The Caerfanell is a river which rises in the central section of the Brecon Beacons National Park in Powys

Powys

Powys is a local-government county and preserved county in Wales.-Geography:Powys covers the historic counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, most of Brecknockshire , and a small part of Denbighshire — an area of 5,179 km², making it the largest county in Wales by land area.It is...

, Wales

Wales

Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

. It rises as Blaen Caerfanell on the plateau of Gwaun Cerrig Llwydion

Bwlch y Ddwyallt

Bwlch y Ddwyallt is the name commonly applied to the high point of the plateau of Gwaun Cerrig Llwydion in the eastern part of the Brecon Beacons in south Wales. It is a top of Waun Rydd....

 and drops steeply down southeastwards into the head of Glyn Collwn before turning east then north-east into Talybont Reservoir

Talybont Reservoir

The Talybont Reservoir is the largest stillwater reservoir in the central Brecon Beacons at .-References:*- External links :*...

. It emerges from beneath the dam just above the village of Aber

Aber Village (Powys)

Aber or Aber Village is a hamlet within the Brecon Beacons National Park in the county of Powys in South Wales. It is centred around the minor road which runs south from Talybont-on-Usk up the Caerfanell valley known as Glyn Collwn across the Brecon Beacons to Pontsticill and Merthyr Tydfil...

 and continues northwards to its confluence with the River Usk

River Usk

The River Usk rises on the northern slopes of the Black Mountain of mid-Wales, in the easternmost part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Initially it flows north into Usk Reservoir, then east by Sennybridge to Brecon before turning southeast to flow by Talybont-on-Usk, Crickhowell and...

 at the village of Talybont-on-Usk

Talybont-on-Usk

Talybont-on-Usk is a village and community in Powys, Wales. It lies on both the River Usk and the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal, and in 2003 won the title of 'Powys Village of the Year'...

.

Its principal tributaries are the Nant Bwrefwr, Nant Tarthwynni, Clydach and Cwy.

Access

The river is shadowed for much of its length by the Beacons Way and by the eastern loop of the Taff Trail

Taff Trail

The Taff Trail is a popular walking and cycle path that runs for between Cardiff Bay and Brecon in Wales. It is named so because it follows the course of the River Taff...

. Its uppermost reaches are within open country and accessible to walkers. Paths descend beside the river at Blaenyglyn where it drops over a series of falls which are a very popular natural attraction during both summer and winter months.