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Home , Nant Gwrtheyrn, Pistyll

ramblers routes ramblers routes Britain’s best walks from the experts Britain’s best walks from the experts Wales 03/02/2015 16:14 05 , 06 Trefor, Gwynedd l Distance 17km/10½ miles l Time 5hrs l Type Hill l Distance 13km/8 miles l Time 5hrs l Type Hill and coast NAViGATiON LEvEL FiTNESS LEvEL NAViGATiON LEvEL FiTNESS LEvEL walk magazine spring 2015 walk magazine spring 2015 plan your walk plan your walk l l l l Holyhead Colwyn Holyhead Colwyn Bay Bay l Snowdonia

l TREFOR GWYNEDD GWYNEDD

LLWYNGWRiL

Aberystwyth l Aberystwyth l

Where: Circular walk from Where: Linear walk from Llwyngwril via Cwm-llwyd Trefor to Pistyll on the Llŷn PhotograPhy: FIoNa BarLtroP PhotograPhy: and Ffordd Ddu. Peninsula along the Wales FIoNa BarLtroP PhotograPhy: Start/end: Llwyngwril Coast Path, with detour to The village of Llwyngwril is sunsets: a memorable way Although the Llŷn Peninsula atmospheric church – a stopover (SH591096) – car park north the summit of . situated on the coast in southern (if you’re lucky) to finish a already had an established coastal for pilgrims in the past. of A493 road bridge (Pont Start: Trefor – free car Snowdonia, between good walk. path before the Wales Coast Path Llwyngwril) on west side of park overlooking beach and , west of the Cadair was launched in 2012, there were 1. START Overlooked by the triple Afon Gwril. (SH376472). Idris range. The open hills rise up 1. START From the car park a number of places where the peaks of Yr Eifl to the south and terrain: Open hills and end: Pistyll – bus stop on behind the village, affording (SH591096), walk back up the lane route had to run inland and those of Gyrn Goch, Gyrn Ddu and ancient trackways, with B4417 just before chapel excellent walking with far- to the main road and turn R. Turn waymarking along the length Moel Pen-llechog to the northeast, part of the route following and opposite phone box reaching views over Cardigan Bay. L at the church (following the of the path wasn’t as good as it Trefor harbour (pictured above) the Wales Coast Path (SH327420). On a clear day, these extend from signed Wales Coast Path) and head might be. Thankfully, on both is a very scenic spot. Today it’s (albeit inland). terrain: Mostly grassy the Llŷn Peninsula in the north fairly steeply uphill. You’ll soon counts, there has been much popular with anglers, boaters and MapS: OS Explorer OL23; coastal path following to Pembrokeshire in the south. come to the remains of Castell y improvement. But on the day-trippers, but in the past it was Landranger 124. well-waymarked Wales The hills are traversed by ancient Gaer on the R. This is a splendid northeast coast, where the cliffs of a busy port used for the export of GettinG there: The daily Coast Path. Ascent of Yr Eifl trackways, including Ffordd Ddu vantage point. Visible to the north, the triple-peaked Yr Eifl plunge to granite from Yr Eifl quarry. As well bus service no 28 runs up heather-clad, stony (Black Road) – thought to be an beyond the Mawddach estuary the sea, the coast path necessarily as road setts and curbs, the granite between Tywyn and ground, and there are short old Roman road (the views from (pictured above), are the Rhinog has to run a little inland. The route has also been used for Olympic via Llwyngwril stretches on tarmac. here over the Mawddach estuary hills. Carry on up the road and it takes is over the pass between curling stones. From the car park (✆ 01654 702100, www. MapS: OS Explorers 253 & are particularly fine). Scattered continue along it, following the the highest summit and its (SH376472), follow the track past lloydscoaches.com); Cambrian 254; Landranger 123. across the land are standing Coast Path where it turns off R. seaward neighbour: it’s a visually the pier to reach a kissing gate and Lines trains connect GettinG there: Bus service stones, cairns and hut circles, while Go L at the next junction and soon dramatic section, made even more enter the National Trust-owned Llwyngwril with Pwllheli and no 12 goes from overlooking the village is the Iron turn off L at a footpath sign. Climb so with a detour to the summit. land, Morfa. (There’s a map next to Tywyn, and onward to to Pwllheli via Trefor (regular Age hillfort of Castell y Gaer. The over the ladder stile and cross The views from the top are the gate.) Continue along the Shrewsbury and Birmingham daily services); bus no 14 Wales Coast Path goes through the fields to reach a junction with a glorious. Thereafter, you descend grassy cliff-top path, enjoying (✆ 0871 200 22 33, from to Pwllheli village, running a little inland from crossing track. all the way to sea level to the impressive views of the cliffs of Yr www.traveline.info). stops at Pistyll and Trefor the coast in either direction. This valley of Nant Gwrtheyrn, where Eifl ahead. Go through another eatinG & drinkinG: (twice daily from Monday

walk follows a stretch of it. Near 2. Turn L along the stony/grassy the old quarrying village has been kissing gate, where you turn L and Garthangharad Hotel, to Friday). Mainline trains the beach is a Quaker burial track heading northeast. This restored as a Welsh Language and then R along the drive leading to

Llwyngwril (✆ 01341 250484); stop at Bangor and Pwllheli. ground dating back to 1646. leads to the wide valley of Heritage Centre. The walk finishes the white cottage of West End.

Riverside Stores Traveline (✆ 0871 200 2233, ▲ ▲ ▼ Cwm-llwyd, following the course at Pistyll just beyond the Carry on past the cottage and ▼ Llwyngwril enjoys some superb 59-60 WALK46 RR WALES.indd 1 59-60 WALK46 RRWALES.indd 2 Ordnance Surveymapping©Crowncopyright2015Survey. Media019/15 Ordnance Surveymapping©Crowncopyright2015Survey. Media019/15 Continued... Continued...

www.traveline.info). (village shop), Llwyngwril 4 Eating & drinking: Caffi 1 (✆ 01341 250660). 3 Meinir (café and restaurant) Map not to scale. START SlEEping: Choice of B&Bs in at Nant Gwrtheyrn (✆ 01758 Representation of Llwyngwril: Garthangharad OS Landranger 2 750334, www.nantgwrtheyrn. MAP 123 1:50,000 Hotel (as above); Coed Talon org); more choice at . www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk (✆ 01341 251025); Prysgoed SlEEping: B&B and (✆ 01341 250905); and self-catering cottages at Frondderw (✆ 01341 250112). Nant Gwrtheyrn (see above); Self-catering available at Quarryman’s Cottage, 3 Maes y Wennol Trefor; and B&B at Dinas (✆ 01654 782674, www. (✆ 01758 770755, www. caderidrisholiday.co.uk). 5 4 penllynaccommodation. ViSitor information: co.uk). Barmouth TIC, Station Road 1 ViSitor information: (✆ 01341 280787, www. Pwllheli TIC, Penlan Street START visitsnowdonia.info). FINISH (✆ 01758 613000, www.llyn. guidEbookS: Walks Around info, www.visitsnowdonia.info). Barmouth and the Mawddach guidEbookS: Wales Coast Estuary by David Berry Path: Llŷn Peninsula by Carl (£4.95, Kittiwake, ISBN 978 Rogers & Tony Bowerman 1902302218); Local Walks (£12.99, Northern Eye Books, Around Tywyn by Des Map not to scale. Representation of ISBN 978 1908632241); The Marshall (£4.95, Kittiwake, 2 OS Landranger Lleyn Peninsula Coastal Path ISBN 978 1902302645). MAP 124 1:50,000 by John Cantrell (£12.95, www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk FINISH loCal ramblErS group: Cicerone, ISBN 978 Meirionnydd Ramblers 1852844790). For more (✆ 01766 540572, www. information on the Wales meirionnyddramblers.org.uk). Coast Path, visit www. To download this route and hundreds of others, walescoastpath.gov.uk. To download this route and hundreds of others, visit www.ramblers.org.uk/routes loCal ramblErS group: visit www.ramblers.org.uk/routes Caernarfon and Dwyfor of the Afon Dyffryn (which whose plane crashed ‘on this a fork, you leave the lane and carry Ramblers (✆ 01286 880188, becomes the Afon Gwril as it mountain’ in 1945. The path on along the grassy track on the L. www.cadramblers.co.uk). flows down to the sea through climb to the highest summit of the Heritage Centre, to learn more Llwyngwril). Maintain your initially follows the wall/fence (on This descends to meet another Yr Eifl on your L (if it’s not in about the valley’s quarrying past direction, eventually passing your R) before continuing across lane, which leads back down soon turn L, passing the remains of cloud). The path is easy enough to and the campaign to establish a conifer plantations on either side the open grass back towards the to Llwyngwril. the old hotel. A short stretch along follow initially, but higher up the Welsh Language Centre. of the track. Beyond them, go conifers. There’s a stile at the Route devised by Fiona Barltrop a lane takes you under a bridge ground becomes stonier. Cairns through a gate where the views boundary fence, but beyond it the bearing the quarry road. indicate the route. On a clear 5. The final section of the route open up. Looking north, you can area is unpleasantly muddy. Your day, the views from the top are along the Wales Coast Path to see Barmouth on the far side of better option is to turn R down 2. Just beyond it, turn sharp R exceptional: along the length Pistyll is straightforward enough. the Mawddach estuary, with the beside the fence towards the lane. and follow the path across fields of the Llŷn Peninsula in one Do look inside St Beuno’s Church, Rhinog hills beyond. This section Just before you reach it, bear away to another lane. Turn R here and direction and to the mountains then walk up the lane to the B4417 of the route (along the Ffordd to the R to go through a gate in carry on uphill. When the road of Snowdonia in the other. Also and turn R to reach the bus stop Ddu) is especially exhilarating. the wall and continue down to the bends L, keep ahead up the track. visible are the substantial remains (SH327420). Though you’re now on access lane, where you turn L through As you climb higher, there are of the hill fort that crowns the Route devised by Fiona Barltrop land, don’t be tempted to take a another gate. superb views back over Trefor and summit of the easternmost peak short cut as it’s worth savouring Caernarfon Bay, and across to Gyrn of Yr Eifl. the views. There’s also an 4. Now heading southwest, follow Goch and Gyrn Ddu. Nearing the interesting memorial up ahead: the lane, initially through the top of the pass, the path joins a 4. A path descends from the look out for it down on your L, trees. Before long the Wales Coast stony track. summit in a southwest direction to just before you reach a footpath Path joins from the R. The rest of rejoin the Wales Coast Path at the sign on the L. the way back to Llwyngwril is 3. The Wales Coast Path carries on car park. Continue down the access straightforward enough as you down the track from the top of road, which provides splendid 3. Turn L down to the memorial continue along the well-signed 03/02/2015 16:15 the pass, but it’s well worth the views into the valley, to Nant plaque on the stone wall, which Wales Coast Path. Note the effort to make a detour here to Gwrtheyrn. Do make time to visit commemorates 20 US airmen standing stones on the way. At