Welsh Water operates a national portfolio of five stunning visitor attractions known as ‘Welsh Water Adventures’. They are hubs for health, wellbeing and recreation, reconnecting people with water and the environment whilst maintaining, protecting and enhancing the ecological value of each site.
All five visitor attractions have a visitor centre and café together with a specialist activities hub although each has its own personality and unique offer. Find out more below…
Elan Valley
Mid Wales
Part of the rugged Cambrian Mountains, the Elan Valley sprawls across 72 square miles of outstanding scenic beauty. The unspoilt landscapes, home to thriving plant and wildlife, are made even more compelling by the Victorian dams, reservoirs, a welcoming visitor centre with café and shop and bike hire. An International Dark Sky Park, Elan Valley’s natural splendour shines bright day and night.
Walking
Elan Valley is one of the most popular places to go walking in Wales. There is open access over most of the estate and over eighty miles of designated rights of way.
Cycling
The Elan Valley offers a variety of cycling opportunities, from the 13 km Elan Valley Trail to a challenging 29km mountain bike loop. A mountain bike skills area is also available.
Ranger Tours & Dam Open Days
Find out more about the Elan Valley on a bespoke tour with a ranger or venture inside a dam on a dam open day.
Stargazing
Elan Valley is a popular visitor attraction for astronomers and stargazers as it is a dark sky park, protected against light pollution.
Fishing
Find out more about the range of fishing available at Elan Valley here.
There is a visitor centre offering café, shop, room hire with a bike hub nearby.
The café offers freshly prepared food and drinks with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options available.
The shop stocks gifts made by local artists as well as books, maps, jewellery, pottery and stunning prints by local photographers – plus exclusive Elan Valley merchandise.
With a number of rooms for hire and catering options, Elan Valley could be just the place to get the most out of your awayday, meeting or conference.
The Bike Hub is located next to the Visitor Centre offering children’s and adult bikes, including e-bikes and trailers, for hire.
Elan Valley offers an unforgettable setting for a dream wedding with the iconic Pen y Garreg Dam providing a stunning backdrop for your special day.
There are six designated parking bays outside the visitor centre.
There is level access to the visitor centre reception.
From reception there is level access to toilets, exhibition, shop, meeting rooms and the café.
There is a single unisex accessible toilet includes handrails and a baby changing table.
Wheelchair available – please ask at reception.
The 70 square miles of moorland, bog, woodland, river and reservoir are of national importance for their diversity of lower plants (mosses, liverworts and lichens) and the estate generally is one of the most important sites in Wales for birds.
Protected Environments:
Claerwen National Nature Reserve
Coetiroedd Cwm Elan / Elan Valley Woodlands Special Areas Of Conservation
Elenydd Special Area Of Conservation
Carngafallt Reserve (RSPB)
Twelve Sites of Special Scientific Interest
Dark Sky Park
Directions
Elan Valley is situated in the county of Powys in mid-Wales, just a couple of hours from Birmingham and Cardiff. The nearest town is Rhayader.
Visitor Centre Grid Reference:
Visitor Centre what3words:
Google Maps:
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=52.26942850195858%2C-3.5724266060850844 (opens in a new window)
Parking
There is ample car parking on site with six designated parking spaces just outside the visitor centre.
Monday to Sunday / All year
| Charging period | Cars | Motorhome/Van/Minibus |
|---|---|---|
| 1 hour | £1.50 | £3.00 |
| 2 hours | £2.50 | £5.00 |
| 3 hours | £3.50 | £7.00 |
| 3+ hours | £6.00 | £10.00 |
| Annual | £40.00 | £60.00 |
Opening Times
Opening times are seasonal. Check out the website (opens in a new tab) for details.
Contact
Elan Valley Visitor Centre
Elan Valley
Rhayader
Powys
LD6 5HP
01597 810880
elanvalley@dwrcymru.com
Llandegfedd Lake
South Wales
Set in the beautiful rolling landscape of the Usk Valley, Llandegfedd Lake is the perfect place to enjoy fishing, walking and wildlife-watching. A modern, purpose-built activities centre offers facilities for a variety of paddlesports as well as open-water swimming, cold-water dipping, sailing, archery and axe-throwing. The Lakeside Cafe in the visitor centre offers stunning views across the water.
Watersports
Llandegfedd offers one of the best watersports experiences in Wales with sailing, windsurfing, stand-up paddleboarding, canoeing and kayaking.
Land Adventures
Axe-throwing and archery are also available, perfect for mates or family day out, corporate team building, birthday party or even a first date!
Open Water Swimming & Dipping
A SAFE Cymru accredited venue, reap the physical and mental benefits of the cool, clean waters of Llandegfedd in one of our supervised sessions.
Fishing
With excellent fishing conditions, both from bank and boat, Llandegfedd is regularly stocked with rainbow trout. Native brown trout and coarse fish may also be caught.
Walking
Choose your own path from a gentle stroll through the fields to a brisk six-mile hike around the lake and surrounding area. Some paths are closed from October to March.
Facilities
There is a visitor centre with a café and seasonal Grab & Go as well as a dedicated activity centre with changing rooms.
On the first floor of the visitor centre, the Lakeside Café offers freshly prepared food and drinks with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options available.
The activity centre is the hub for all water and land activities and also features a fantastic room for hire to get the most out of your awayday, meeting or conference.
There is a visitor centre with a café and seasonal Grab & Go as well as a dedicated activity centre with changing rooms.
On the first floor of the visitor centre, the Lakeside Café offers freshly prepared food and drinks with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options available.
The activity centre is the hub for all water and land activities and also features a fantastic room for hire to get the most out of your awayday, meeting or conference.
There are seven designated parking bays outside the visitor centre and two outside the activity centre.
There is level access to the visitor centre and activity centre.
From the visitor centre reception, there are stairs and a lift to toilets and the café.
In the visitor centre, there is a single unisex accessible toilet that includes handrails and a baby changing table.
From the activity centre reception, there is level access to changing rooms and toilets and stairs and lift to the first-floor meeting room.
Set in the rolling landscape of southeast Wales, between Usk and Pontypool, Llandegfedd Lake comprises 434 acres with a rich array of habitats and a plethora of wildlife.
Protected Environments
Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for overwintering birds.
Llandegfedd Lake is just twenty miles from Cardiff and under ten miles from the city of Newport. The nearest town is Pontypool.
Visitor Centre Grid Reference:
Visitor Centre what3words:
Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination= 51.68287480385541%2C-2.972400160640744 (opens in a new window)
Visitors from the south on the A4042 are advised to continue to the Cwmbran roundabout and take the left exit to avoid the particularly narrow country lanes from the Edlogan roundabout.
Parking
There is ample car parking on site with seven designated parking just outside the visitor centre and two just outside the activity centre.
Monday to Sunday / All year
| Charging period | Peak (March-October) | Off Peak (November-February) |
|---|---|---|
| 1.5 hours | Free | Free |
| All day | £3.00 | Free |
| Annual | £30.00 | £30.00 |
Opening Times
Opening times are seasonal. Check the website (opens in a new tab) for details.
Contact
Llandegfedd Visitor Centre
Coed y Paen
Pontypool
Monmouthshire
NP4 0SY
0330 0413 381
llandegfeddenquiries@dwrcymru.com
Lisvane & Llanishen Reservoirs
South Wales
Our newest visitor attraction offers swimming and dipping in a watersports programme that also includes sailing, canoeing, kayaking and paddleboarding. There's over 5km of trails and the visitor centre offers panoramic views across the reservoirs and mouthwatering menus in the cafe. Lisvane & Llanishen Reservoirs encompasses two Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for waxcap fungi and overwintering birds.
Watersports
Lisvane & Llanishen Reservoirs offers watersports including canoeing, kayaking, paddleboarding (hire or self-launch) plus sailing.
Open Water Swimming & Dipping
A SAFE Cymru accredited venue, reap the physical and mental benefits of the cool, clean waters of Llanishen Reservoir in one of our supervised sessions.
Land Adventures
In addition to nature trails for kids in the school holidays, there’s also a climbing wall, yoga sessions and a bird hide.
Walking
There are signposted paths around the reservoirs as well as an interactive story trail for children and families in the woodlands. Please note that dog-walking is not permitted due SSSI status.
On site you will find a fully accessible Visitor Centre with cafe, toilets, free wi-fi, room hire, equipment hire, changing rooms and a seasonal Grab & Go.
On the first floor of the visitor centre, the café offers freshly prepared food and drinks with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options available.
Around the site, other facilities include the boathouse, bird hide, education centre, nature trails and paths, bike parking/shelters and car parking with seven EV charging bays.
There are seven accessible parking bays outside the visitor centre, free for Blue Badge holders.
There is level access to the visitor centre reception.
From reception there is level access to toilets, meeting rooms and changing rooms with stairs and a lift to the café and additional toilets.
There are male, female, mixed and accessible toilets on the ground floor and male, female and accessible toilets on the first floor. The ground floor accessible toilets contain baby changing facilities.
There are externally-accessed accessible toilets at the back of the visitor centre next to the externally-accessed showers.
The mix of grassland, woodland, scrub and waterside habitats offers opportunities for all kinds of wildlife and nature. There are two Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and most of the estate is designated as a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC).
Protected Environments
Lisvane Reservoir SSSI (designated for overwintering wildfowl)
Llanishen and Lisvane Reservoir Embankments SSSI (designated for grassland fungi including waxcaps)
Llanishen Reservoir SINC (designated for toads, locally rare water plants, lichens, mosses, grass snakes, glow worms and woodlands)
Lisvane & Llanishen Reservoirs is situated in north Cardiff. For the benefit of the environment, visitors should consider leaving their car at home and travel instead by walking, cycling or public transport.
Visitor Centre Grid Reference: ST 18493 82325
Visitor Centre what3words: ///flute.escape.perky
Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination= 51.5322417068102%2C-3.1730620791534077 (Opens in a new tab)
Parking
There is car parking on site with seven accessible parking spaces just outside the visitor centre, free to Blue Badge holders.
Monday to Sunday - All year
| Charging period | Price |
|---|---|
| 1.5 hours | Free |
| 4 hours | £3.00 |
| All Day | £6.00 |
Opening Times
Opening times are seasonal. Check out the website (opens in a new tab) for details.
Contact
Lisvane & Llanishen Reservoirs Visitor Centre
Lisvane Road
Lisvane
Cardiff
CF14 0BB
02920 740454
lisvaneandllanishen@dwrcymru.com
Llys-y-frân
West Wales
Located in the heart of Pembrokeshire, glorious Llys-y-frân offers water and land activities, mountain biking, pump skills area, walking trails, fishing, adventure playground, aqua park and a bike hub with 14km of cycle trails. There’s a gift shop and café in the visitor centre and, overlooking the lake, a campsite with high-quality grass and hard standing pitches, many with electric hook-up.
There is a visitor centre with a ground floor café which offers freshly prepared food and drinks with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options available. There is also a gift shop and rooms to hire.
The activity centre is the hub for all water and land activities and also features a fantastic room for hire to get the most out of your awayday, meeting or conference.
Llys-y-frân offers 10% discount on activities, café and shop (excluding alcohol) to the following: NHS & Emergency Services, Veterans, Carers, Students.
There are six accessible parking bays in the main car park, free to Blue Badge holders. The car park is about 50 metres away from the Visitor Centre.
There is a toilet block adjoining the car park.
The main entrance to the Visitor Centre features a long, gentle incline ramp with handrails, as well as steps.
Inside the Visitor Centre, the toilets are all located in one area close to the entrance to the café. All toilets are accessed via a single push-button door that opens inward.
There are gendered male and female toilets. There is also a single unisex accessible toilet with a baby changing table.
An accessible toilet, showers and changing facility is located at the Activity Centre, about 100m away from the Visitor Centre.
The woodland at Llys-y-frân is dominated by sessile oak, with a mix of ash, birch, rowan, holly, alder and willow, sometimes called ‘temperate rainforest’ or ‘Atlantic rainforest’.
The estate is home to badgers, foxes, otters, polecats, stoats, squirrels, rabbits and a wide variety of bats and smaller mammals, not to mention many species of birds.
Protected Environments
Llys-y-Frân Lake forms part of the Cleddau Rivers Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and the Eastern Cleddau River Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). A predominantly lowland catchment with gentle gradients and aerated gravel and silt beds, the Cleddau is designated primarily because of the abundance of brook and river lamprey, as well as the bullhead (a bottom-feeding fish) and the otter.
Llys-y-frân sits in the rolling, pastoral landscape of the central-northern part of Pembrokeshire near the foot of the Preseli Hills, approximately 11 miles from Haverfordwest.
Visitor Centre Grid Reference: SN 0400 2439
Visitor Centre what3words: /// shared.adventure.country
Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination= 51.88412%2C-4.84887 (opens in a new tab)
Parking
There is car parking on site with six accessible parking spaces, free to Blue Badge holders.
Monday to Sunday - All year
| Charging period | Peak (April to October) | Off Peak (November to March) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 hour | £1.50 | - |
| 4 hours | £4.00 | - |
| All Day | £6.00 | £1.50 |
| Annual | £40.00 | £40.00 |
Opening Times
Opening times are seasonal. Check out the website for details (opens in a new tab).
Contact
Llys-y-frân Visitor Centre
Clarbeston Road
Pembrokeshire
SA63 4RR
01437 532273
llysyfran@dwrcymru.com
Llyn Brenig
North Wales
Offering year-round cycle hire, walking trails, sauna and a visitor centre with café that has views for days, Llyn Brenig also hosts rare nesting ospreys from April to August. With 23km of shoreline stretching around one of Wales's largest inland waters, it is one of the best top-of-the-water fisheries in the UK. Paddlesports and open-water swimming are available in the summer.
Fishing
Whilst Llyn Brenig is best known for fly-fishing, pike fishing is available from October to March. Year-round multi-method bank angling at other nearby fisheries is also available for booking.
Watersports
Llyn Brenig offers watersports including canoeing, kayaking, paddleboarding (hire or self-launch) in the summer plus seasonal open-water swimming and dipping.
Cycling & Bike Hire
In addition to miles of cycling trails around Llyn Brenig and Llyn Alwen, visitors can hire bikes, electric bikes and electric trikes.
Sauna & Cold Dip
Llyn Brenig’s contrast therapy offer is based on the ‘Nordic Cycle’ technique, a ‘hot sauna, cold water’ routine that can help boost circulation and enhance overall well-being.
Walking
Choose your own path from a gentle stroll through the woods to a brisk 14-mile hike around Llyn Brenig and nearby Llyn Alwen.
On site you will find a fully accessible Visitor Centre with cafe, gift shop, tackle shop, toilets, free wi-fi, room hire, equipment hire and changing rooms.
Around the site, other facilities include the osprey lookout, osprey photography hide, nature trails and paths, bike parking/shelters and car parking. Please note that Llyn Brenig does not currently offer electrical vehicle charging.
There are five accessible parking bays in the main car park outside the visitor centre and five near the shore for anglers, free for Blue Badge holders.
From the car park there is a gentle incline to the visitor centre where there is level access to the reception area.
There is a toilet block outside the front of the Visitor Centre. All toilets are accessed via a single forced-return door that opens inward.
There are gendered male and female toilets. There is also a single unisex accessible toilet includes handrails and a baby changing table.
Llyn Brenig and its surrounding area is celebrated for its rich upland ecology, pristine blanket bogs and abundant birdlife, including the famous breeding ospreys.
Conservation & Ecology Highlights
Breeding Ospreys: The Brenig Osprey Project is a big draw with facilities on site allowing visitors to view the rare birds of prey.
Biodiversity: Over 130 species of birds have been recorded here, including red kites, curlews and stonechats.
Conservation Projects: There are projects to support sand martins and red squirrels as well as conservation grazing.
Llyn Brenig is situated in North Wales, in the heart of the Denbigh Moors and on the border between the counties of Conwy and Denbighshire.
Visitor Centre Grid Reference: SH 96783 54748
Visitor Centre what3words: ///magazine.yours.yield
Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination= 53.08020%2C-3.54214 (opens in a new tab)
Parking
There is ample car parking on site with five accessible parking bays in the main car park outside the visitor centre and five near the shore for anglers, free for Blue Badge holders.
Monday to Sunday - All year
| Charging period | Peak (April to October) | Off Peak (November to March) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 hours | £1.00 | £1.00 |
| 4 hours | £4.00 | - |
| All Day | £6.00 | £2.00 |
| Annual | £40.00 | £40.00 |
Opening Times
Opening times are seasonal. Check out the website for details (opens in a new tab).
Contact
Llyn Brenig Visitor Centre
Conwy County
Wales
LL21 9TT
01490 389 222
llynbrenig@dwrcymru.com