Ramblers Routes Ramblers Routes Britain’s best walks from the experts Britain’s best walks from the experts Wales Wales 18/11/2013 14:46 05 Amlwch, Anglesey 06 Llanwrtyd Wells, Powys l Distance 20km/12½ miles l Time 6hrs l Type Coast l Distance 9km/6 miles l Time 3hrs l Type Hill and valley NAVIGATION LEVEL FITNESS LEVEL NAVIGATION LEVEL FITNESS LEVEL walk magazine winter 2013 winter magazine walk walk magazine winter 2013 winter magazine walk Plan your walk Plan your walk AMLWCH Aberystwyth l ANGLESEY Colwyn Bay l LLANWRTYD WELLS l Llanllyfni P l P Corwen TRO TRO L POWYS L l AR Brecon AR B B A A N Swansea N O Newport O l l HY: FI HY: HY: FI HY: P Aberystwyth P l WHERE: Linear walk from WHERE: Circular walk from Amlwch to Moelfre along the Llanwrtyd Wells around and PHOTOGRA Isle of Anglesey Coastal Path. up Garn Dwad. PHOTOGRA START: Bus stop near Co-op START/END: Car park Anglesey’s 200km/125-mile Coastal heritage centre at Amlwch is well Situated at the foot of the quality of remoteness that in Amlwch (SH444929) or car behind the Neuadd Arms Path – now part of the 870-mile worth a visit. (Check for opening Cambrian Mountains, Llanwrtyd characterises the area – the park at Amlwch Port Hotel (SN879467). Wales Coast Path – comprises a times at www.copperkingdom. Wells lays claim to being the landscape largely a mix of upland (SH453936). TERRAIN: Valley paths and variety of fine coastal landscapes: co.uk.) The walk finishes at the smallest town in Britain, and is plateaux and narrow valleys, END: Moelfre car park lanes, hill and forestry beaches, dunes, coves, impressive picturesque village of Moelfre. renowned for its wacky bog where you can walk all day and (SH513863). tracks, with a short stretch rock formations, harbours and snorkelling championships and not meet a soul. This route should TERRAIN: Grassy and of roadside pavement. nature reserves. The walking is 1. START If starting from the bus man versus horse marathon. More whet your appetite. heather-clad cliff-top coast MAPS: OS Explorer 187; generally quite easy and every stop (SH444929), head L along the conventional events include an path, fields, river estuary Landranger 147. section can be walked as a linear road (Lon Goch), turn L at the annual walking festival and 1. START With your back to the (avoid high tide around GETTING THERE: Llanwrtyd route on an ad hoc basis using T-junction and then fork R. Bear R various other organised walks. Neuadd Arms Hotel (SN879467), Traeth Dulas), sandy beaches Wells is on the scenic Heart the island’s bus services (the at the next T-junction, ignore the Llanwrtyd Wells became famous turn R along Dolecoed Road, and country lanes, with a brief of Wales railway line timetables provide a very useful first turn on the L (Craig y Don) as a spa town during the Victorian which is signed for Abergwesyn. stretch of pavement along a between Swansea and summary of which services cover and carry on downhill. At the era, when thousands flocked to main road. The walk follows Shrewsbury; buses no 48 which sections). This lovely stretch bottom, turn L into Quay Street ‘take the waters’ from the mineral 2. As you approach the former the well-waymarked Isle of from Builth Wells and X14 in the northeast of the island is past the Adelphi Vaults and keep L springs. Today, it’s an ideal base Dol-y-Coed Hotel (now the home Anglesey Coastal Path. between Llandrindod Wells particularly well served by regular where the road divides, passing a for walkers, with the Cambrian of Charcroft Electronics), leave the MAPS: OS Explorer 263; and Carmarthen stop at daily buses. Amlwch is the most Coast Path signpost. Keep ahead Mountains to the north and the road and keep ahead through the Landranger 114. Llanwrtyd Wells (✆ 0871 northerly town in Wales, notable along a paved path that leads Epynt to the south. At one time it parking area and along the drive GETTING THERE: The regular, 200 2233, www. for its copper mining history. It down to the attractive harbour. was proposed that the Cambrian (a public footpath) past the L-hand daily 62 bus from Bangor to travelinecymru.info). was the discovery of a rich vein Pass the Copper Kingdom centre Mountains be made a national side of the building. Go through Cemaes Bay goes via Moelfre EATING & DRINKING: Lots of of copper ore on nearby Parys on your R. Nearby, note the park, while more recently a a gate and bear L along the and Amlwch; mainline options in Llanwrtyd Wells: Mountain in 1768 that brought GeoMôn Rock Clock, which shows campaign has been running to footpath beside the Afon (River) trains go to Bangor Neuadd Arms Hotel about the dramatic transformation the Anglesey rocks in their have the area designated as an Irfon (pictured above). In the (✆ 0871 200 2233, www. (✆ 01591 610236, www. of Amlwch town and its port. geological periods. Continue up Area of Outstanding Natural grounds on your R is the site of a travelinecymru.info). neuaddarmshotel.co.uk); During the 18th and 19th centuries past the Sail Loft Visitor Centre to Beauty (to read the full story, visit spring, whose waters one Rev EATING & DRINKING: Adelphi Drovers Rest Riverside the Parys Mountain copper mines the car park at the end of the the Cambrian Mountains Society Theophilus Evans claimed in 1732 Vaults, Amlwch Port (✆ 01407 Restaurant and Tea Rooms were the largest in the world. The road. Continue along the track website: www.cambrian- cured his scurvy. From then on the (✆ 01591 610264, www. ▲ 831754, www.adelphivaults. ▲ ▼ following the Isle of Anglesey mountains.co.uk). It is the special fame of such treatments spread, ▼ award-winning Copper Kingdom 57-58 walk41 ramblers routes WALES_rev2.indd 1 57-58 walk41 ramblersroutesWALES_rev1.indd 2 Ordnance Surveymap Ordnance Surveymap Continued... Continued... START food-food-food.co.uk); Carlton com); coffee shop at the Sail 2 Riverside (✆ 01591 610248, 5 Loft Visitor Centre, Amlwch 1 ping ©Crowncopyright.AM34/08 ✆ www.carltonriverside.com); Port ( 01407 832255, ping ©Crowncopyright.AM34/08 Bassets Pizzeria (✆ 01591 www.copperkingdom.co.uk); 610654); and Lasswade Country 6 Pilot Boat Inn, Dulas ✆ House (✆ 01591 610515, ( 01248 410205); Kinmel Map not to scale. www.lasswadehotel.co.uk). Arms, Moelfre (✆ 01248 Representation of 410231); Ann’s Pantry, Moelfre OS Landranger SLEEPING: Plenty of choice in MAP 114 1:50,000 (✆ 01248 410386, www. and near Llanwrtyd Wells, www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk 3 including the Neuadd Arms annspantry.co.uk). Hotel (as above). For details SLEEPING: A good selection of of B&Bs, guest-houses and 4 hotels, B&Bs, guest-houses and self-catering accommodation, self-catering accommodation in Amlwch and Moelfre. visit www.llanwrtyd.org.uk. 4 VISITOR INFORMATION: For a comprehensive list of accommodation providers Information point at the 7 Neuadd Arms Hotel, The along the Coast Path (including Amlwch Square (as above) or visit 3 and Moelfre), visit www.llanwrtyd.org.uk and www.visitanglesey.co.uk. www.green-events.co.uk. 2 VISITOR INFORMATION: GUIDEBOOKS: Great Walks Llanfair PG TIC FINISH from the Heart of Wales Map not to scale. (✆ 01248 713177, Railway by David Perrott and 1 START Representation of www.visitanglesey.co.uk). Les Lumsdon (£5.95, Kittiwake, OS Landranger FINISH GUIDEBOOK: Walking the Isle ISBN 978 1908748089); MAP 147 1:50,000 www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk of Anglesey Coastal Path To download this route and hundreds of others, Circular Walks in Central Wales – Official Guide by Carl Rogers visit www.ramblers.org.uk/routes by Stephen Edwards (£5.50, (£10.95, Mara Books, Llygad Gwalch Cyf, ISBN To download this route and hundreds of others, ISBN 978 1902512150); also see short distance, then turn off L as 978 1845241155); walks leaflets distant views of the Snowdonia www.visitanglesey.co.uk for signed. Cross a footbridge over the available from Neuadd visit www.ramblers.org.uk/routes Mountains, which provide a coastal path route descriptions river and head up inland to the Arms Hotel. dramatic backdrop to much of and maps. the walking along Anglesey’s A5205. Turn L to the Pilot Boat Inn, LOCAL RAMBLERS GROUP: 4. Bear R in front of the church 6. Retrace your steps to point 5 and LOCAL RAMBLERS GROUP: coast. As you look back in the and then across fields back to the Four Wells Ramblers (✆ 01597 and follow the road across the go through the gate, heading Ynys Môn Ramblers other direction, there are good coast and the lovely sandy beaches 860519, http://fourwells. river, heading back towards down the bridleway through the ✆ ( 07952 154702, www. views of Point Lynas. (Note: the of Traeth yr Ora and Traeth Lligwy powysramblers.org.uk). Llanwrtyd Wells. Soon, turn back forest. Turn R at the next junction ynysmonramblers.org.uk). path between Porthygwychiaid (pictured). Note the striking rock sharp L and walk along the lane, along a forestry track and R again and Bryn Fuches is permissive and formations from Lligwy to Moelfre which leads past a drive to Kilsby along the bridleway beside Nant may be closed for a number of and the Royal Charter monument on the R. There are some lovely Cerdin. Continue on the lane from with other wells in the town also Coastal Path waymarks (featuring days in the year when shoots are as you approach Moelfre and its views here up the Irfon valley, the Gilfach farm to the A483. opening up to the public. Ignore a hovering tern). A gentle walk taking place.