The Local > Walks in North Wales

Instructions for various walks

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Hugo:
Moel Famau - Bwlch Penbarras

Height:1670 feet or 509 metres   Distance to summit:   2.7 miles or 4.3 kilometres 
Time to summit:  ¾ hour to 1 hour.
Difficulty: Moderate. The climb is steep in parts. Take plenty of breaks and enjoy the views.


Yesterday we headed to Bwlch Penbarras to do a walk in the Clwydian Hills.     Both Pete and I didn't feel like doing a strenuous walk so we settled for  a circular walk of about 6 miles up and around Moel Fenlli, an Iron Age Hill fort that lies at the top of a very steep heather covered hill. Although it was quite warm, visibility was very hazy but we hoped that the haze would burn off later in the day so that we could see the panoramic views from the summit but unfortunately this never happened so consequently we didn't take many photos along the way.
We followed the Offa's Dyke path up the steep Heather covered slopes and were surprised how many Peacock Butterflies were by the path.  Just as we were getting near the western end of the hill two double decker bus loads of very enthusiastic and noisy kids from Liverpool arrived, so we quickly carried on to the summit.   A flight of wooden steps made the ascent to the summit a lot easier but once you are in the hill fort there is very little you can make out as the ground is completely covered in Heather and only the ramparts stand out.
A quick look around and we headed south on the Offa's Dyke Path and then took the path towards Llanferres where we  had something to eat and drink near the village.  It was then across fields and lanes before arriving back at Bwlch Penbarras car park.   What is nice about our walks is that we do have time to stand and stare at things and one thing I think about in this area is the nice Welsh House names and their origins.   Two we came across yesterday were  Hafod Taid   ( Grandfather's  Summer dwelling)  and Ty Fy Nain  (  My Grandmother's House)  both of which made me think of some grandchild having happy memories there with their Grandparents and then later going to live there.      Our walk was just under 6 miles so we had plenty of time left to enjoy a drink in the Druid's Inn in Llanferres before driving home. 

Hugo:
OK Fester  I'll try my best so here goes.    First the directions to the Moel Famau car park at Bwlch Penbarras
Drive to Ruthin and take the A494  Mold Road.  Keep on that and you'll go through Llanfair DC  up a steep hill passing the Clwyd Gate pub at the top.  Keep on the A494 and you'll come to Llanferres ( pub is on the left in the middle of the village.) carry on for about a mile and on the left you will see a sign for Tafarn Y Gelyn with a brown Moel Famau sign below.   
Turn left there and keep on the road for two and a half miles and you'll see two car parks (one on left one on right) and this is Bwlch Penbarras the start of your walk'
Now the walk I did on Friday I cannot describe as even with detailed maps we had difficulty finding our way but what I can recommend is the official Moel Fenlli walk which has the most interesting scenery and views so that is the one to go for.
Height:1670 feet or 509 metres   Distance to summit:   2.7 miles or 4.3 kilometres  Time to summit:  ¾ hour to 1 hour.
Difficulty: 
Moderate. The climb is steep in parts. Take plenty of breaks and enjoy the views.
Moel Fenlli is the steep hill to the south of the car park and the path is easy to follow as it's the official Offa's Dyke path.   It goes diagonally up hill.  Marker Posts will lead you up the hill  Count the posts as you reach them and at the 6th post, Offa’s Dyke Path will turn right. Take the path directly in front of you which leads you up the wooden steps to the top of the mountain. This is a VERY steep stretch and should be tackled slowly.
As the incline eases off you will enter a small hollow and the path leads you to the left. At this point you should see the summit. Take the path to the summit. At the summit you will find a large pile of stones.
From the top if you look back in the direction of the car park you will see the Jubilee Tower on Moel Famau.
To get back to the car park you can either retrace your steps or go down the very steep path on the car park side of the hill fort.
From the car park drive back along the road to the A494 and turn right, the Druid's Inn is in the middle of Llanferres on your right near the church.  Enjoy your pint as you will have deserved it.     Z**

Ian:
As stated

Hugo:
Bethesda to Ogwen walk

Parking in Bethesda at the Austin Taylor lay by or in the lay by by the entrance to the Penrhyn Quarry road.

Don't forget though at the present time there is no public transport from Capel Curig because of the Padarn Bus liquidation so unless you want to walk back along the A5 a second car should be parked at the Ogwen        :-[

Ian:
The Llanberis walk

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Instructions

1. Llanberis Lake Railway station (SH 58210 59879)

The walk begins outside the Llanberis Lake Railway station and not at the popular Snowdonia Mountain Railway which is a little further along the A4086 towards the town centre.
There is plenty of parking in and around the town near the Snowdon Mountain Railway and opposite Dolbadarn Castle.

To begin the walk, follow the signs for Dolbadarn Castle and the National Slate Museum and opposite a car park turn right. Cross a large slate footbridge over the River Hwch and follow a winding track up through the woods to the castle.

2. Dolbadarn Castle (SH 58600 59792)

The castle overlooking Llyn Peris was built by the Welsh prince Llewellyn the Great during the early 13th century, to protect and control the Llanberis Pass - a strategic location, protecting trade and military routes into north and south Wales. Entry to the castle is free and it’s worth exploring.

The castle comprises a courtyard, surrounded by a number of towers and a round keep, said to mimic the Norman castle found at Pembroke.

Edward I and his army took the castle in 1284 and it gradually fell into disrepair. The ruins were popular in the 18th and 19th century with artists and were famously painted by Turner in 1802.
Retrace your steps back down and over the footbridge to the road. Turn right along the road towards the National Slate Museum and First Hydro-Electric power station.
Crossing between the lakes, you’ll get your first glimpse of the views to come, with the mountains and Llanberis Pass looming in the distance.

Turn left at the mini-roundabout and walk towards the National Slate Museum.

3. The National Slate Museum (SH 58563 60186)


Dinorwig Quarry closed in 1969 but the Victorian workshops, with the largest working waterwheel in Britain were preserved. The Industrial Revolution in the 19th century led to an explosion of towns and cities across the country and saw demand for slate take off as a roofing material. It was also exported across the developing world.

In 1882 the county’s quarries produced over 280,000 tons of finished roofing slates and in 1898 the slate trade in Wales reached its peak with 17,000 men producing 485,000 tons of slate.

4. Vivian Quarry (SH 58661 60500)


From the museum, walk across the railway track and through the railway barrier-gate towards the old Vivian Quarry. Pass through a large stone archway emerging inside the old quarry hole littered with old quarry buildings.

When production stopped in 1958, the lower half of the quarry gradually flooded to form a deep, blue lake - up to 18m in places and now popular with scuba divers. Follow a winding track to the lakeside viewing platform for a closer look.

These days rock climbers also come here to climb in the old quarry, and you can see some traces of the climbing routes dotted around the sheer rock faces. Walk back to the front of the museum and walk over to the far side of the car park - passing a café, toilets and gift shop (SH 58461 60462).

Follow a path of slate chippings towards the lake and along a winding track up to a grassy view point below the old quarry hospital (SH 58295 60604). There are spectacular views here over the lake and you’ll regularly hear and see the old steam train carrying passengers on a scenic trip beside the lake.

Walk up the wooden steps towards the hospital and marvel at the fascinating old photographs and medical equipment inside.

5. Quarry Hospital (SH 58317 60703)

The hospital here was for the men who worked at the Dinorwig Quarry in the 19th and 20th centuries. The idea was to have a hospital on site so men could get back to work as soon as possible after treatment. The hospital treated a range of injuries, from broken bones to lost fingers and crush injuries, and employed the latest medical techniques of the time.
The hospital was even equipped with an x-ray machine, just three years after its invention in Germany, and was one of the first buildings in the area to have both hot and cold running water and electricity.

Turn left out of the hospital and follow a road through the entrance gates. Turn left up a rough track of slate chippings signposted as the green route, and head up a winding track into the ancient woodlands above.

6. Sessile oak woodlands (SH 58382 60695)


The woods here date back to the time of Dolbadarn Castle and were once known as the Royal
Forest of Gwynedd, stocked with deer and wild boar for royal hunting. These days you’ll find wild goats roaming around the sessile oak woodland, stunted due to the lack of nutrients in the soil. Sessile oaks have stalkless acorns that grow from their tree branches.

The track is covered in slate and tree roots so take care, especially in the wet. As you ascend, the oaks become noticeably smaller in height. About halfway up you’ll reach a viewing point overlooking the lake below. From here continue up the track following the green/yellow route.
As you approach a green/yellow sign with a red marker post, keep right and follow the yellow route up the hill and over a slate step and through a gap in an old wall towards a triangular-shaped clearing in the trees with a green post in the middle.

Keep right and follow the yellow/blue route up a muddy track leading to Coed Dinorwig. Walk past an information board onto a gravel path and into a clearing, leaving the woods behind you.
Opposite are rolling green hills, and cottages where local quarrymen once lived and rented small plots of land to grow vegetables on and keep livestock.
Walk along a rough 4x4 track passing a house and stables, towards some large slate tips in the distance (SH 58428 61142).

The slate tips are an incredible sight and are the end product of a very wasteful industry. A staggering 80-90% of slate mined here was wasted.

After 600m cross the road and walk past a commemorative slate statue to the former quarry workers and pass through a metal gate. Walk along a winding track marked ‘slate trails’ past a wonderful old slate wall draped in thick green moss and on towards the quarries.
After 500m the track widens and if it’s sunny you’ll be rewarded with a stunning vista of the mountains beyond.

7. Viewing Point (SH 59108 60415)


On a clear day you can see the summit of Snowdon from here and, looking carefully, you’ll just
make out the Snowdon Mountain Railway track as it winds its way up the mountain from Llanberis.  To your left are the old quarry workings and mills where the slate was initially cut and dressed into roofing slates on site.

Turn right and follow the path down to a viewing area and take a few moments to enjoy the scenery around you. Below and to your left is the entrance to the Dinorwig Power Station, built deep inside Elidir Fawr (SH 59103 60411).

The station’s six powerful generating units stand in Europe’s largest man-made cavern, 23m wide, 180m long, and 51m tall which you can visit on an organised tour. The power station also known as Electric Mountain is used to top up the National Grid during times of peak demand e.g. during half time in FA Cup finals when millions of kettles are switched on simultaneously.
Turn right through a rusting, kissing gate and follow an old tramway incline down the mountain. Wagons loaded with slate were lowered down the incline from the quarry to the slate finishing mill below.

8. The Incline (SH 59235 60521)


There were three main inclines, with the highest over 1500ft above sea level and home to the highest locomotive shed in Britain. Take care walking down the first section as the slate can be slippery, even on dry days. It’s a fairly surreal experience walking between thousands of tons of discarded slate, seemingly balanced precariously on either side of the incline.
You can still spot traces of the original tram tracks here and there along the incline, and after around 300m you’ll pass under an old drum house, once used to control the speed of the wagons as they were lowered down the mountainside.
One rope was attached to a rake of loaded wagons at the top and the other rope fastened to empty wagons below. By skilful use of the brake on the drum, the weight of the loaded wagons going down, hauled the empty wagons up.
Follow the incline down until you reach the old quarrymen’s cottages on the right-hand side of the track.

9. Anglesey Barracks (SH 58970 60212)


The two rows of terraced cottages, eleven on each side, were known as the Anglesey Barracks as they housed workers from Anglesey who stayed here during the working week. Life was hard and very basic with four men crammed into each small cottage yet despite having no running water and only a coal fire for heating and cooking, the barracks were a hive of cultural activities with choir singing and poetry reading. The men would leave for home at noon each Saturday and arrive back early on Monday morning ready to start work.

The cottages were condemned in 1948 as a health hazard, by which point most workers were already living in better conditions and using buses each day to travel from further afield.
Continue down the incline, with views over Llyn Peris and the power station below, taking care as you walk between the tracks and overgrown grass.

Follow a high slate wall as it curves its way around a wooded area towards another drum house. Here you’ll find huge pieces of slate overhanging the wall, which served as makeshift shelter for the workers during bad weather. On a sunny day it’s very pleasant here but in winter, during rain or blizzards of snow, it must have been incredibly cold and bleak.

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