Pont Felin Gat

The man-made waterfall at the centre of Pont Felin Gat.

 It is a pleasure to visit Pont Felin Gat at any time of year, but it is especially impressive in the spring, when the area is carpeted with a mass of wood anemones, bluebells and other woodland flowers, or in the autumn when the leaves of the beech trees change colour.

An ornamental bridge spanning the stream at Pont Felin Gat.

In a former life Pont Felin Gat was a managed water-scape full of ornamental lakes, bridges and cascading waterfalls. There were cropped grassy banks and closely-trimmed shrubs, all created to impress the pompous and over-dressed visitors,who strolled  through the grounds of Middleton Hall on a sunny afternoon. But, as  with so many landed estates, those days of grandeur are long gone. Without the necessary attention, the paths had all but disappeared, walls had collapsed and many of the contrived water courses had been abandoned.

However becoming part of the National Botanic Garden of Wales has prevented Pont Felin Gat from becoming just another obscure and neglected wilderness. The overgrown woodland has been managed, the area stabilised and walkways created to link and enhance what was left of the original water features. The manicured lawns may have gone but the wildlife has returned, and to many people this is the best of both worlds.