Weatherman Walking Fairbourne to Penmaenpool FAIRBOURNE TO PENMAENPOOL GEORGE III HOTEL 7 PENMAENPOOL TOLL BRIDGE SHIP BUILDING 6 8 COASTPATH AT ARTHOG MORFA MAWDDACH MINIATURE RAILWAY 5 4 3 COAST PATH 1 Points of interest 2 Start MILITARY DEFENCES 1 Finish Route The Weatherman Walking maps are intended as a guide The BBC takes no responsibility for any accident or injury Reproduced by permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf to help you walk the route. We recommend using an that may occur while following the route. Always wear of HMSO. © Crown copyright and database right 2009. OS map of the area in conjunction with this guide. appropriate clothing and footwear and check weather All rights reserved. Ordnance Survey Licence number APPROXIMATE DISTANCE: Routes and conditions may have changed since this conditions before heading out. 100019855. guide was written. 9 MILES PENMAENPOOL For this walk we’ve included OS grid references should you wish to use them. WEATHERMAN WALKING PAGE 2 FAIRBOURNE TO PENMAENPOOL This walk is in Gwynedd, North Wales, surrounded by the Snowdonia National Park. It starts on the Wales Coast Path from the village of Fairbourne on Barmouth Bay, and then turns to follow the course of the Mawddach Estuary along a section of the Mawddach Trail as far as the pretty village of Derek with Penmaenpool, a distance of about 9 miles. Barmouth behind Start: Distance: Parking: Travel information: Further information: Fairbourne Approx. 9 miles There is public parking at Fairbourne and The number 28 bus regularly runs Visit Wales Coast Path website for more also at Penmaenpool (both charge). between Fairbourne and Dolgellau and information and path diversions Starting Ref: Grade: stops at Penmaenpool. See local www.walescoastpath.gov.uk/plan-your-visit SH 61189 13030 Easy timetables for details. Walk time: Approx. 4 hours WEATHERMAN WALKING PAGE 3 FAIRBOURNE TO PENMAENPOOL Directions From the car park in Beach Road, it is a short walk to the left, up the grassy bank and over the stone wall onto the beach. Military Defences Mawddach Trail MILITARY Military Defences (SH 61102 13073) DEFENCES The line of anti-tank defence cubes is one of the best surviving anti-invasion lines in the UK, 1 running for an almost continuous 1.5 miles. WEATHERMAN WALKING PAGE 4 FAIRBOURNE TO PENMAENPOOL Directions The coast path runs along the stone path and wall next to the sea, skirting Fairbourne itself. But there are public toilets and plenty of cafes in the village. It looks out onto Barmouth Bay. Low lying marshland COAST PATH Coast Path looking over the village (SH 61097 13148) Fairbourne was part of the historic county of Meirionnydd. The area was originally salt marshes and grazing lands. It was developed 2 by flour maker Sir Arthur McDougall who had been looking for a country estate, but when he discovered the area, he thought it might make a good seaside resort to compliment nearby Barmouth. In 1895 McDougall bought a large chunk of land, and building began. Unusually for Gwynedd county, the village has no official Welsh-language name, and most of the inhabitants are from England. WEATHERMAN WALKING PAGE 5 FAIRBOURNE TO PENMAENPOOL Fairbourne Fairbourne – The Threatened Village Derek says, “I was interested in visiting Fairbourne as it could be the first village to be lost to climate change. It is low lying, and the sea is likely to breach the seawall at some point, at which point some of the land would return to being salt marshes. A decision has been taken not to maintain the sea defences beyond the 2050s, but the locals are left in a state of uncertainty about the value of their homes and the long-term future. A number of other communities along the coast are following Fairbourne’s story with interest as they may find themselves in the same position.” WEATHERMAN WALKING PAGE 6 FAIRBOURNE TO PENMAENPOOL Directions While in Fairbourne it is worth taking a short detour along Beach Road to visit the famous Miniature Railway, which has End of the Line been running for more than 100 years. MINIATURE (SH 61549 12858) RAILWAY Fairbourne Miniature Railway The Fairbourne Miniature Railway runs on a two mile stretch of narrow-gauge track alongside 3 the beach. It was built in 1895 and has been used primarily to carry holidaymakers, linking up Derek on the train with the small passenger ferries from Barmouth. WEATHERMAN WALKING PAGE 7 FAIRBOURNE TO PENMAENPOOL Directions Leaving Fairbourne, the coast path continues along the front, passing the Fairbourne Golf Club. Not long after, there is a coast path waymark, and the path turns inland, crossing over an area of low land where sheep graze. The path continues for about half a mile before you cross the Barmouth Bridge and railway line. If you were going Snowdonia Mountains to continue along the coast Old Railway Bridge path you would turn left here, where the path would take you over the impressive Barmouth Bridge and on to Barmouth. MORFA Morfa Mawddach former railway buildings (SH 62916 14084) alternatively turn right here MAWDDACH towards the railway station Between 1868 and 1964, this was the site of the busy junction of the Great Western Railway at Morfa Mawddach and the 4 line, which ran between Barmouth and Ruabon near Wrexham. At one time, the railway would Mawddach Trail. Follow the have carried Victorian visitors from the north-west of England to the fashionable seaside resort path that runs parallel to the of Barmouth. The line was closed as part of the Beeching Railway remodelling in the 1960s, mainline car park, and you will which did away with less popular lines. Today part of the former line forms the Mawddach Trail, arrive at public toilets, once one of Wales’ most picturesque walking and cycling routes. station buildings on the former The whole trail winds for 9.5 miles (15km) along the disused railway track on the southern edge of the spectacular Mawddach estuary. It runs from Barmouth, via the bridge, to the pretty market town of Dolgellau, made famous in the 19th century after the discovery of gold. WEATHERMAN WALKING PAGE 8 FAIRBOURNE TO PENMAENPOOL Directions The trail is wooded, but the view opens up when you Afon Mawddach reach Arthog, about half a mile along from Morfa Mawddach. Suddenly you see the estuary framed by the mountains of Snowdonia. COAST PATH The coast path at Arthog (SH 64035 14815) AT ARTHOG Estuary The Afon Mawddach runs for 28 miles, from Dduallt in Snowdonia to the sea, and is popular 5 for leisure activities. The river flows through some of the most spectacular and scenic countryside in the UK. WEATHERMAN WALKING PAGE 9 FAIRBOURNE TO PENMAENPOOL Getting ready to canoe Canoeing on the Mawddach Derek says, “I was lucky enough to join a group from the Arthog Outdoor Education Centre, canoeing on the Mawddach. Canoeing in the early morning was just perfect, with the light playing on the water and a soft mist giving the area a magical air. But you have to be careful and know what you are doing as the tides are quick to turn, and you can easily be pushed in the wrong direction. I managed to stay dry in my canoe until I missed my footing getting out on my return and ended up with a soggy sock!” WEATHERMAN WALKING PAGE 10 FAIRBOURNE TO PENMAENPOOL Directions Back on the path, the route continues with spectacular Ancient moorings views following the course of the river and Barmouth Bridge gradually disappearing from view behind. The path hugs the waterside, and, depending on your timing, you can see the estuary filling up or emptying with the tide. It can look completely different depending on how high the water is. But at low tide, it is Creek often rich with wading birds. Peppered along the route are remnants of itsformer railway history. There are also a number of creeks that have played a different part in the area’s history. SHIP (SH 65235 16117) BUILDING Ship building along the Mawddach Between 1770 and 1827, more than 100 oak-built ships were built in the Mawddach’s creeks, 6 with the trees hacked from local woodland. WEATHERMAN WALKING PAGE 11 FAIRBOURNE TO PENMAENPOOL Directions Having hugged the side of the river for about four miles, George III the path cuts inland for a short while before arriving at the village of Penmaenpool, another stop on the former railway line. Today the signal office is used as an RSPB observation centre. GEORGE III HOTEL George III (SH 69420 18465) The George III was built in 1650 to serve the flourishing boat building industry. Approaching Penmaenpool 7 Today the pub and hotel is a welcome haven for walkers. WEATHERMAN WALKING PAGE 12 FAIRBOURNE TO PENMAENPOOL Directions From the George III, continue 100 yards to the famous toll bridge, which can shorten the journey to Barmouth by about two miles. For those wanting to extend their walk the trail continues Bob Jones 55 years a further two miles to Dolgellau but the views of the estuary finish about a mile on after the tragedy from Penmaenpool. PENMAENPOOL Penmaenpool Toll Bridge (SH 69491 18502) TOLL BRIDGE The wooden toll bridge was built in 1879 by the Penmaenpool Bridge Company to replace 8 a ferry crossing. There is a charge for cars, pedestrians and cyclists. The bridge was once the scene of a tragic accident. On July 22nd 1966, the first day of the school summer holidays, the Prince of Wales pleasure boat left Barmouth on its regular two-hour return trip to Penmaenpool. It was carrying 42 passengers.