The Afon Mynach dropping around 90 metres down a wooded gorge in a run of falls, under three stacked bridges with a devil story attached
At Devil’s Bridge the Afon Mynach cuts down a steep, tree-hung gorge and drops in five stages, close to 90 metres in all, which puts it among the tallest falls in Wales. The odd part is the crossing above it: three bridges built one directly on top of another over the centuries, the newest carrying the road and the oldest, lowest one dating from medieval times. The old story has the devil building that first bridge in return for the soul of whoever crossed it first, so a local woman tricked him by sending her dog over ahead of her.
There are two ways to see the water, both from a ticket kiosk on the spot. The short walk takes you to the bridges themselves and the Punchbowl, a pothole the river has drilled into the rock. The longer nature trail drops right down into the gorge on steep zig-zagging steps, past the falls, and climbs back up the far side, so decent footwear helps and it can be slippery after rain.
Devil’s Bridge is the top station of a steam railway that runs up the Rheidol valley from Aberystwyth, which is a fine way to arrive. For more in the area, the landscaped walks of the Hafod Estate lie a little to the south-east, and the ruined Strata Florida Abbey is further down the same road.
