years old.
Talybont Reservoir
Located in the Brecon Beacons, is the largest stillwater reservoir in the region, covering 318 acres. Construction of the dam began in 1931, and it began supplying Newport with water in 1939.
The lake is circumnavigated via a 9.5-kilometer path that is rated easy and takes nearly three hours to walk. This is the stroll for you if you’re searching for a place to sit and gaze out over the river, or if you want to lose yourself in a peaceful forest setting.
Llyn Brianne Dam
Llyn Brianne Dam is the largest dam of its sort in Europe and the largest body of water in South Wales, containing approximately 64 million cubic metres of water at an elevation of about 300 metres. The lake is tucked away in the upper portion of the Tywi Valley, between Carmarthenshire, Powys, and Ceredigion. This region of Wales is rarely populated, so you will be in the middle of the countryside.
The setting is ideal for biking, hiking, kayaking, and driving down the single-track mountain paths. The area’s remoteness makes it ideal for birdwatching, and since it was designated a Dark Sky Discovery Site in 2019, it is also ideal for astrophotography.
Brombil Reservoir
Brombil Reservoir is a turquoise lake hidden in the Margam lowlands, surrounded by a forest of evergreen trees and lush flora. It resembles the awe-inspiring nature of Thailand in its entirety, and its isolation means that very few people — not even locals — are aware of its existence.
The trail to the reservoir follows the Arnallt River through a woodland with stepping stones. The road leads either to the reservoir’s banks, where you can swim in the wild, or up into the mountains. The latter is more higher, but offers the greatest view of Newport’s lake and steelworks.