Devil's Bridge Falls

Three bridges stand directly on top of each other over the Mynach gorge: the lowest is medieval, probably built by the monks of Strata Florida in the eleventh or twelfth century, a stone bridge of 1753 sits above it, and an iron road bridge of 1901 above that, so a visitor looks down through two centuries of engineering to a third. Below, the Mynach falls about a hundred metres in a series of drops into the Rheidol. The Jacob's Ladder path descends the gorge on around a hundred steps, steep and wet, to the bottom of the falls. The legend that gives the place its name has the devil building the lowest bridge in exchange for the first soul to cross, outwitted by a woman who sent a dog over. The Vale of Rheidol Railway, a steam line of 1902, terminates here.

What you actually see

• The three stacked bridges - medieval, 1753 and 1901, one above the other.
• The hundred-metre falls - the Mynach dropping in stages to the Rheidol.
• Jacob's Ladder - a steep stepped descent into the gorge.
• The steam railway - the 1902 Vale of Rheidol line terminating at the village.

When to go

April to October for the paths; the falls run hardest after rain and thin in dry summers. The steam railway operates on a seasonal timetable. Autumn colour in the gorge is very good.

Honest expectations

Access is through coin or card turnstiles and both paths are charged. Jacob's Ladder is steep, wet and slippery with a hard climb back, and is closed in ice. The shorter bridge walk is far easier but shows much less.

Nearby

Aberystwyth is at the end of the railway; the Elan Valley lies southeast.