Ramblers Routes Ramblers Routes Britain’s best walks from the experts Britain’s best walks from the experts Wales Wales 12/05/2014 12:04 05 Y Fron, Gwynedd 06 Oxwich and Cefn Bryn, Gower l Distance 18km/11 miles l Time 6-7hrs l Type Mountain and valley l Distance 16km/10 miles l Time 5hrs l Type Coast and hill NAVIGATION LEVEL FITNESS LEVEL NAVIGATION LEVEL FITNESS LEVEL walk magazine summer 2014 summer magazine walk walk magazine summer 2014 summer magazine walk Plan your walk Plan your walk l Llandeilo l Carmarthen l l Holyhead Colwyn Bay CAERNARFON P P O GWYNEDD R T TRO l L Llaneli L GOWER AR B A BAR l A N Swansea N O O I HY: F HY: HY: FI HY: l OXWICH Aberystwyth P P WHERE: Circular walk from WHERE: Circular walk from Y Fron over Mynydd Mawr, Oxwich via Penmaen, PHOTOGRA returning along the Nantlle Cefn Bryn and Penrice. PHOTOGRA Valley past Llyn Nantlle and START/END: Oxwich Beach Situated just outside the north- Nantlle valley. The return is along The Gower Peninsula was the first might be best to begin at Penmaen, the old slate quarries. car park (SS502865). western boundary of Snowdonia the valley floor, past the lovely area in Britain to be designated as leaving the beach for the end. START/END: Y Fron, parking TERRAIN: Beach, sand National Park is a hilltop village Nantlle lake and disused quarries. an Area of Outstanding Natural near the phone box at road dunes, cliffs, common, called Y Fron, one of the former Beauty, in 1956. Despite its modest 1. START From the car park junction (SH506548). woodland and slate-mining villages of the Nantlle 1. START From the phone box size, it’s blessed with a very varied (SS502865), go onto the beach and TERRAIN: Moorland tracks, country lanes. Valley area. The marvellous views at the road junction (SH506548), landscape, ranging from the head northwards. Although the grass and heather-clad MAPS: OS Explorer 164; across the valley to the Nantlle head east past houses (ignoring beautiful beaches and dramatic official Wales Coast Path goes mountain slopes, field paths, Landranger 159. ridge are as good as you’ll find any turns) and then fields. cliffs of the south coast to the salt through the burrows behind, it’s quarry tracks and country GETTING THERE: Bus 117 anywhere in the national park, yet Mynydd Mawr can be seen ahead, marshes of the north. Inland, there more scenic to walk along the lanes. Paths may be a little goes from Killay to Horton, few walkers come this way. The aubergine-tinged in the summer are hills and open common, beach. Cefn Bryn can be seen overgrown in places. via Penmaen and Oxwich 19th-century slate industry when the heather is out. When woodland and farmland. A fine ahead of you. You’ll need to bear MAPS: OS Explorer OL17; (with connections from transformed the surrounding you reach a fork, bear L past the ridge, Cefn Bryn, formed of old red inland slightly to cross the bridge Landranger 115. Swansea city centre). landscape – slate tips, disused slate waste heaps. Follow the lane sandstone and known as the over the river. If the beach is clear GETTING THERE: Bus service Bus 118 connects Swansea quarries and quarry buildings are northeast and continue on a track backbone of Gower, runs for all the way to Great Tor, use the 1F from Caernarfon to with Rhossili via Penmaen much in evidence. To the east of that leads to an information panel several miles across the heart of bridleway (between Great and Penygroes goes via Y Fron (✆ 0871 200 2233, www. Y Fron is 698m/2,290ft Mynydd about Uwchgwyrfai Common, the peninsula, providing wonderful Little Tors) that leads to the top; (✆ 01286 881108, www. traveline-cymru.info). Mawr – Welsh for ‘big mountain’, where you now are. Below lies Llyn views, especially over Oxwich Bay. otherwise, at the end of the sand expressmotors.co.uk); Arriva EATING & DRINKING: though sometimes referred to as Ffynhonnau. Before long, you bear Taking in the ridge, a superb stretch dunes just before Little Tor, climb bus service 5/X5 goes from Oxwich Bay Hotel Elephant Mountain since, from R to follow the path which ascends of beach, a cliff-top headland with up an unsigned steep sandy path Caernarfon to Bangor, where (✆ 01792 390329, www. Llyn Cwellyn, it is said to resemble the flank of the mountain. In the glorious views and some attractive to a three-way signpost at the top. mainline trains connect to oxwichbayhotel.co.uk); the animal. This walk takes you to distance to the southwest, you can woodland, this is an ideal walk for There is a direct route to Penmaen Chester, Crewe, Manchester, The Coalhouse restaurant, its summit – not too arduous an see the Llyn peninsula’s three- sampling Gower’s many riches. It’s from here, but it’s better to carry London Euston, Cardiff and Oxwich Beach (✆ 01792 ascent, starting as you do from peaked Yr Eifl. Pass to the L of a worth checking the tide times in on around Little Tor (passing an Holyhead (✆ 0871 200 2233, 390965, www.thecoal considerable elevation (Y Fron fenced area (abandoned workings) advance since it’s easier to walk old lime kiln) and the cliff edge www.traveline-cymru.info). houserestaurant.co.uk); is situated at 292m/958ft) – and carry on up. Soon, Anglesey along Oxwich beach when the path of Great Tor, which offers EATING & DRINKING: Nothing Oxwich café/general stores/ and along the top edge of the and the Menai Strait come into tide is at least partly out, great views back over Oxwich Bay en route itself. There is a café gift shop is opposite the impressive granite cliffs of view, beyond the heaps of slate providing firm sand underfoot. If and across Three Cliffs Bay. Leave car park. ▲ at the Pant Du vineyard and ▲ ▼ waste on the slopes below you. The you’re starting out at high tide, it the Coast Path before it descends ▼ Craig y Bera, overlooking the 55-56 walk43 ramblers route wales.indd 1 55-56 walk43ramblers route wales.indd 2 Ordnance Surveymap Ordnance Surveymap Continued... Continued... SLEEPING: Oxwich Bay Hotel orchard in Penygroes (see before); Corner Barn (✆ 01286 880806/875053, (self-catering cottage), www.pantdu.co.uk); Happy ping ©Crowncopyright2014OrdnanceSurveyMedia048/14 ping ©Crowncopyright2014OrdnanceSurveyMedia048/14 Oxwich (✆ 01686 628200, Valley Takeaway, Penygroes www.wales-holidays.co.uk). (✆ 01286 880979); Welsh START VISITOR INFORMATION: Rock Café at Inigo Jones 3 FINISH Mumbles and Gower TIC, Slate Works, Y Groeslon Mumbles Methodist Church, (✆ 01286 830242, www.inigo 1 520b Mumbles Road jones.co.uk). There’s more 2 (✆ 01792 361302, www. choice in Caernarfon. visitswanseabay.com). SLEEPING: Valley View Cottage, GUIDEBOOKS: Gower, Y Fron (✆ 01766 513829, 3 Swansea and Cardiff Walks www.sts-holidays.co.uk); 2 (Pathfinder Guide) by Dennis Llwyndu Mawr Farm 6 4 and Jan Kelsall (£11.99, Guest House, Penygroes Crimson, ISBN 978 (✆ 01286 880419, www. 5 4 1854585684); Circular Walks llwyndufarmbandb.co.uk). in Gower by Nick Jenkins VISITOR INFORMATION: (£5.50, Llygad Gwalch Cyf, Caernarfon TIC, Oriel Map not to scale. ISBN 978 1845241261). Pendeitsh, Castle Street Representation of LOCAL RAMBLERS GROUPS: ✆ OS Landranger ( 01286 672232, www. MAP 115 1:50,000 Swansea Ramblers (✆ 01792 visitsnowdonia.info). www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk 547439, www.swansea 1 Map not to scale. GUIDEBOOKS: Hillwalking Representation of ramblers.org.uk); Tawe START OS Landranger In Wales Volume 2 by Peter Trekkers (✆ 07766 652837, FINISH MAP 159 1:50,000 Hermon (£12, Cicerone, www.tawetrekkers.org.uk). www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk ISBN 978 1852844684); The To download this route and hundreds of others, Mountains of England & Wales visit www.ramblers.org.uk/routes HF HOLIDAYS: Stay at Nythfa Volume 1: Wales by John & House for an ideal walking Anne Nuttall (£12.99, Cicerone, is marked by cairns), enjoying fine the south side of Llyn Nantlle base. Make use of the indoor ISBN 978 1852845940). To download this route and hundreds of others, views across to the Nantlle ridge. Uchaf, leading to the road. pool and therapy rooms during LOCAL RAMBLERS GROUPS: visit www.ramblers.org.uk/routes Llyn Cwellyn can be seen down to your stay. ✆ 0345 470 7558, Bangor-Bethesda Ramblers the L. The path bears L along the 5. Turn R to pass the west end of www.hfholidays.co.uk/wales. (✆ 01248 362370, www. 3. Turn R down to the road and at Penrice and turn R. top edge of the Craig y Bera cliffs, the lake. On a clear day, looking facebook.com/bangor follow the footpath (almost from which there are dramatic east, you can see Snowdon bethesdaramblers); Caernarfon opposite the one on the south side 4. Follow the road to Oxwich, views. Heading eastwards, tucked between Mynydd Mawr to the latter and follow the path and Dwyfor Ramblers of the road – both signed) bearing L at each of the two continue down quite steeply to on the L and Y Garn on the R. to Penmaen, which brings you out (✆ 01286 880188, www.cad northwards. This leads to Arthur’s junctions, and when you reach meet the edge of the forest. Head Take the next turning on the L at the parking area beside the ramblers.co.uk); Eryri 20.30 Stone, an impressive Neolithic Oxwich, turn L back to the car park. down through it, crossing two and follow the road to its end, main road. Ramblers, for walkers in their burial tomb with a huge capstone Route devised by Fiona Barltrop stiles on the way, to reach a third, continuing on a track past the 20s and 30s (✆ 01286 650295, supported on smaller stones.