Afan Forest Park – Visitor Centre, near Port Talbot
Main starting point for mountain bike and walking...
Pen-y-Bedd Wood, near Llanelli
What's here
Welcome
Pen-y-Bedd Wood is a great place for a gentle stroll and is a popular picnic site near the Carmarthenshire coast.
This area was once farmland near the site of a Royal Ordnance factory which closed in the 1960s and the waymarked woodland walk follows the disused railway line.
The large grassy picnic area is next to the car park and has three picnic benches.
The woodland is home to the Pembrey Conservation Trust who carry out many practical tasks here and in neighbouring Pembrey Forest.
Just down the road is Pembrey Country Park which offers a variety of leisure activities.
Walking trail
The walking trail is waymarked from start to finish.
Look out for the information panel at the start of the trail.
Find out about walking trail grades.
Pen-y-Bedd Trail
- Grade: Easy
- Distance: 1½ miles/2.2 kilometres
- Time: 1 hour
- Trail information: Sandy tracks, footpaths which are narrow in places and a short stretch of forest road. Benches along the trail.
Follow this gentle walk on sandy tracks past looming Corsican pine trees to a decked viewing area overlooking a pond.
Part of the route follows the old railway line which once served the Royal Ordnance factory and there are glimpses through the trees over fields and farmlands.
The trail returns to the car park through a mixed woodland.
Saint Illtyd’s Walk
This 64 mile/103 kilometre long distance walk runs through Pen-y-Bedd Wood and can be joined from the car park.
It starts at Pembrey Country Park, through rural eastern Carmarthenshire and Neath Port Talbot to end at Margam Country Park south of Port Talbot.
Saint Illtyd (or Illtud) was an early sixth century Welsh saint who founded an abbey and possibly Britain’s first school at Llantwit Major.
Find out about Saint Illtyd’s Walk on the Long Distance Walkers Association website.
Pembrey Country Park
Pen-y-Bedd Wood is situated just outside the popular Pembrey Country Park which offers a variety of leisure activities.
The country park has access to the long sandy Cefn Sidan beach and it is bordered by Pembrey Forest where you can follow our Pines and Shells walking trail.
For more information about the country park go to the Pembrey Country Park website.
National Forest for Wales
Pen-y-Bedd Wood forms part of the National Forest for Wales.
The National Forest will:
- create areas of new woodland
- enhance existing woodlands
- restore Wales’ irreplaceable ancient woodlands
It will form a connected ecological network running throughout Wales, bringing social, economic and environmental benefits.
Parts of the network will eventually form a trail running the length and breadth of Wales, so anyone can access it wherever they live.
For more information go to the National Forest for Wales website.
Visiting safely
We want you to return home safely after your visit here.
You are responsible for your own safety as well as the safety of any children and animals with you during your visit.
For advice and tips to help you plan your visit here go to Visiting our places safely.
Changes to visitor facilities
See the top of this webpage for details of any planned closures or other changes to visitor facilities here.
For your safety, always follow instructions from staff and signs including those for trail diversions or closures.
We may divert or close trails whilst we undertake maintenance work or other operations and we may need to close other visitor facilities temporarily.
In extreme weather, we may close facilities at short notice due to the risk of injury to visitors and staff.
How to get here
Location
Pen-y-Bedd Wood is 7 miles west of Llanelli.
It is in the county of Carmarthenshire.
Ordnance Survey map
Penybedd Wood is on Ordnance Survey (OS) map 164 or 178.
The OS grid reference is SN 419 013.
Directions
Follow brown and white tourist signs to Pembrey Country Park from the A484 between Carmarthen and Llanelli onto Factory Road.
The entrance to the car park is on the right, over the bridge just after leaving the A484.
Public transport
The nearest mainline railway station is Pembrey and Burry Port.
For details of public transport visit the Traveline Cymru website.
Parking
Parking is free of charge.
The car park can get full at busy times.
Overnight parking is not permitted.
Contact details
There are no staff at this location.
Contact our customer team for general enquiries during office hours, Monday to Friday.
Related document downloads
Pen-y-Bedd site information
PDF [2.2 MB]
Other places in South West Wales
Explore more
Last updated