Fairy Falls

Fairy Falls is a waterfall in the village of Trefriw, north Wales. It stands on the river Crafnant, which begins at Llyn Crafnant and is joined by the river Geirionydd upstream. Below the falls the river continues as a tributary of the Conwy. The main drop is about 25 feet high, formed when a glacier cut off the Crafnant valley during the last ice age. Some water is diverted upstream to power a woollen mill, so the falls can slow to a trickle in dry spells. Most of the year, however, there is enough water to carve deep pools at the base. The name Fairy Falls comes from Victorian visitors who saw fairies in many Welsh landscapes. Though no fairies have ever been recorded here, the writer Wirt Sikes mentioned local fairy sightings in 1880. The falls sit within Fairy Glen, a stretch of river once lined with waterwheels that drove mills. Edwardian walkers followed a riverside path through the glen up to Llyn Crafnant. Today two of the Trefriw Trails pass the falls, letting walkers choose between shorter or longer routes. Visitors find the main falls tumbling down an angled rock face into a deep plunge pool. Below it the river drops again through smaller cascades once used to turn mill wheels. A clear path follows the river through Fairy Glen, where the banks are lined with oak and ash. The route is gentle enough for families, yet the sound of water and shifting light on the rocks makes it feel wilder. At the end of the glen the trail continues up towards the lakes where the rivers begin.