Devil's Bridge Waterfalls

World Famous Waterfalls close to Aberystwyth in West Wales

Oct 14, 2009 Allison Isom

Subject of a poem by William Wordsworth, the falls and scenery at Devil's Bridge are worth a visit.

The waterfalls at Devil’s Bridge occur where the River Mynach has a drop of around 300 feet to meet the River Rheidol. Visitors can follow one of two tourist trails here and both begin at the main bridge in the village. The longer walk around the falls themselves takes a minimum of 45 minutes and is not for the faint hearted. The path winds down to the bottom of the valley, but the walk back up requires a lot more stamina. The shorter walk around ‘The Punchbowl’ takes around 10 minutes and is ideal for the less energetic.

The Three Bridges at Devil's Bridge

Another famous sight is that of the three bridges stacked on top of one another. Local legend says that the bottom bridge was built by the Devil so that a woman could rescue her cow from the other side of the gorge. His condition was that he would take the soul of the first living being to cross back over the bridge. The woman tricked him by letting her dog go back across the bridge first. Legend aside, the first bridge is actually thought to have been constructed by the monks from the Strata Florida abbey.

The second bridge is also made from stone and constructed in the 18th Century when the first bridge was deemed unsafe. The third bridge was made from iron and put in place in 1901.

The Vale of Rheidol Railway

The Vale of Rheidol narrow gauge railway terminates at Devil’s Bridge. Visitors can travel between the Aberystwyth and the falls on the steam trains taking in the views of the Rheidol valley. The train waits an hour at Devil’s Bridge before returning to Aberystwyth, which is enough time to look around the gift shop, take in the shorter walk or relax in the tearoom. The journey is an hour each way and slowly winds its way through the valley which gives passengers the opportunity to appreciate the beautiful scenery and spot the occasional red kite.

Attractions to Visit in the Mid Wales Area

Visitors to the area can take advantage of not just the walks around the falls but the many walks in the surrounding area. Close to Devil’s Bridge are the Hafod trails, created by Thomas Johnes to encourage tourism in the area in the 18th century and with this in mind he built the hotel at Devil’s Bridge. Also within travelling distance are the ruins of the previously mentioned Strata Florida abbey which dates back to the 12th century.

The copyright of the article Devil's Bridge Waterfalls in U.K./Ireland Travel is owned by Allison Isom. Permission to republish Devil's Bridge Waterfalls in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

The Three Bridges