A complete guide to Brombil reservoir | including where to park and a detailed route description
Brombil reservoir is a hidden gem tucked away in valleys of Margam, South Wales.
Its tranquil turquoise waters are something you associate with the glacial lakes of the Canadian Rockies or Italian Dolomites and are a far cry from juxtaposing Port Talbot steel works which loom ominously in the background and resembles something closer to Mordor in Lord of the Rings.
Despite its unusual location this a beautiful little reservoir which is worthy of an afternoon visit as the surrounding foothills also offer terrific views back over the south coast.
Within this blog post I briefly outline the history of Brombil and give information where to park and how to reach this hidden gem of a reservoir.
History of Brombil
Brombil reservoir was originally a colliery which supplied coal to the nearby copper works at Taibach. After the colliery was closed in 1880 the mine was then flooded to supply water to the docks at Port Talbot. The reservoir is over 100ft deep and is apparently home to several cars.
Where to Park?
There is no official parking for this walk. Instead you have to plug in the postcode: SA13 2SR which will take you to Brombil barns situated a residential cul-de-sac on the other side of the M4 motorway.
Be considerate of residents as there have been issues surrounding parking and double yellow lines have been painted. The best place to park is before the flyover which takes you under the M4 towards the barns.
How to reach Brombil reservoir
The start point of the hike
The second wooden footbridge with the second swing gate in the distance.
The start of the walk begins at the end of the residential road. Pass the cottage on your right-hand side and through the first metal swing gate.
Follow the path alongside the river as it gently rises through the forest. After around 1 kilometre and having passed over two wooden footbridges you will reach a second metal swing gate. Once through the second gate you have two options;
Gate two with the steeper route leading off to the left
A google image of the two routes
Option 1 - The steeper mountain path route
Bear left and begin climbing up the steeper path which will give you views over the reservoir. You should reach the first viewpoint after around 250m.
Viewpoint 1 - located around 300m from the second swing gate
A drone shot of the two viewpoints and the route between them
From here you can continue to hike up the zig zagging path and back around to the second viewpoint located directly in front of the reservoir. This is around 1km in length and should take around 15 minutes.
If you didn’t want to do that you can drop back down to the second swing gate and take option 2 which I have outlined below;
Option 2 - The low level route to the base of the reservoir
From the second swing gate, head right and cross the river via the stepping stones and walk for a further 300m upstream to the base of the reservoir.
From here you can easily walk around the entirety of the reservoir in around 5 minutes.
Both trails do link up via a steep track consisting of mud a rocks around the back of the reservoir, meaning you are able to complete one big loop if you wanted.
I would recommend tackling this full loop his as you are rewarded with terrific views over the reservoir and back towards Swansea.
To get back to you car simply follow the shorter lowe level route back down to the second gate and back downstream towards Brombil barns.
In total the hike is just over 3 miles (5km) and should take 90 minutes to 2 hours to complete.
The view from the shore of the reservoir
The reservoir from above. Viewpoint 2 can be seen at the bottom of the image
What gives the reservoir its colour?
The magical turquoise colour at Brombil is apparently caused by blue-green algae.
A word of warning that these algae can produce toxins which are harmful for both humans and dogs. Effects can include skin rashes, eye irritation, nausea, and vomiting.
Can you Swim in Brombil Reservoir?
Now I’ll leave that decision to go for a dip up to you. I did not go for a swim when I went and I wouldn’t recommend it.
Due to the algae, the extremely cold water which can cause your body to go into shock, and unseen dangers below the surface , Welsh Water advises you don’t swim here.
However if you really did want to go for a dip there is safe access into the reservoir via its gently sloping concrete shoreline located on its south bank. Ease yourself in slowly and make sure you can quickly and easily get out of the water
Whatever you do dont go jumping or diving into the water as this is recipe for disaster.
There were several youths splashing about in the water while I visited however I can imagine the algae is the least of their worries.
Issues with litter
Unfortunately, there have been huge issues with litter at this site.
Do not be a tosser and please take everything with you back home. Its not difficult, you have functioning hands, and it is significantly lighter than when you carried it up.
Also consider taking a carrier bag and picking up any litter you do see to help make the area that little bit nicer.
Thanks for reading thus far. I have also created a video blog on the hike. I would appreciate if you showed me some support and gave me a follow and subscribe on Instagram and YouTube.
For more travel, & photography inspiration around Wales check out my in-depth guides to each of my favourite regions below.