Walk 21 Machynlleth to Aberdyfi 4th April, 2014

Earlier start today heading for the station in Aberdyfi (Aberdovey) so had to drive a bit further still. The journey over the Cambrians was just a cloudy passage – no snow, mist or anything…sign of Spring perhaps...and we actually arrived early! We did have a bit of a yellow dust on the windscreen, reminder of the recent Sahara desert "pollution". Quite excited this morning, using the train for the first time since Kidwelly when Julia and Richard were with us. It duly arrived at 9.33 and we got back to Machynlleth just before 10 ....and we walked into Gwynedd....

 and even into the Snowdonia National Park!

Now with 10 counties behind us (I know Powys was only a brief visit…), we only have 5 more to go once we’re through Gwynedd! Was that the first swallow I saw as we approached the river? Certainly looked like one. 

Bridge over the Dyfi

Crossing the river Dyfi was a bit precarious on the narrow bridge and soon after we headed up a track – VERY steeply. It seemed to go on for ever, first on a tarmac road and then across fields, where we lost the path for a brief while which didn’t help our humour! At least the sun wasn’t blazing down – it really was hot enough work as it was! It was a relief to get to the top – for now at least, where we could just see Machynlleth way below us..

Machynlleth way below - note the STEEP hill!

It was actually a bit damp in the cloud and very soon we dropped downhill to a forestry track...

Once on top of the first part, the downhill stretch was quite a long one and just gently sloping down on the forestry track made for easy walking through the woods, listening to pheasants calling, birdsong and the sheep and lambs when they heard their leader on quad bike approach! Near the end of the track, was the entrance to a disused mine, so much mining and quarrying went on around here. 

Then we dropped into the village of Pennal and crossed the A487 passing through a holiday bungalow resort based on a big old house, Plas Talgarth. In its grounds on approach is Domen Las – a Norman castle motte that had previously been a Roman fort and was later used by Owain Glyndwr according to legend. 

Domen Las

In the grounds of the holiday village is a slight detour of the path to avoid a huge section of fallen trees, damaged in the January storms – there is much wood to be chopped here! 

We soon had first views of the estuary again – the railway line which we had crossed this morning and the scenes of our walk to Machynlleth earlier in the week. 

Rail bridge over the Dyfi and its nature reserve

Across to the Lyfnant Valley

We got slightly lost then near a big house with caravans so had to take a slight detour. After lunch eaten in a field with a stream – very pretty – we pressed on through fields, skirting a little wood and headed to re-cross the A487, and heading seriously uphill again. Lots of violets in the hedgerow here ....

........ and wood anemones, dandelions,stitchwort ........

.............primroses beginning to go past their best now...

– lovely to see Spring arriving. The bluebells are going to be beautiful I’m sure! The track turned into a mountain track as we passed a farm in the middle of nowhere – still going up! Some of the old walls here were made of slates standing on end. 

Arriving at the top of this particular hill which had been like real hill walking, really lovely, was a stone marking Carn Mach Arthur, (Stone of Arthur’s Horse). 

This supposedly shows the hoof print of King Arthur’s horse, Llamrai......can you see it?...

either as Arthur was called to help the local people from some marauding force and he galloped from across the estuary to help, or, according to another perhaps more favoured legend, as Arthur and his horse beat the creature, an Avanc, sleeping in the nearby Bearded Lake, Llyn Barfog....

........from where it wreaked havoc on people who came too close! We couldn’t actually see the Lake from the path which is best approached from the Happy Valley direction. Today we were too tired by now to take a further detour! And soon we had great views, first of Bardsey Island and then more and more of the Lleyn peninsula revealed itself! 

Once on top of this final incline…we could see the whole of Cardigan Bay spread out before us – right from Strumble Head, dimly in the distance but there nevertheless, and the clear shape of Dinas Head, round passing all our route so far to New Quay and so to Borth and Ynyslas and to the north, the tip of the Lleyn and Bardsey Island jutting out to make the Bay – a fantastic sight! 

A little further and Tywyn revealed itself just along the coast and where we will pass on the next walk – but out to sea from Tywyn and the river Dysynni estuary was the next Sarn of the Cantre’f Gwaelod – Sarn y Bwlch. This one stretches out under the sea for about 2 miles. 

And so began the downhill stretch into Aberdovey – Ynyslas and its sand dunes now becoming clearer and clearer and the Lleyn disappearing from view as we dropped into Aberdyfi on the eastward side of town....

Great views over the town and its harbour and beach. 

It had been another favourite walk - have lots of them now. This another not so coastal a walk but very enjoyable nevertheless. We said goodbye to the harbour - we like Aberdyfi! - until the next time!

Another successful 12 miles which has pushed us over the 500 mark!!! And we will walk 500 more....well not quite that many....

Although this walk is so much of a challenge and enjoyable all the more so because of that, the main motivation is to raise funds for the "Victory over Cancer" appeal for Velindre. All support you can give is so gratefully received.....www.justgiving.com/Pamela-Mallpress....thank you!