ramblers routes ramblers routes Britain’s best walks from the experts Britain’s best walks from the experts

Wales 12/11/2014 14:32 05 , 06 Machynlleth, l Distance 25km/15 miles l Time 7½hrs l Type Coast l Distance 16km/10 miles l Time 5hrs l Type Hill and valley NAVIGATION lEvEl FITNESS lEvEl NAVIGATION lEvEl FITNESS lEvEl walk magazine winter 2014 walk magazine winter 2014 plan your walk plan your walk

Colwyn Holyhead Bay l

l Corwen l BENLLECH l Porthmadog ANGLESEY POWYS

Pwllheli MACHYNLLETH l l Newtown l Barmouth l

Where: Linear walk from Where: Circular walk from Benllech to Beaumaris on Machynlleth along a stretch P Fiona Barltro PhotograPhy: the Isle of Anglesey. of Glyndwr’s Way. P Fiona Barltro PhotograPhy: Start: Bus stop on main road Start/end: Town centre The Isle of Anglesey’s 125-mile the Menai Strait before reaching The 135-mile Glyndwr’s Way attractive, hilly countryside. As well near the Breeze Hill Hotel, car park, off Maengwyn coastal path is well suited to linear Beaumaris and its great castle. National Trail is set in the heart of as Glyndwr’s Way, the Wales Coast Benllech (SH517824). Parking Street (SH748008). day walks, and there are good bus Mid-Wales, one of the quietest Path also goes through the town is available in Menai Bridge, terrain: Well-waymarked services covering the whole island 1. START From the bus stop areas for walking in the country. It – an inland detour necessitated by Benllech and Beaumaris. national trail along paths (the timetable provides a very (SH517824), turn R along the main starts at Knighton, on the English the Dyfi (Dovey) estuary. end: and tracks over grassy hills, Castle Street bus stop, useful summary of which services road past the Breeze Hill Hotel and border, and meanders north-west with a return leg along Beaumaris (SH606761). cover which sections). The take the next L along Bay View to Machynlleth, then heads back 1. START From the car park terrain: quiet country lanes. Well-signed coastal walking is generally quite easy Road, keeping straight on at the east to Welshpool. Named after (SH748008), turn R along the main MapS: OS Explorer OL23; path along sandy paths and and the coastal scenery very junction down the no-through the Welsh hero Owain Glyndwr, road (A489) past the library and Landranger 135. tracks, field paths, quiet varied throughout. This walk is road. At the end, carry on down a the trail goes past a number of then R at a Glyndwr’s Way signpost GettinG there: Arriva country lanes and shingle no exception. The first part takes path that descends to the seafront sites where he fought battles to go through a gap by the ornate trains go from Birmingham beach (check tide times for you round the vast, sandy expanse road. Turn R past the car park and, against the English in the early gates into the grounds of Y Plas. A to Aberystwyth via the final section). of Red Wharf Bay, which attracts just after the road bears round to 15th century. He held Wales’ first paved path leads through the MapS: Shrewsbury and OS Explorer 263; a large number of waders and the R away from the beach, turn parliament at Machynlleth in 1404, public parkland, passing the leisure Machynlleth, and also Landranger 114. waterfowl. From there, you climb off L along a surfaced track with where he was crowned Prince of centre and then bearing L past the GettinG there: between Machynlleth and Arriva bus up to higher ground and across a paved path beside it. Continue Wales. Despite his early victories mansion (Y Plas) on the R. Formerly (✆ 0870 900 0773, 62 goes regularly from farmland on your way out to on the path, which leads through and formal coronation, the owned by the family of the www.arrivatrainswales.co. Bangor to Benllech via Menai Penmon Point, Anglesey’s woodland behind the beach to rebellion ultimately failed as the Marquess of Londonderry, the uk). Numerous buses run Bridge; Arriva buses 53, 56, 57 easternmost tip, which looks St David’s Park caravan site. Follow English started to regain control of house and grounds were given to between Machynlleth and and 58 from Beaumaris to across to Puffin Island. The island the coastal path signs through the Wales and support for the revolt the town in 1948. The house was Aberystwyth, Dolgellau, Bangor also go via Menai is a protected habitat, home to park to reach Red Wharf Bay faded. By 1410, Glyndwr had used as council offices and then as Newtown and Tywyn Bridge. Mainline trains stop breeding populations of at least (pictured above), where there are become a fugitive, and he died a Celtic-themed visitor centre ✆ (✆ 0871 200 2233, at Bangor ( 0871 200 2233, 10 species of seabird, including a information panels about the a few years later. This walk (Celtica). Because of low visitor www.traveline.info). www.travelinecymru.info). few puffins and the UK’s largest geology and wildlife. follows a highly scenic stretch of numbers, it was closed and eatinG & drinkinG: eatinG & drinkinG:

Choice of colony of cormorants. Heading Glyndwr’s Way over the hills to subsequently acquired by Nowhere en route, but places at start and end of walk southwards for the final leg of the 2. Continue along the coastal the south of Machynlleth. The Machynlleth Town Council, and is

plenty of restaurants, pubs in Benllech and Beaumaris. En walk, you’ll enjoy superb views of path, following the shoreline town makes an excellent base for now used for meetings and

route at Red Wharf Bay: The and cafés in Machynlleth, ▲ ▲ ▼

the Carneddau Mountains across round Red Wharf Bay. After walking, surrounded as it is by ▼ conferences. The attractive 55-56 WALK45 RR WALES.rev1.indd 1 55-56 WALK45RR WALES.rev1.indd 2 Ordnance Surveymapping©Crowncopyright2014Media048/14 Ordnance Surveymapping©Crowncopyright2014Media048/14

Continued... START 1 FINISH such as Number Twenty One 1 (✆ 01654 703382, www. START numbertwentyone.co.uk), the Black Lion (✆ 01654 703913, 4 www.theblacklion- 2 3 machynlleth.co.uk) and the 2 Quarry Café (✆ 01654 702424). Sleeping: Choice of hotels and B&Bs in or near Machynlleth, including the Wynnstay Hotel ✆ 01654 702941, www. wynnstay-hotel.com) and Dyfiview B&B ✆( 01654 702023, www.dyfiview.co.uk). Maes y Wennol offers self-catering 3 locally (✆ 01654 782674,

www.caderidrisholiday.co.uk). Map not to scale. ViSitor information: Representation of Aberystwyth TIC, Lisburne OS Landranger MAP 114 1:50,000 FINISH House, Terrace Road (✆ 01970 www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk 612125 or 01654 702653, www.visitmidwales.co.uk). guidebookS: Glyndwr’s Way by Paddy Dillon (£12.95, Continued... To download this route and hundreds of others, Cicerone, ISBN 978 visit www.ramblers.org.uk/routes 1852847326); Walks around Ship Inn (✆ 01248 852568, Machynlleth by Mike Map not to scale. www.shipinnredwharfbay.co. crossing a bridge over the Afon has been closed for the past couple Thompson & Märit Olsson Representation of OS Landranger uk) and the Boathouse Nodwydd, there’s a coastal path of years. Assuming that is still the (£4.95, Kittiwake, MAP 135 1:50,000 4 (✆ 01248 852731, www. junction with an inland case, continue along the drive, www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk ISBN 978 1902302904). boathouserestaurantanglesey. alternative. The coastal route which leads to a lane. Turn L and loCal ramblerS group: co.uk); at Penmon Point, should be fine, but stick to the follow the lane uphill (with good Meirionnydd Ramblers there’s the Pilot House Café signed path and don’t be tempted views back over the bay) and L ✆ ( 01654 761561, www. To download this route and hundreds of others, (✆ 01248 490140, www. to walk further out on the sands again at the next junction. Soon, meirionnyddramblers.org.uk). visit www.ramblers.org.uk/routes pilothousecafe.com). – even if it is low tide. The sandy turn off L along a footpath, which Sleeping: Good choice of track leads to a stretch of returns you to the coastal path on hotels, B&Bs and self-catering boardwalk through rushes, at the north side of Bwrdd Arthur. parkland is overlooked by the a stony track and thereafter direction along Glyndwr’s Way in Benllech, Beaumaris and the end of which some steps take This part of the route is some surrounding hills. Beyond Y Plas is continues on a grassy track over across rough, open hill pasture, Menai Bridge. Visit www. you up onto a narrow sea wall, distance inland from the coast. a drive leading to the A487. Just open common, affording fine views then on a more defined path with visitwales.com/holiday- which you should follow for about Though the navigation is a before the main road, at a over the Dyfi Valley and northwards a fence alongside it. There are accommodation for details. 500m. There is a railing on one little less straightforward, it is Glyndwr’s Way signpost (which towards Cadair Idris and the excellent views along this section. ViSitor information: side all the way and vegetation well waymarked, so just follow also features the Wales Coast Tarrens. The path descends gently Anglesey TIC, Station Site, on the other for part of the way. the signs and you’ll eventually Path’s shell waymark), turn L up an to the edge of a tree plantation, 4. At a signposted junction at Llanfairpwllgwyngyll Back at ground level, you soon reach Penmon Point and the enclosed path called the Roman where you go through a bridle Bwlch y Groesen, leave Glyndwr’s (✆ 01248 713177, reach a lane leading to the Trwyn Du Lighthouse. Steps. Continue uphill, with the gate and continue at first through Way by turning back sharp R and www.visitanglesey.co.uk). Llanddona Beach car park (where views opening up back over the trees and then an open area of follow the grassy bridleway down guidebook: Walking the Isle there are toilets, drinking water 4. Follow the road that leads to town. You’ll pass a row of white felled trees, descending to a gate towards the heavily wooded valley. of and a seasonal café). Continue Penmon Priory and the impressive cottages, then join a lane. and stile at the end of the forest. This leads to a house called – Official Guide by Carl Rogers along the lane to a coastal path dovecot (do look inside) – there Cwmcemrhiw. Continue down the (£10.95. Mara Books, ISBN 978 signpost just before the lane are information panels about 2. Before long, as the lane begins 3. Continue downhill, following drive to a lane and keep straight 1902512150); www.visit turns inland. both. The rest of the route to to descend, you part company with the Glyndwr’s Way waymarks, then on at the junction. Bear R at the anglesey.co.uk for coastal path Beaumaris is simple enough, the Wales Coast Path (which bear R uphill again to a gate and next junction and then keep ahead route descriptions and maps. 3. Leave the road and follow the running alongside the shore on continues down the road) to track at the edge of the forest. at the next fork, continuing loCal ramblerS group: path up through fields and a track tarmac, shingle and sand. Avoid bear L along a track and the route Turn L and, before long, go northwards to retrace your initial Ynys Môn Ramblers to a junction by dwellings (marked high tide for the beach section of Glyndwr’s Way. The well- through a gate into a field. steps back to the start. (✆ 07952 154702, www.

12/11/2014 14:33 Pentrellwyn on OS maps). The south of Leiniog. waymarked trail goes at first along Continue in a southeasterly Route devised by Fiona Barltrop ynysmonramblers.org.uk). coastal path should turn L here but Route devised by Fiona Barltrop