Powys
, Northern Outcrop - Central (Penwyllt to Penderyn)
map using leaflet map:
Rising
Cave
Access
Take the road past the Lamb Inn Penderyn along the old mineral track past Tor-y-foel Farm. Follow the right branch of the track down to Hepste Gorge. If one wishes to drive down to the river, then permission should be sought from Caerhowell Farm; was Mr Bevan (1981). Pass the tin shed at the disused silica mine, whence the river rapids can be heard. The resurgence is about 18m upstream.
Description
This is a spectacular surging pool of one forceful issue, which forms the lower Hepste river. It is 9 metres long, 2.5 metres wide and 2 metres deep, about 1 metre below the bed of the river, close to the left bank. It disgorges fanwise NW to form the wide Hepste rapids 18m away. The issue is great at all times of the year, it may receive surface water from sites upstream at various states of flood and it is completely swamped by the main river coming down the normally dry bed under extreme flood conditions. The bed here is of millstone, but limestone is only a few feet beneath the surface. It has been dived by J. Parker of CDG for some distance (about 75 metres and also C.O.George and W.Clarke.
