Following Old Drovers' Roads in Rural Wales

By Rainy Day Activities for Families in Wales
Comments 35
14 Jul 2026

Following Old Drovers' Roads in Rural Wales

Roads Older Than the Kingdom

Before the railways, before the turnpikes, before anyone thought to surface a lane with tarmac, cattle walked from the hills of Wales to the markets of England. Between roughly the twelfth century and the 1840s, drovers moved Welsh Black cattle, sheep, geese — even pigs — eastwards in herds that could number three hundred beasts. A drove from Cardiganshire to Smithfield might take six weeks, with every night's grazing, every toll gate and every river crossing planned in advance.

What they left behind is a network of green lanes, stony bridleways, unsurfaced county roads and lonely metalled passes. Much of it is still walkable. Following a drovers' road is one of the most satisfying ways to see rural Wales, because the routes were never designed for scenery — they were designed for grass, water and shelter, which is precisely why they cross the best country there is.

Routes Worth Putting Under Your Boots

These are the stretches I return to most often. All are walkable in a day, and all can be shortened if the weather turns.

Tregaron to Abergwesyn, through the Cambrian Mountains. This is the classic. The road climbs out of Cwm Irfon through the Devil's Staircase — a genuinely hair-raising descent — and tops out around 450 metres on open moorland with nothing but curlews and old sheepfolds. Roughly sixteen miles if you walk the whole thing; the middle section is the finest.
Bwlch y Groes, from Llanuwchllyn over to Dinas Mawddwy. At about 545 metres it is one of the highest metalled passes in Wales, and the drovers used it for good reason: it links two fat valleys without a single wooded ambush for cattle thieves.
The Hatterrall Ridge above Llanthony, in the Black Mountains. The drovers brought beasts up from the Monmouthshire lowlands here, and the ridge path is now shared with the Offa's Dyke Path. Big skies, red kites and a very good pub at the bottom.
Above the Elan Valley, near Rhayader. A web of drovers' tracks crosses Cwmdauddwr Common; you can link them into a half-day loop with reservoir views.
Mynydd Mallaen and the Llyn Brianne country, north of Llandovery. Sparse, quiet and genuinely remote, with turf tracks worn into the hillside by centuries of hooves.

Reading the Landscape as You Go

Once you know what to look for, the droving past becomes visible everywhere.

Hollowed trackways. Where a path is sunken four or five feet between grassy banks, that is erosion by hooves over generations.
Flat shelves beside streams. These were the overnight grazing and holding places, chosen for water and a night's grass.
Sheepfolds, cairns and boundary stones. Many predate the droves and were simply reused as waymarks.
Wide-arched bridges. Built strong enough for a herd, often at the narrowest crossing point for miles.
Inns with big yards and wide doors. Drovers' inns needed space for beasts, not just for men.

Market Towns and Drovers' Inns

The routes make most sense when you anchor them to the towns that grew fat on the trade. Tregaron was a staging post for cattle heading east, and its wide square still feels like somewhere livestock was once held. Llandovery, Llanwrtyd Wells, Builth Wells, Rhayader, Machynlleth, Bala, Knighton and Hay-on-Wye all sit on droving routes and all retain at least one old coaching or droving inn with a cobbled yard out the back.

Basing yourself in one of these towns for two or three nights works well. You get a decent breakfast, a choice of evening meals, and a short drive to three or four different stretches of old road. Village pubs along the way tend to be friendly and unfussy; book ahead in summer, when mid-Wales fills up quickly.

Practicalities for Walking the Droves

These are upland routes, and they punish complacency.

Maps and navigation. Carry the relevant Ordnance Survey Explorer sheet for every section, plus a compass. Phone signal vanishes for miles at a time, and the tracks braid and fade on open moorland.
Footwear. Waterproof boots with real ankle support. The unsurfaced sections are stony, rutted and often boggy even in a dry August.
Weather. Conditions change fast above 300 metres. Waterproof shell, spare warm layer, hat and gloves, even in June.
Livestock. Expect sheep, and Welsh mountain ponies on some commons. Keep dogs on a short lead during lambing (roughly March to May) and around ground-nesting birds.
Gates. Leave them as you find them — open if open, shut if shut. This is not a courtesy; it is the difference between a farmer's livelihood and a lost flock.
Season. Late May to early July and September to mid-October are the sweet spots. High summer brings midges and bracken; winter brings closed lanes and short days.
Water and food. There is often nowhere to buy anything for ten miles. Carry more water than you think you need.

A Weekend That Works

Stay in or near Tregaron. On day one, walk the middle section of the Tregaron to Abergwesyn road, turning back where the track drops towards the Irfon. On day two, drive north to Rhayader and spend the morning on the drovers' tracks above the Elan Valley, finishing with a late lunch in town. If you have a third day, head to Llandovery and take the lanes up onto Mynydd Mallaen — you will likely see nobody at all.

Walk these routes slowly. The pleasure is not in the mileage but in the sense of following a line that hundreds of thousands of hooves wore into the hills long before anyone thought of walking for fun.

Heritage

Planning a Family Cycle Ride on Traffic-Free Paths

Find safe viewing points to watch seals haul out on rocky shores, with advice on keeping distance and using binoculars.

Previous Post At vero eos et accusamus et iusto odio dignissimos ducimus qui blanditiis praesentium.

Next Post Dignissimos ducimus qui blanditiis praesentiu deleniti atque corrupti quos dolores

5 Comments

Robert Sonny says Jul 21, 2024 at 10:00am

I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system
Reply
- John Abraham says Jul 21, 2024 at 10:00am
  
  I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system
  Reply
  - Robert Sonnysays Jul 21, 2024 at 10:00am
    
    I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system
    Reply
Robert Sonny says Jul 21, 2024 at 10:00am

I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system
Reply

Jenny Watson

Hi! beautiful people. I`m an authtor of this blog. Read our post - stay with us

Instagram

How We Can
Help You!

Identify common visitors like robins, blue tits and goldfinches with simple tips for feeding and sheltering garden wildlife.

section heading hidden

Our Latest News

Spotting Atlantic Grey Seals Along the Coast

A Beginner's Guide to Welsh Garden Birds

Where to Hear Nightingales and Wood Warblers

Contact Us

Article