Snowdonia Archives - Sandals N Socks

Snowdonia Tours: Harlech, Barmouth, beaches and slate:

willis — Sat, 09 Sep 2017 06:50:36 +0000

Snowdonia tour:

The Snowdonia national park, created in 1950, was the first welsh national park, and covers approximately 820 square miles of North West Wales.

To fully appreciate all the park has to offer you’ll need to spend a few days, if not a week(s), but I’ll try and give you some highlights tours that will focus on the main sites to visit. The idea is to create a circular itinerary you can follow, starting and finishing anywhere along the route.

Tour 2: Harlech, Barmouth, beaches and slate:

Today’s tour starts in the town of Harlech, a convenient meeting point would be the small car park behind the railway station, there’s also a well stocked shop to buy your goodies for lunch just across the road.

From the railway station you can’t help but notice the imposing castle above you. Work started on the castle in 1283 and it was one of the ring of castles built as part of Edward 1st fortifications during his conquest of Wales. If you’re reasonably fit the easiest way to visit the castle and main town is to stroll up the hill, but for the less able there are a number of car parks in the town, however you get there the views from the castle/town are well worth the effort.

Once your Harlech adventure comes to an end we’ll continue our tour by following the A496 South, that’s keeping the castle on your left and the sea on your right. Approximately a mile from Harlech you’ll see a sign for Llandanwg (right), take this road and follow it to the small car park at the end (pay and display parking).

The parish church of St.Tanwg is just behind the beach in the sand dunes, only around 20 metres above the high tide mark. The church is medieval, probably dating from the 13th century, but there are three fifth to sixth century inscribed stones and two stones with inscribed crosses inside the church which indicates much earlier activity, much of the churchyard is buried by sand, but stroll around the available ‘ground’ and see if you can find the war graves of a Royal Welch Fusiliers soldier and that of a Royal Garrison Artillery officer of World War 1; amongst others. While you’re here nip down to the beach for some great photos.

To carry on with the tour drive back to the main road and turn right aiming for Barmouth.

The coast road you’re following passes through a number of small villages, and you’ll often see signs pointing down to the beach (on your right) if you really want to, go and have an explore, but you’re heading towards a great beach so there really isn’t any need, except to get some great pics!

Arriving in Barmouth town you may find the road a little narrow, but don’t worry, there’s plenty of room. Keep going through the centre of the town until you come to a kind of split in the road with the right fork being a 90 degree turn: take the right. (If you miss the turning don’t worry, in a few yards you’ll see a railway bridge on your right, turn here) Follow the road to the junction where you want to turn left over the railway line, then next left and just after the lifeboat station left into the car park, remember to buy a ticket!

From here explore Barmouth, the town, the beach and the bridge …… you can walk alongside the railway line across the river and get the most spectacular views, worth the few pence ‘toll’

Once Barmouth has given up its secrets we can carry on with the tour by following the road towards Dolgellau, that’s keeping the bridge and river on our right as we leave the town. About a mile along the road there’s a lay-by on the right: a great place for some pics.

You’re now driving along the Mawddach estuary, Mawddach being the name of the river to your right. After around 8 miles you’ll come to a roundabout, take the right turn towards Dolgellau, follow for around a ¼ of a mile then turn left following the sign for Cymer Abbey. It’s best to park near the river/bridge and then walk through/past the caravans to see the abbey ruins. Take a look at the ‘old’ bridge over the river, pay attention to the ‘graffiti’ scratched into the stones, some going back to the early 1800’s.

Continuing on: drive back to the road and if you’re ok for time turn left and visit Dolgellau, it’s an old Welsh market town, once very affluent due to wood production and of course the ‘Gold’.

Our tour route follows the road, turning right from Cymer Abbey and straight on at the roundabout towards Blaenau Ffestiniog. In around 3 miles you’ll pass a pub on your left, the ‘Tyn Y Groes’ and then in a few yards a turning to your right towards some river side parking.

This is a great place to stop and explore the forest and take a walk along the river. This is still the Mawddach river, now flowing through a gold producing region, this is where the gold for the royal rings comes from, you can walk by the river, and maybe you’ll be lucky and spot some gold in the water, but panning is not allowed I’m afraid.

Break over and gold stashed; we better get going before we’re spotted. Back at the road turn right and carry on toward Ffestiniog.

In around 2½ miles we’ll see a sign for the ‘Coed Y Brenin Visitors Center’ coed a brenin, or kings wood, is a forest park with a visitors center where you can find information on the numerous walking and mountain biking trails through the woods, there’s a wealth of information to discover, and they also have a cafe, so it’s well worth a visit.

Still plenty to do, so when you’re ready it’s back to the road heading for Blaenau Ffestiniog.

As we travel you’ll see a lake on your left, this is Llyn (Lake) Trawsfynydd, the area was the filming location for a 1990’s film you may remember: ‘First night’ starring Sean Connery and Richard Gere, if you’ve not seen it look it up and when you do imagine a large castle built in one of these fields. The lake supplied cooling water for a nuclear power station, now being decommissioned, which we’ll pass on the left, there’s a parking area and cafe on the lakeside if you fancy a closer look.

Looking ahead we can now see the Moelwyn mountain range, you may be able to make out a large dam built between two mountain peaks, this is Stwlan dam and is between Moelwyn Fawr and Moelwyn Bach.

This is the historic heart of the Welsh slate production industry, it was reconned that at it’s peak 90% of the slate for the entire world came from here, but now very little remains. Following the signs for Blaenau Ffestiniog (right turn following A470 approx a mile after power station) you’ll pass through a couple of small hamlets and realise that everything here is made from slate, with just a few ‘posher’ buildings being brick. The road is narrow, so take your time, it’s worth the effort to get an idea of how the slate working community would have lived.

Continue on following the signs for Llandudno (A470) and as you leave Blaenau Ffestiniog watch out for the ‘Underground adventure’ sign on your right, this is where we’re going.

Once just an underground slate mine experience, the attraction has now grown into a real one-stop adventure site, there’s mountain biking, zip wires and even underground trampolining, but we’re here today to take a trip underground. You don’t need me to tell you what to do, it’s quite obvious, but I will say ‘Watch your head!’

To continue on our tour turn left out of the slate mines and follow the A470 towards Porthmadog, picking up the signs for Harlech, the road takes you through some great scenery, so stop if possible for photos, you eventually arrive back to our starting point in Harlech.

This is where I’ll say ‘Hwyl Fawr am rhwan’ that’s welsh for Goodbye ….. For now!

Don’t forget to check out our other tours of Snowdonia.

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Snowdonia Tours: Llanberis & Beddgelert

willis — Sun, 03 Sep 2017 08:01:19 +0000

Snowdonia tour: Llanberis & Beddgelert

The Snowdonia national park, created in 1950, was the first welsh national park, and covers approximately 820 square miles of North West Wales.

To fully appreciate all the park has to offer you’ll need to spend a few days, if not a week, but I’ll try and give you some highlights tours that will focus on the main sites to visit. The idea is to create a circular itinerary you can follow, starting and finishing anywhere along the route, and assumes you are driving.

Tour 1: Llanberis & Beddgelert.

For convenience this route starts in the town of Porthmadog and concentrates on the Western side of the park, the bit where the mountain is: ‘What mountain?’ I hear you ask. Well the park is home to the highest mountain in Wales and England which is called (Mount) Snowdon (1,085m), a cautionary note: when you’re chatting with locals or other visitors you’ll look a little silly if you mix up Snowdon with Snowdonia, as in ‘I just walked up Snowdonia’ so think before you speak!

So back to the tour: If I’m meeting a group we’ll normally rendezvous at Tesco, for those who don’t know Tesco is a large supermarket which is easy to find in Porthmadog, and is just 2 minutes walk from the train station and main bus stops. It’s a good place to grab a sandwich for lunch which will save you time later.

For the first 20-30 minutes we’ll stick to the main A487 heading towards Caernarfon, so turn Left out of Tesco and follow the signs. It’s a good road, but not much to see, we’re just travelling to our first destination: Llanberis.

After following the A487 for around 18 miles you’ll come to the village of Bontnewydd, this is where we’ll pick up the road for Llanberis, so watch out for the sign (turning right) following this road for around 5 miles will bring you to Llyn Padarn (Lake). The lake is approximately 2 miles long and at it’s deepest point around 30m, making it one of the biggest natural lakes in Wales.

Keeping the lake to your left you’ll soon arrive in Llanberis itself. Keep driving past the parking areas and the first large building you see on your left, this building is the Electric Mountain visitors centre, more on this later.

Just after the Electric mountain building you’ll see a sign for ‘Padarn Country Park’, ‘Lake Railway’, ‘High Ropes Course’, ‘Welsh Slate Museum’ in fact a lot of little signs bunched together pointing to the left, essentially you’re going to the other side of the lake where you’ll find a large parking area (not the first small car parks you pass, follow the signs for the museum) this will be our base for a while so find a good parking spot and get a ticket.

The large ‘old’ looking building is the Welsh Slate Museum, a must visit attraction, besides it’s free, has a good cafe and clean loo’s! Spend time exploring this area, perhaps follow some of the hiking trails (info on large notice boards) or stroll along the lake to the Victorian Quarry Workers Hospital, another must do.

If you fancy a train ride up Snowdon the station is back on the main road near the signs where you turned left, it’s normally busy and only runs in the summer months, but do go and have a look around even if you don’t want to go up the mountain, you could always walk up, but it does take most of a day!

Electric mountain; the visitors centre you passed on your way in, gives information and a tour of the Dinorwig pumped storage power station, basically the mountain on the far side of the lake is hollow and houses an enormous hydro-power station, you really need to visit the information centre to fully appreciate what you can’t actually see!

It’s completely up to you how long you stay in llanberis, there’s actually enough to keep you going all day, but when you want to carry on with the tour just drive back to the main road and turn left following the road past the Snowdon Mountain Railway station.

This road is the Llanberis pass with the mountain on your right being Snowdon (Snowdon Massif) and on your left the Glyder mountain range. There are little parking spots where you can pull over a search for climbers picking their way up the mountains, the area is very popular with climbers due to it’s easy access and wide range of difficulties. The area is also popular with free climbers, this is where the climber doesn’t use ropes or pegs etc, you’ll often see them using the large rocks on the side of the road to practice on, it’s very skilled and dangerous, so practising on low, short-fall routes is a good idea!

The top of the pass is call Pen Y Pass, welsh for the head of the pass, there’s a parking area, but it’s normally full, but no worries if it is, just keep going …. now down hill, and oh what a hill. At the junction turn right and you’ll soon come to a parking area on your right, pull in for a photo session. The views are stunning, but are of course weather dependant.

Carry on down the hill, through stunning mountain scenery, past lakes, rivers and through hamlets, stop whenever you like for photos or to explore, eventually arriving at the village of Beddgelert. Follow the road left over the bridge and just past the ice cream shop (on your right) watch out for the car park sign.

Beddgelert is a stunning little village with lots to offer, but it’s better for you to explore and find its secrets for yourself, but hints to get you going: Learn the story of Gellert, find out how many movies have been filmed around here and test out the claim that it’s the best ice cream in the ‘world’.

To continue on, from the car park turn right past the Royal Goat hotel, following the road towards Porthmadog, if you see a parking spot pull in, perhaps to dip your toes in the crystal clear river waters, or to grab a photo of a steam train as it winds its way along the river’s edge; remember it’s your trip.

Following the signs for Porthmadog will bring you back to our starting point, this is where I’ll say ‘Hwyl Fawr am rhwan’ that’s welsh for Goodbye ….. For now!

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Wonderful Wales: Aberaeron

willis — Sat, 26 Aug 2017 06:51:10 +0000

Following 2 consecutive hottest days of the year, (in the UK that’s around 34C), today’s forecast was for some cooler temperatures and promised to be cloudy, so it seemed an ideal day to do a longer section of the coast path, the route South from Aberystwyth to Aberaeron. The coastal path is a great way to do some exploring, it was created some years ago and runs around the entire coast of Wales, with easy to find information on each section.

Things to watch out for

At around 15 miles and classified as moderate to difficult this section wasn’t going to be easy. ‘So why do it?’ I hear you ask, well the sense of peace and tranquillity you get while experiencing some of the most spectacular scenery anywhere is well worth a little effort.

The first hill

As always the path starts with a hill, this one quite severe, but just take your time and it’s soon over with, and while you’re resting you can take in the views. For the first 10 miles there’s little that’s unusual about the route, spectacular cliffs inhabited by a myriad of seabirds, open farmland and cooling forested areas become the norm, but as you reach the crest of the latest hill or round the bend of yet another bay the scenery changes, but always outstanding. At around the 10 mile mark you arrive at llanrhystud where you can call it a day if you want, with the path going up to the main road where you can catch a bus back to Aberystwyth.

I decided to carry on to Aberaeron, another 6-7 miles.

I think this bridge needs work: Luckily there was a new one!

Continuing on brings you to Doluarth with its church and collection of houses, when I was nearing the village the path was a little confusing, there were ropes stretched across the path blocking my way, but with help from another couple, who were walking the same path, we decided to just head straight for the church, ignoring the ropes, this turned out to be the right path.

The path is fairly flat for quite a distance, running right along the beach, with some bits actually being on the beach, and you’ll see ahead of you the next hill, looming like a goliath in the distance, but don’t worry, it’s not as bad as it looks! Luckily this is the last major hill, and once at the top it’s either flat or downhill all the way to Aberaeron.

My plan of doing this section on a cooler day was flawed on so many levels, it turned out to be the latest hottest day of the year (34C+) and not as cloudy as predicted with little or no cooling breeze. So when I arrived in Aberaeron and the first thing I saw was an ice cream shop I thought I was in heaven, and after eating a generous portion of their vanilla I was convinced that that was where I was.

Aberaeron

Aberaeron is a quaint seaside town with a small tidal harbour, a mostly stony beach and is known for its brightly coloured houses. The whole town has an artisan feel about it, even in the local ‘supermarket’ you’ll find homemade cakes, breads and preserves. There are numerous shops selling locally produced goods, handmade this and that and a range of locally produced foodstuffs.

The town has a very laid-back feel, and on a sunny day nothing is better than just wandering around, ice cream in hand, soaking up the atmosphere, but on inclement days sitting in a pub or cafe chatting with locals and visitors alike is equally as relaxing.

I was lucky enough to walk up to the bus stop just as the Aberystwyth bus arrived, so I was soon sitting in the old railway station pub back in Aberystwyth having a well deserved cool beer.

To get back to Borth it’s a short bus or train ride, both services are regular so there was no rush to finish the beer …. Well except to get another!

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Wonderful Wales: Pembrokeshire

willis — Sat, 26 Aug 2017 06:50:50 +0000

Pembrokeshire:

Pembrokeshire is a county in the South West of Wales, and was the first Welsh county to create a coastal national trail. The trail stretches for 186 miles (299 km) from St Dogmaels to Amroth and now forms part of the larger Wales coastal path.

As a bit of a taster I decided to do a short section of the path from Broad Haven to Newgale, at just 7 miles it shouldn’t be too challenging.

Nolton sunset

I parked up in a little campsite in Nolton, not much there but a little walk takes you to Nolton Haven, a stunning little beach overlooked by a pub, so evenings sorted.

I started the walk in Broad Haven, a slightly larger town with a couple of pubs, cafe’s and shops and a great sandy beach. As always the start involved a hill that was soon over and rewards you with a great view.

So what are we hoping for on our coastal walks? Great views, a well signed proper path and a destination worth getting to: well this little section of the route ticks all those boxes with hidden coves and quaint seaside towns breaking up the cliff path.

Nolton Haven

Our destination: Newgale, is a long sandy beach with a great pub, a couple of cafes and a little shop, it’s ideal for all manner of water sports with seasonal lifeguards, and there’s even a campsite! Regular bus services mean you can explore from here, or you’ll find it easy to get back to wherever you’re staying.

Newgale beach

Another 7 miles North along the path takes you to St David’s, the smallest city in the UK, but small doesn’t mean quiet. As with most of the Pembrokeshire coast, St David’s is a mecca for all manner of water sports and therefore an eclectic mix of people.

Things to see in St David’s include the Cathedral and the ruins of the medieval Bishops Palace which has been the destination of pilgrimages for centuries, the lifeboat station which brings home the link between the area and the sea, and Whitesands bay is one of the best beaches in the area.

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Wonderful Wales: Lively Llandudno & Conwy

willis — Mon, 26 Jun 2017 07:32:16 +0000

Llandudno

Llandudno, often referred to as the queen of Welsh resorts, is a Victorian seaside resort on the North Wales coast. Created as a holiday destination during the Victorian period it remains, to this day, elegant and unspoilt. Modern shopping developments have kept the town up to date, and a vast array of pubs, cafes and restaurants mean you’ll be spoilt for choice.

The town sits on a headland between two beaches known as the West shore and North shore, the west being more remote from the town centre, but still well catered for with a couple of shops, pubs and hotels. On the other hand the North shore is the main town, with a large, sweeping promenade, similar to Aberystwyth, fronted by countless hotels.

The main shopping street lies behind the hotels and has plenty of shops, cafes, pubs and eateries of all types. The town is dominated at each end by a pair of headlands called the little and great Ormes, the name coming from the viking word for serpent, apparently they thought they looked like a pair of giant serpents pushing out to sea.

The great Orme is a real attraction, with spectacular views towards Anglesey, the Menai straits, the Fishing town of Conwy and Llandudno town itself. From the Orme you get a real sense of the town below, with it’s sweeping promenade, regular street layout and its pair of magnificent beaches. The Great Orme copper mines give you a chance to see some of the oldest copper workings in the world, while the Victorian tramway will take you on a glorious trip to the summit, where you can catch the cable car back down to the ‘happy valley’ a beautiful garden area just a few minutes walk from one of the longest Victorian piers in the country.

Llandudno’s Victorian past is apparent all around the town, and it doesn’t take a great stretch to imagine the gentry strolling along the prom which would have been dotted with bathing huts and deckchair vendors, perhaps they would have stopped at the bandstand for some light entertainment, or wandering around the fine shops in the main street.

Conwy

A tour of North Wales wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Conwy. The town just drips history, from the castle and town walls built by Edward 1st, to the quayside with memories of a long gone fishing fleet, you’ll find something interesting at every turn.

Often overlook is the church which sits in the centre of the town; St Mary’s. A stroll around the church yard gives you a glimpse of the town’s history written in stone, for example the grave of the sailor who was at the battle of Trafalgar, the joiners, boat builders and hoteliers that once worked in the town, many with their professions inscribed alongside their names.

Keep a look out for the slate gravestone (tomb) with a large repair in the middle (near the church entrance porch). Most casual visitors will think it was just damaged, but in actual fact the report of a death had reached to the family, but as was normal in those days, the body, perhaps of a sailor who had died overseas, seldom came home, so the poor man’s name was added to the family tomb, only for him to turn up, alive and well some weeks later. So his name obviously needed taking off, only to be added lower down (eventually) and a new piece of slate put in its place.

We Are Seven

Try and find out which came first, this grave marker with the plaque ‘We are seven’ or William Wordsworth’s famous poem “Nay Master, we are seven”, which inspired the other?

Plas Mawr, about half way along the town’s main street, is a fine Elizabethan town house, in fact the finest town house of its period in Britain (built between 1576 and 1585), pay a visit and see if you can find any ghosts, particularly that of the disappearing doctor. On the quayside you can find the mussel treatment plant, this last piece of the town’s fishing industry gives a rare look at how shellfish are processed. The mussel beds, which are at the mouth of the river, were reputedly first laid by the Romans during their occupation of Britain, so it can be seen that the area has a long connection with the sea.

Sculpture celebrating the mussel industry in Conwy

As with all of Edward 1st’s castles, Conwy is well worth a visit, and from its battlements you can wonder at the three bridges over the river Conwy, also a walk around the town walls is a must. Other notable things to do include the art gallery in the street just behind Plas Mawr, in fine weather have a drink in the Liverpool arms, right on the quayside, but on rainy days there are plenty of others pubs to choose from including the Old Mail Coach and the Bridge Inn.

Sunset over Conwy river estuary

Call in at Edwards the butchers on the high street and try an award winning pie or one of their filled rolls stuffed full of home cured meats or good Welsh cheese, and if you’ve somewhere to cook, their sausages are to die for! Pick up desert while your here at Parisellas ice cream parlour, some of the best you’ve ever tried. If you’d prefer not to cook visit the Archway Chip shop for some of the finest fish and chips anywhere.

You could take a stroll along the ‘Marine walk’ just follow the quay going away from the castle and follow the path along the river to the Marina where you’ll find yet another pub where you can reward yourself for your efforts. Just another 10 minutes walk from the marina it the most wonderful beach of golden powder sand skirting the edge of Conwy’s championship golf course.

From the beach looking out to sea you can see Anglesey to your left and the Great Orme and Llandudno to your right, and just off the tip of Anglesey Puffin island, once inhabited by Puffins, sadly no more.

This is the briefest description of the delights Conwy has to offer, but do visit and create your own memories.

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Wonderful Wales: Aberystwyth

willis — Mon, 26 Jun 2017 07:22:35 +0000

Isn’t it strange how we seek out travel blogs written about far away ‘exotic’ places, and often forget about where we actually live, just think; we could be living in someone else’s exotic destination. With that in mind I thought I’d do some pieces about my home, namely Wales.

This first episode looks at the area around Aberystwyth, a university town on the coast of mid-west Wales. Base of operations was the seaside town of Borth, around 6 miles North of Aberystwyth, and home to a 4 mile stretch of beach, ranging from stony at the town end to pure golden sand dunes at the other, and it goes without saying spectacular views, well it is Wales after all.

A great way to do some exploring is to walk sections of the Wales coastal path. Created some years ago the path runs around the entire coast of Wales, with easy to find information on each section. Starting from Borth I set off for Aberystwyth, at just 5 miles it promised to be a nice morning stroll.

Welsh Coast Aberystwyth

As with most sections of the path you start with an uphill climb, not too severe but it does get the blood pumping, after about 20 minutes you’ll come to a nice little stony beach where you can have a little rest, more about this later.

The path is up and down for the next couple of miles, until you arrive at Clarach, but remember to take the time to stop and take in the views, I was lucky enough to see a Dolphin playing just off the coast, something about watching as it jumped out of the water, sometimes turning and landing on its back, made my heart sing, for around 10 minutes it just splashed around and I could only imagine it was shouting ‘yippee’ as it played in the sun. It was gone all too soon and I was back to the walk.

Aberystwyth pier

After a very welcome ice cream break in Clarach it was over just one more hill to Aberystwyth. It’s a fairly big town, with a grand promenade, not as long as Llandudno’s, but equally as impressive. There are places to eat on the promenade, but if you venture into the town you’ll find a whole host of cafes, pubs and restaurants.

Once I was fed and watered I decided to do the walk in reverse, back to Borth, so off I set.

How can it be that walking one way can be more difficult than the other, for some reason the hills I’d just come down seemed far steeper going back up, I found out afterwards that one in particular was nicknamed ‘heart attack hill’ so by the time I got back to the little stony beach I was ready for a cooling swim, if you’re passing this way and fancy a swim take a little walk along the stones towards Borth and there’s a nice sandy bit.

Our private swimming area: The stony beach

So what to do once you’re back in Borth? Well there’s a couple of pubs, the Victoria and the Railway are the best. The Victoria has a patio right on the beach, a better place to watch the sun go down you’ll be hard pressed to find, even equalling sitting in a shack on the beach in Goa! mix that with fine ales and good food and you’re set for the evening. Personally I enjoy a good Indian after a hard days walking and Borth just happens to have one, so happy days.

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