Top Waterfalls Day Trips from Bristol
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The top Waterfalls Day Trips from Bristol include Cleddon Shoots, St Audries Bay Waterfall, Pistyll Goleu, Trull Waterfall, Berw-ddu Waterfall, Blaen-y-Glyn, Pwll-Du Waterfall and Pwll y Crochan.
Bristol sits close to the Severn, and cross the water or head down the coast and you are soon among proper waterfall country. Most of these eight lie out in the hills, so treat the whole set as a day trip into the uplands west and south of the city.
Northwest, above the River Wye, Cleddon Shoots tumbles through wooded Monmouthshire slopes. Southwest along the Somerset coast, St Audries Bay Waterfall drops straight onto the beach, while inland near Taunton the modest Trull Waterfall sits on a gentle circular walk.
Push west into the valleys of Rhondda Cynon Taf and you reach Pistyll Goleu near Llanwonno and the on-and-off Berw-ddu above Aberdare. Further northwest, the Brecon Beacons hold the best of the bunch: Blaen-y-Glyn on the Caerfanell, and, in the Waterfall Country near Pontneddfechan, the dark pool of Pwll-Du and the awkward, rocky Pwll y Crochan.
Pack walking boots and pick your weather, since several of these run best after rain. Here are eight waterfalls for a day trip from Bristol.
Cleddon Shoots
Photo: David M Clark via Geograph.org.uk
Visit Cleddon Shoots in the Wye Valley Northwest of Bristol, above the village of Llandogo on the Monmouthshire side of the Wye Valley, this waterfall tumbles down a steep, wooded slope. The stream drops through a ravine thick with sessile oak and beech before reaching the River Wye below.
The surrounding wood is a site of special scientific interest, damp and green and heavy with moss, and rough paths lead down to the fall from car parks on the higher ground above. There is no easy roadside view here; it is a quiet, out-of-the-way spot reached only on foot, well worth the walk if you like your waterfalls unhurried and peaceful.
St Audries Bay Waterfall
Photo: Roger Cornfoot via Geograph.org.uk
See St Audries Bay Waterfall Down on the Somerset coast near Watchet, southwest of Bristol, this is a coastal fall where a stream drops straight down the cliff onto the beach at St Audries Bay. You can only reach the base along the shore when the tide is out, so check the times before setting off.
The bay is a well-known fossil spot, its layered cliffs dating from the very end of the Triassic and the start of the Jurassic, and patient searchers turn up ammonites and other remains in the fallen rock. It is a quiet stretch of coast reached down from the cliffs, with the Quantock hills rising behind.
Pistyll Goleu
Photo: Alan Bowring via Geograph.org.uk
Explore Pistyll Goleu near Llanwonno West of Bristol, in the hills of Rhondda Cynon Taf near Llanwonno, Pistyll Goleu is a small, pretty fall where the Sychnant stream drops over a face of Pennant sandstone. It is a tucked-away, lesser-known spot, reached on a short walk of about ten minutes from the roadside and often taken in as part of a longer waterfall walk around Llanwonno.
The mossy, wooded setting draws photographers, though there are no facilities to speak of. Come here for the quiet and the greenery rather than any grand single drop, and pair it with the other falls dotted through St Gwynno's Forest nearby.
Trull Waterfall
Photo: Shazz via Geograph.org.uk
Discover Trull Waterfall near Taunton A couple of miles south of Taunton in Somerset, near the village of Trull, this modest fall sits on the Sherford Brook. It is a small local feature rather than a big natural cascade, appearing on a short circular walk with a viewing bridge over the stream.
The Winchester Arms pub stands close by on Church Road, handy for lunch after the loop. Some accounts suggest the fall began as a weir built to feed a mill, though that story is not firmly confirmed.
If you are exploring the countryside southwest of Bristol, it makes a gentle, easygoing stop rather than a rugged upland adventure.
Berw-ddu Waterfall
Photo: Nick Earl via Geograph.org.uk
Find Berw-ddu Waterfall above Aberdare West of Bristol, at the head of the Dare Valley beyond Aberdare in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Berw-ddu runs off the hillside below the cliffs of Tarren y Bwllfa. Its Welsh name means something close to 'black rapids'.
You can reach it from the walking trails in Dare Valley Country Park, but time your visit with care: this is an on-and-off fall that needs a good spell of rain to flow properly and can be nearly dry otherwise. It is a lightly documented local feature rather than a mapped landmark, so treat it as a bonus on a longer walk through the country park rather than a guaranteed showpiece.
Blaen-y-Glyn
Photo: Nigel Davies via Geograph.org.uk
Walk to Blaen-y-Glyn in the Brecon Beacons Northwest of Bristol, in the forested hills at the eastern edge of the Brecon Beacons above the Talybont valley, Blaen-y-Glyn is a run of waterfalls on the Caerfanell river. The river and its side streams drop through steep, wooded gorges, the rocks thick with moss and ferns as the water slides from one pool to the next.
Paths climb beside the streams, crossing footbridges over a couple of miles of valley. Higher up on the open moor stands a memorial to the crew of a Wellington bomber that crashed there in 1942, killing all five aboard, and pieces of wreckage still lie on the hill.
Pwll-Du Waterfall
Photo: Colin Pyle via Geograph.org.uk
Visit Pwll-Du in the Nedd Fechan gorge Further west in the Waterfall Country of the Brecon Beacons, just above Pontneddfechan, Pwll Du, the black pool, is a deep river pool in the wooded Nedd Fechan gorge where the Afon Pyrddin meets the Nedd Fechan. Rather than a single tall drop, small cascades feed the dark, shaded pool, set in a steep gorge rich in moss and fern.
It is reached on an easy riverside walk from the car park by the Angel Inn, the same path that carries on to bigger falls higher up, such as Sgwd Gwladys. There are no facilities in the gorge itself, so bring what you need for a day out from Bristol.
Pwll y Crochan
Photo: Alan Bowring via Geograph.org.uk
See Pwll y Crochan below Dinas Rock Also in the Waterfall Country near Pontneddfechan, west of Bristol, Pwll y Crochan means the cauldron pool: a waterfall and plunge pool on the Afon Sychryd, in the wooded gorge below Dinas Rock at the eastern edge of the falls district. It lies up the gorge toward the main road, hemmed in by rock and trees, and is awkward to reach.
Most visitors instead make for the Sychryd Cascades just downstream, which are reached by an easy path from the car park at Dinas Rock. Save this one for when you fancy a bit more of a scramble and want to see a quieter corner of the gorge.
FAQs
How far is the nearest waterfall to Bristol?
Cleddon Shoots, above Llandogo in the Wye Valley, is the closest on this list at roughly 32km northwest of Bristol, an easy run across the Severn.
Which waterfall near Bristol is best for families?
Trull Waterfall near Taunton suits a gentle family outing, with a short circular walk, a viewing bridge and the Winchester Arms pub close by for lunch.
Do I need walking boots for these waterfalls?
For upland falls like Blaen-y-Glyn in the Brecon Beacons or Berw-ddu above Aberdare, yes; paths can be wet, steep and mossy, so proper boots make the day out from Bristol far easier.
Conclusion
From the wooded Wye Valley slopes to the coast at St Audries Bay and the deep green gorges of the Brecon Beacons, this is a set of falls that rewards a bit of driving and a decent pair of boots. Several run best after rain, so keep an eye on the weather and the tide before you head out, and pair the smaller local features like Trull or Berw-ddu with a bigger name such as Blaen-y-Glyn or the falls near Pontneddfechan.
Whether you fancy an easy riverside stroll or a proper hillside walk, there is plenty here to fill a day out west of the city. Wye Valley, Somerset coast or Welsh valleys, these are the waterfalls for a day trip from Bristol.
