Recommended Rides.

On this page we welcome descriptions, tips and photos of rides that you have done and enjoyed. These rides do not necessarily have to be off road, as long as they are safe and enjoyable. It would be great if you could let readers know how much is off road, what the parking is like, and how busy any road sections are.

 Please e-mail us with the details and any photo's if possible.

Rides@Carmsriders.co.uk

Keepers Lodge 09/07

  KEEPERS LODGE RIDE

1. From Keepers Lodge car park turn left out of the venue and onto the road.

2. Follow the road up the hill past the forestry track and car park on the right and admire the view on the left! (Sorry about the road but only way to the bridleway)  Turn right onto the bridleway (orange mobile signal here -approx 1km from the venue) Follow this bridleway for approx 1km through a green metal gate. It is a little muddy in places.

3.  It meets a track on the right, turn right here.  Follow the track paying attention to the going as may be soft if the weather has been wet. (There are a few small logs) The track will have a steep drop on the left before you meet the road. Please be sensible and keep to the right.

4. This track eventually comes out onto the road. Turn left. (this is a 2 way section)  Follow the road for approx 1km and take the turning on the right to Llidiad Nenog ( the tarmac can be slippery)-orange mobile signal on this road

5. At the hairpin bend at the top, turn right to Clyn Wallis. Take the right track at the fork.

6. Immediately after the fork there is a track to the left. Follow this. (this junction is the end of the 2 way section)

7. At the end where it meets a wider track, turn left. Keep left to avoid the gulley.

8. You come to a very awkward gate. You will have to dismount. Please close the gate

9. Follow the track to another gate. Please close the gate. When you reach the road turn right.

10. Past the church and take the next track on the right alongside the house with a serious fence. (large dogs in the garden) orange mobile signal here

11. Follow this track and the bridleway markers. It bears off to the right and then left again finally following a downward slope and across a small stream (it is muddy by the bridleway post after the stream-walk through it) to a gate and a river.

12.. Cross the river and follow the track. This track is rocky for the first section but improves and eventually comes out at a small bridle gate. Turn right and through the cattle grid gate. Please close the gate (signed Banc Farm) orange mobile signal here

13. Follow the tarmac road through another cattle-grid gate Look for (and avoid) a drain that your horse could put his foot in on the approach Please close the gate. You can ride on the grass but don’t scare any sheep and keep close to the edge. Nice place for a canter.

14. Through another cattle grid gate and follow the road a short distance to a gate on your left into a large field.- orange mobile signal here

15. Go through the gate Please close the gate and tie it and follow the fence line to your right. (if there are cattle in the field please walk past them) Past the tree on the right and to the gate at the bottom. The best route has been marked with tape. There is standing water and you may get your feet wet at the gate if your horse doesn’t do gates.

16. Go through the gate. Please close the gate. At the junction (cross roads) go straight ahead.

17. keep going straight ahead at the next 3 junctions

18. See a waymarker post ( orange mobile signal here) at the third, pass it on your left heading down hill to Rhandir-gini and a building on your left.

19. Through 3 very awkward gates. Please close them. (Orange mobile signal intermittent) There may be cattle in this section so please walk if you see them. There is an open field please keep to the edge. Canter only if no cattle present.

20. There is another gate and you continue down hill on a track eventually with water damage (gulleys) Please take care. You might be better walking in the gulley in places.

 21. You come out onto a road but turn immediately right at the wooden way-marker post. Vodaphone signal here

22. Follow this track to the river. Cross the river.

Follow the track up hill to the forestry road. (The surface is rocky in places.)

23. Turn left onto the forestry road. After about 100 meters take the track on the right at the bend by the waymarker post. (its actually straight ahead)

24. You come to another waymarker post where you turn left. Through a muddy puddle and onto a grassy path. At the end you see a forked forestry road on your left. Take the lower road.

25. Immediately after there is a gap in the vegetation on the right going down hill. Take this path. At the end of this track turn right (there is a waymarker on your left at the bottom) The mud here is deep, about fetlock deep so walk.

26. Follow the forestry road to the 2way point. (waymarker post)

27. Follow the forestry track back the way you came and out onto the tarmac road. (orange mobile phone signal here)

28. Turn left and go down the hill to the junction and turn left (go wide as the tarmac is slippery)

29. Follow the road for about 1km and take the turning on the right at Brynmadog( by Silver dustbin). Wooden waymarker post on the right.

30.follow the stone road to the gate on the left. Through the gate Please close the gate

31. Across the river and follow the path through the bridle gates. You can leave these open. Be careful in the muddy bits. Not suitable for canter unless the weather has been very dry.

32. At the last gate into the yard, please be courteous.  Through the wooden gate and onto the track.  Follow the track to the road. You can see the venue ahead of you.

Keepers Lodge Circuit  25 km 

(Ridden Feb 07) From the car park head into the forestry past the wooden shed on the right and through 2 small gates. Follow this forestry track over the bridge across the river and turn right.  Follow this track, which is surfaced with shale and stony in places from water damage. At the junction take the right track heading upwards. Don’t turn left. This track continues to go upwards until you come to a heavy duty green metal forestry gate.

At the tarmac road turn right to the cattle grid, through the gate and turn immediately left onto the open mountain (be aware of any ponies –keep away from them). Follow the fence line to your left, about 20metres parallel to it to a tarmac road.

Turn left onto the tarmac road and through a cattle grid gate (openable on horseback) Continue down the road and past the black shed on your left to a bend in the road. Take the track up the grassy hill from this bend (not the stony road) This is soft going and follows the fence line to the right for a short distance before leaving the fence and continuing over the mountain. This path goes down to the river bearing slightly right. Cross the river and continue upwards. This is stony at first but gets better.  This comes out onto a gravel road.

Go straight across following the fence to your right. When you reach the gate to your right there is a line of telegraph poles to your left. Turn left here and follow them, counting as you go.  (be aware of ponies and stay away from them) Be mindful of wet patches and keep to sheep tracks or dry ground. At the 6^th pole turn 90 degrees to your left keeping to the top of the mountain. There is a valley with a river in it to your right and you will see 2 farms to your right below you and on the other side. Keep to the top and follow the valley until you come to a stony cart type track ahead of you. You should continue following the valley to your right until you come down to a stream. There is a small house situated on the edge of the moorland and the farmland in line with the 2 farms previously mentioned. Cross the river/stream and you pass to the left of it.  There is an ornate stone bridge on your right (do not cross it). Follow the track, which is stony in places but also grassy too. At the end turn right, then turn left onto a tarmac road heading downwards.

This is Very Slippery so please be very careful. Keep to the grassy verge where possible. Cross the river at the bottom and up the hill, still following the tarmac road. At the T junction go straight across and follow the fence line to your right.  There is a small indentation in the ground ahead of you like an ancient ditch. This “is” the bridleway. Leave the fence at the corner post and continue in the same direction that you were, until you come to a stony track. You can see the pine forest on the hill in the distance with the road going through it. Head towards the telegraph poles. Go straight across at the stony track until you come to a tarmac road.

Bear right onto the tarmac road and through the cattle grid gate (not openable on horseback).

Follow the road past Cross Inn Farm and take the next road on the left after the phone box.

This is Banc Farm drive. Follow this road until you come to a cattle grid. Just before it is a small gate on the right. Go through this gate (openable on horse back) and follow the track in front of you slightly down hill. This becomes a path.  It does look wet but it has a solid bottom. Follow the track downwards, eventually meeting a hairpin bend ahead of you. Keep left. Across the river and to the left through a wooden gate (openable on horse back but currently a bit wet but solid bottom). Follow this track bears right. Eventually goes up hill and across a muddy patch where forestry vehicles have churned it up. (Pick your way carefully, keeping to the edges as it can be deep in places) The track then goes down to another stream and upwards through some amazing woodland. It meets another track to the left and right , bear slightly right. There is a bridleway marker on a post on the left at this track pointing the way you have been. Keep heading upwards and the track eventually comes out onto a tarmac road.

Turn left, (big dogs but well fenced) past the blue church to the next bend where there is a driveway down to your left (hair pin). Turn left here and go through the gate at Pant y Betws and follow the old county road. Past an old farm building and through another gate (not openable on horseback) continue downhill.  This road has an old fence on the right. Just after a track on your left there is a track on your right (staggered junction) about 1km from the gate.  It will have gullies in it caused by water. The route will continue ahead of you but take the right turn heading downwards. The track bends round and becomes a narrow earth/gravel track bordered with prickly bushes and small trees.  It comes out onto a forestry junction. Go straight ahead (not left).  The track is a wide forestry road and you pass fields on the left with sheep and horses in just before the house (Clyn Wallis). This then comes to a tarmac road on a hairpin bend.

 Bear left downwards and turn left at the end keeping on the road. Go across the bridge and about 1km further on there is a turning on the right onto a stony driveway towards the property Brynmadog and Hendre Fadog. Down the track a few hundred yards and take the route through the metal gate on the left where the track turns to the right. This gate swings away from you. Follow the bridleway across a stream passing 2 narrow gates (openable on horseback) to a metal gate (not openable on horseback) where the bridleway meets the cottage yard. Through their yard and another gate (openable on horseback). Follow the lane to the road and Keepers Lodge Car Park is ahead of you across the road.

Golden Grove / Gelli Aur

New Bridleway.

Please have a try and let us know what it's like. Pictures would be nice if possible.

Many thanks to CCC for their help.

We are waiting for the results for a request for

some "SLOW Horses" signs on the part marked in red,

which we believe to be quite steep and twisty.

Llyn Llech Owen

(last ridden 01/08/07)

Lovely new rides although the paths are just hard stone  ( plus shared access ) so no fast work.

From cross hands roundabout - take the road to Llandeilo.

At six ways, (pelican crossing) take the second left. Park is about 1 mile on the right. ( Top of the hill. )

Not sure about parking, but we park on the road leading into the park. About 100 yards up there is an entrance with a log barrier that leads to the bridle ways. There is a new car park, but there was nobody about top ask about horse boxes.

This is a very pretty ride with good views etc. The paths are newly laid stone so should be good in any weather. There is not a large selection of routes or a vast area, but good if you are local or the ground is wet. No where for cantering yet. Work is ongoing, so hopefully they will put a softer top surface on.

Watch out for walkers etc.

Thee is a coffee shop there, but not sure about opening hours.

Good if you have people that want to take a walk or cycle while you ride. Visitors centre for walkers.

Keepers Lodge, Brechfa 

8.5km route Last ridden on 4/11/2006

From Keepers lodge turn left out of the car park and head north east (take a right off the road immediately where bridleway sign is (although don’t follow its direction down the hard forest road) follow the track through a new wooden gate with horse catch past the cottage shown as Llain on the OS Explorer map. Through the cottage yard and on the bridleway through an NEW METAL GATE. Follow the track through WOODEN GATES (horse friendly).  The track has now been resurfaced but will take time to settle completely.

Over a stream to a new metal gate which is difficult to open and close on horseback as gate swings open. Turn right down a stony track to the road turn left.  Follow the road until you reach a stone bridge over the river.  Before crossing the bridge take the path to your left.  Follow this until it meets a wider track running down hill. Turn right.  This is a bridleway.  It is a bit muddy in places and also slippery in the wet but generally has a stony bottom. Through a small gate next to a rhododendron tree. (needs cutting back).  Past the dumped plumbing waste on the right over a stream and out onto a road.  This road meets another at the old post office.  Turn right.  Follow the road  and take the left fork up hill.  At the hairpin bend take the track off the road towards “Clyn Wallis”.  This is a byway.  Take the lower track to the right and off that track almost immediately on the left is a small path.  You will find some old marker posts along it occasionally. (this needs some cutting back but is passable). Turn left at the junction (cross roads)  This is an old county road.  Follow the road to a gate faulty catch and tied with string.  To another gate.  Openable from horse back but not closeable as horse needs to put his head in a bush! When you meet the road turn left. Lovely view to the right in good weather.  Follow the road round the hairpin bend you turned off earlier and back down the hill.  Turn left at the road and follow the road over the stone bridge and back to Brynmadog. Turn right onto the stony track and back through the gate that swings.  Through boggy bit and broken gate.  Back through old wooden gate to Cottage and out onto the road.  Keepers car park is in front of you.

BEACH RIDES

We have now heard from Carmarthenshire council regarding beach access, here is their response.

Pembrey Beach

Highly recommended even with the £5 charge. vast beach and great forest tracks which are sandy in the main and fallen trees to pop over etc. Do keep an eye open for walkers and cyclists. (P.Y.)

East of Cefn Sidan - newly installed 'horses for the beach' signs at beach access point F (at the end of the byway - reached from the free car park on the left before Pembrey Park.)
The signs will indicate that when approaching the beach from the byway at F, horses will be permitted to turn left towards Burry Port to the South East but will NOT be allowed to turn
right onto the Blue Flag Award winning section of Beach (between F and A) due to conflict with other users, bathing quality etc.

West of Cefn Sidan Beach and Forestry - access only via Equestrian Centre inside Park who has access agreement with Forestry Commission and Carmarthenshire County Council to access certain areas of FC land and beach.

For advance bookings telephone: The Cowin Riding Centre 01554 832160. Charge is about £5 per horse. Parking is available at the Riding Centre. ( Go through main entrance to Pembrey Park and it's the first lane on the right. ) Tell the gate operator that your box is booked into the riding centre and they should let you in for free.

From the Council point of view we would advise that all Riders would require public liability cover to cover their time spent on land in CCC ownership ( which includes the beach between mean high and mean low
water)
 

For Marros, Pendine & Laugharne - no restrictions except when MOD section of Pendine beach is operational

With regards Ferryside and Llansteffan - both these are Crown owned beaches with limited access across County Council land. We consider that these two beaches do not offer sufficient access opportunities for Equestrian use to include them in your website.

Please also take a look at Carms Riders Message Board  for riders comments.