Penllergare Valley Woods is a lovely setting nestled away in a steep valley in north Swansea, just a short distance from the M4 yet a world apart.

With its lakes and waterfalls, terraces, panoramic panoramas, and exotic plants and shrubs, the Penllergare Trust is gradually repairing and bringing back to life this forgotten Victorian beauty.

Directly off M4 J47 is the visitor centre and parking lot. The Woodland Coffee Shop, which has a patio with views of their Woodland Garden and the Upper Lake, is a great place to unwind with a drink. Visitors may walk over 12 kilometres from here, including along the historic Carriage Drive and into the Llan valley, where the Upper Lake and the lovely man-made waterfall were built by the Dillwyn Llewlyn family, who lived on the estate in the nineteenth century. Paths and walkways descend down the Afon Llan as it meanders its way to Fforestfach.

The woods are teeming with wildlife; on the river, kingfishers may be spotted, while buzzards and red kites frequent the region. Bats, foxes, and otters may be seen if you’re lucky. The rhododendrons, which are a relic of the Dillwyn Llewlyn family’s ‘plant hunting,’ are a highlight of the forests. They, together with drifts of wild daffodils and bluebells, are a typical sight in the spring.