DATES: 12 TO 16TH SEPTEMBER INCL.
This is a week away to partially compensate for the unfortunately abandoned mess that was The Great Escape. Well sort of ! Always a pleasure to go to this part of the world – there’s always something to see, any time of the year. So early September for me, just after the schools go back.
Somewhere in my research, I’d come across a list of the supposed “most beautiful seaside villages in the UK” compiled by the Daily Telegraph. Since I’d already knocked some of them off the list ( Portmeirion (Gwynedd), Tobermory ( Isle of Mull), Portree ( Isle of Skye) and Beer ( Devon), seemed to good idea to visit more.
So I duly found myself in Llangrannog in Ceredigion ( south west of Aberystwyth) which was sort of on my way to Brithdir – only a “short” detour !
Described as a “coast hugging village”, I agree that its very very pretty. Like all similar locations, access is a down a steep minor road. I took the “leave it in the car park at the top” route, as car parking at sea level is difficult – must be a horror in summer, as reflected by this sign at the entrance to the privately owned car park. You have been warned !!!!!!
My arrival coincided with lunchtime, so I gave my custom to Cafe Patio, sat outside and admired the view.
Views were available from both sides of the bay, here’s a selected few. Very pretty village altogether. Unfortunately, a bit overcast, weather-wise.
So back on the road after lunch, a quick trip to Tesco’s in Aberystwyth, arriving in Brithdir in good order.
I’d taken a bit of a punt on a campsite that wasn’t part of the Camping & Caravan Club “circuit” (my usual port of call) and it turned out to be a real gem ! I stayed at the Llwyn y Helm Caravan and Camping Park in Brithdir, which is close to Dolgellau. A beautiful site, attached to a working farm. Mostly static and/or long term seasonal caravan pitches, but still good for us tent persons. Very nice ( heated !!) loo block with great showers. Helpful staff as well; they even moved a couple of people around so I could stay on the same pitch for an extra couple of day ! NOt too busy at all. I shall be back, as they say…….
There was even a resonably decent sunset……
Tuesday ? Ah yes, the first of the trains – what else did you expect ! The campsite was partly selected because it was only 10 miles from the Llanuwchllyn terminus of the Bala Lake Railway, a narrow gauge railway running alongside a lake ! Strange that …….
It’s only a 9 mile return trip at the moment, but there are grand plans to extend it into Bala itself. At the moment it stops short of the town. Very pretty route though, despite it being ANOTHER overcast day, to begin with, anyway
There’s a very informative museum at the station as well, worth a visit, IMHO
Bala itself is a bit of a “one street town” but still filled with loads of independent shops, cafes, etc. They’ve even managed to keep the tree lining the road. Lunch was taken here, before the trip back to the start station.
On Wednesday 14th, another train.
I’ve always wanted to go on the Conwy Valley Network Rail route from Blaenau Ffestiniog to Llandudno, as I’d heard a lot of good reviews on how picturesque it was. Also, there was the Great Orme and its tramway to explore. Every time id tried before it had been closed due to some natural disaster or other. There were only a few trains in either direction, so an early start was mandatory. First of all that involved a 26 mile/45 minute car trip from the campsite, along what I would call an “interesting” road.
There in plenty of time for the 0835, which wasn’t busy at all. The pic above also shows the platforms for the narrow gauge Ffestiniog Railway on the left – bit early for them ……
The Conwy Valley Line is indeed beautiful – even has its own website, see the link. The train runs alongside the estuary for the latter part of the trip, but you get forest, etc on the middle bit, following the rather grey bit ( slate and all that) at the beginning.
There was a bit of a kerfuffle on the journey, as the radio based signalling system was on the blink that morning for part of the route, so it was back to hand signals and physical token control for a while. Mr NR’s boffins were on the case…..
The line goes through Betys-y Coed,( another one of my “stopped briefly before, but must go back sometime” towns, which has a rather magnificent station, full of cast iron and character
My aim was the Great Orme tramway, quite a walk from the Llandudno Network Rail station but eventually got there, to find ( to my surprise) a big queue – mostly people of retirement age !!!!! Indeed, chatting to people in the queue, I discovered that the couple in front of me lived in the next street to me in Cinderford – small world….
I wasn’t expecting the ride to be two separate trams, but I guess since it’s 207 m above sea level it has to up in a pretty steep manner…..
At the top, I decided to go walkabout, following Route A from a very informative printout generated by Conwy Council, effectively walking round half of the Orme. It turned out to be a bit more rugged than I expected, but I did end up back at the Summit Complex, so it must’ve worked OK. I was REALLY glad to find the Rest & Be Thankful cafe part way round – everywhere seemed to go uphill…… Some beautiful views though
Once refreshed, I ventured into the Great Orme Mine, which is at the tram halfway station. Veryb interesting, but not for the claustrophobic ! From what I gather, it was found almost by accident in 1987, as they were clearing away an area for landscaping . Big site, well laid out with a good introductory audio visual presentation.
Then it was back down the hill again… I think it seems more precipitous going down than up. Certainly very steep….but fun !
Then a quick walk round Llandudno itseslf, before catching my return train. I had at least sat on the beach – complete with inquisitive seagull.
As with everything at this time of the year, the weather plays a bit part in daily activities, so Thursday 15th ended up being a walking and climbing day. There’s a couple of great walks close to the campsite, so one in the AM, one in the PM. I followed printed out instructions from a whole catalogue of walks from the Snowdonia National Park Authority website.
Firstly the Torrent Walk. This is a “walk down one side of the gorge and back up the other” type of thing. Apparently quite a hive of industry in its day. Still looks pretty spectacular to me.
I took 35 pictures, so this is just a very, very small selection, but you get the general idea……..
In the afternoon I went up to the summit of a local 75m hill called Foel Caernwych as part of a circular walk, nicely marked out with while posts across the open bits – I’m pleased to say. After the morning exertions, I was quite happy to get to the top.
Not much of a cairn, but you can see my campsite from her ( right hand photo), all picked out white-ish. It was a tad windy, but I managed to get a bit of an all-round view. Must be even more awesome when the sun is out.
Another day, another blue sky……… Friday 16th.
Today was a travelling day. For some reason, I’d never got onto the LLeyn Peninsula, ( Pwllheli and all that). Another one of the “prettiest seaside villages” was Porth Dinllaen, so that was my target.
On the way, I went via Barmouth, famous for its wooden railway bridge, amonst other things.
Access by road to the village is via a private road across part of a golf course, so the golf club do a nice turn in pay car parking – but it is worth it ! Good views as well – despite the wind ( again !). Yes, mad buggers were playing golf in a howling gale…..
So this is the first view you get of the village, before you plunge down the steep road on to the beach. Nice, eh ?
The main attraction is the Ty Gogh pub, reputedly “ one of the best in Wales”. in a good spot ! It was busy, so the beach was the place for me. Bliss, eh ? Sitting on a beach in late September, blue sky, warm sun, beer in hand and a ham sandwich. Couldn’t get much better IMHO.
Had to drag myself away eventually, so awarded myself an ice cream from the Glaslyn Ice Cream Parlour in beautiful n Bedgellert, one of my all time favourite places in this part of the world.
On the drive back, I had to stop to attend to an annoying windscreen smear at the Rhyd Du station of the West Highland Railway. My good fortune as a train passage exchange happened just as I stopped, so obligatory train pictures !
My last full day was 17th September – a cycling day ! The last time I was this way I cycled along the Mawddach Trail ( which runs on old railway line between Morfa Mawddach and Dolgellau) but I didn’t complete the journey because of some bike issue or other – can’t remember. So another “ghost” that had to be slain…….
This time I went from Morfa Mawddach ( free all day carpark !!) to Dolgellau and back. The plan was then to walk into Barmouth across thw ooden bridge for lunch. Well, you know about plans……..
Th route follows the bank of the Mawddach River. Although at low level, the river estuary funnels all the available wind to blow either from the West (normally) or East ( occasionally). In places there is little or no shelter and the ride can be a cold one. If it rains as well it can turn what you might call “challenging”. Luckily, it was a reasonable day, but the breeze was certainly very present, so good one way, a bit of work on the return. Still. stunningly beautiful and teeming with bird life.
Part way along at Penmaenpool is an old toll bridge, which replaced a ferry service. It’s opposite the George III Inn ( now a pub/hotel), which was used as a “waiting room” for the ferry.
Somehow they squeezed the railway line between the pub building and the river – must’ve been a bit tight. There was a station here at one time, the building now absorbed into the Inn.