Walks 24-28 Barmouth to Criccieth 12th-17th May, 2014

 Walk 24. Barmouth to Llanbedr 12th May, 2014  

Arrived Lle Bach, Tremadog, our house for the week, on Saturday having stopped for lunch at the Last Inn, Barmouth by Julia special request! Lovely to have Julia with us this time if only for a couple of days...greatly appreciated support especially as Chris has a damaged achilles. We thought at first that it was a return of gout but it hasn't improved with lots of water etc and the pain had become more centralised. Maybe carrying too big logs...or just walking too much? Barmouth had been VERY windy and rainy on Saturday so watching the Eurovision was order of the day (Conchita Wurst from Austria won..."lady" with a beard.....) and then Sunday was so wet that walking was so impossible we chilled watching Spanish GP followed by a couple of episodes of I Want to Live in Spain..or Portugal! Could hear the steam engines on the Ffestiniog or Welsh Highland railway calling!
It was a year yesterday since this mad walk began! So with a reasonable forecast for Monday, Julia and I set off early. Chris just couldn't make it so had to stay for more rest....well at least he's caught up with lots of reading! It was a bit sad to set off without him. We headed off to leave the car at Llanbedr station for the 8.30 train and with the road around the estuary, the rivers Dwyryd and Glaslyn, having to put up with single file traffic in daytime because of the bridge works, repairing Pont Briwet, after the storm. So trains are still only running on this Cambrian railway as far north as Harlech until July. The weather looked set to rain so we were prepared...but not quite early enough....it really was close thing to missing the train, particularly as there was no apparent parking so the car was left hitched up on a path...still it really is the middle of nowhere. Another pretty journey along the seafront, though I was mostly putting on gaiters to avoid the wet which looked likely....so off we set along the prom at Barmouth. 

It wasn't as windy as Saturday had been and out to sea, the sky was blue..yeah! 

We liked this sign....inviting us to beach time...

Great views all around and then we crossed the railway where workmen were busy with tidal defences of some sort then we headed up to the road, the only hill of the day! Lovely views from above..

Headed past a couple of caravan parks, through some fields 

and then over a couple of funny stiles,

On we went, through a holiday park and then back over railway and over fields alongside a pretty and noisy stream, the Ysgethin, up to Tal y Bont ...

to cross its bridge and then head down the other side. Always signs of the storms...if not on the beach then with fallen trees here and there..

By now the sun was bright and warm as we headed over a bog..wet sock for Julia....towards the dunes, passing a sheep bully en route! 

We crossed the now well known shingle levee...with dunes behind...

....onto a lovely beach with sensational views so off we went towards Llanbedr. 

We weren't sure if we were shadows of our former selves..

Soon we passed the path down from Dyffryn where we stopped for a drink.

Lovely sands followed with the dunes getting bigger and bigger all the way along the 3 miles we walked. Needed the marine biologist today..Julia found me a starfish,

we saw so many pretty shells and a jellyfish...

I didn't bring that home! A sign approached which we diverted to read..it announced that this was now a naturist beach....and there indeed were 2 examples even though it really was a little on the chilly side! We enjoyed watching a sand cart which looked great fun...

 and then saw a couple of groups of people at the tide's edge, the tide having now gone out a long way. We guessed they may be cockle pickers. As we got nearer, we realised they were in fact cormorants, standing with outspread wings!

We did laugh! As the high dunes were ending, the path took us up off the beach as it turns a corner into

Shell Island or Mochras. There were fabulous views here - the mountains, the sea, the dunes...

...we could even see Harlech castle now!

Here we should have been able to see the most northerly Sarn, Sarn Badrig, the final outpost of Cartre'f Gwaelod, but sadly it just wasn't apparently visible ...or we were looking in the wrong place. I thought it was out at sea from the river Artro. 

Nonetheless we had lunch at a perfectly placed picnic bench with magnificent views to the Lleyn, Snowdonia, Barmouth and the Rhinog hills and around to Harlech and its castle! A bit of a struggle to find the path heading inland now so headed for the toll into Shell Island and they said the path is nearby but we could cross the causeway which joins the path anyway so over we went.

We did think a return visit to Shell Island would be a worthwhile day out.

Apparently there are so many different shells to be found...take an observer book probably. We passed a now disused airfield, maybe used by air cadets these days. Soon we were back at the station...a wonderful day!

11.7 miles and 5 hours later...Julia is a good pacemaker!

 Walk 25. Llanbedr to Harlech 13th May, 2014  

Yesterday evening we had lovely meal at Y Sgwar in Tremadog and very nice it was too. Tremadog is an interesting town, built by William Alexander Madocks in the early 1800's. He was the local landowner and also built the 'wall', the Cob, creating the harbour at Porthmadog, a perfect place to export the slate from nearby Blaenau Ffestiniog. Tremadog backs onto huge cliffs...the sea cliffs of long ago.
Julia had to leave us today..why can't we all be retired? So we had decided to do a short walk before she had to leave. Sadly Chris wasn't confident enough to join us but we all set off to Harlech to leave a car there and Julia and I drove to Llanbedr to start.

It was really quite wet as we set off along a pretty riverside, the same river which goes out to sea at Shell Island and its falls in the car park which we had now found. The grass was a bit damp....crossed the river over a pretty bridge

.....and had to head up the road to Pensarn station. It looked like the diversion I'd read about had been sorted, had it? No...at the outward bound school, with lots of excited children waiting to go rock climbing, an instructor told us the footpath was further up the road...thank goodness she told us, the sign only announced "footpath closed". So a bit further up the road was another footpath sign which we followed through fields...seeing a lovely ragged robin flower, not a lot of those around I think.

We soon had to cross the railway which, as we had somehow missed a tunnel going under it, we had to climb gates to get over it. Oh dear! Then we realised that a little above us on a levee around a sea inlet, was the coast path once more.

Heading for dunes once more, not as high as those near Shell Island, we passed many sheep. In particular we liked this one...the Mummy behind the rock appearing to have a solid middle!

The path skirted around the little hamlet of Llandanwg with its old church beside the beach which I had to peek at ....A taxi lady from Zimbabwe told us a couple of days later that David Tennant had recently been to a wedding there.....

....and through the dunes to see if the Sarn was visible...it wasn't.

We headed away from the coast back up to the road to head to Harlech. Lovely view looking back to Shell Island and not far before we turned down a steep cliff, along lovely hedgerows full of pink campion,

with good steps though, into the amazingly beautiful Harlech Bay.

What dunes! And how is there a house right in the middle of them?

Had to cross the railway again...great views...was that the Sarn looking back to Mochras?

Another lovely beach walk,

Julia was holding onto the feeling to take back to London with her.

We could see across the edge of the Lleyn to Criccieth with its castle rock in the middle.

The views not quite as good today as the clouds were lower. Where is the the marine biologist when you need one...strange proliferation of strange semi circular things we could not name

but also clams and sea urchin remains. The path sign was clearly visible to take us through the dunes, again quite high here, and passing the golf club back to the car park, just below the lovely impressive castle.

Perspective changes all the views...here the castle doesn't appear to perch over the coast as much as it actually does. We drove back to Llanbedr to pick up our car and to say goodbye for now to Julia...she had been so supportive, thank you!

Today we had done 4.7 miles...a bit further than our guess at 2-3....in 2 hours. The afternoon promised to brighten as yesterday had as Julia headed south. What to do about my injured partner? Would we go home?

Walk 26. Harlech to Maentwrog 15th May, 2014  

No! Chris was determined to find a way to do some walking but yesterday had still not been comfortable in his boots so we visited a pharmacist for medical assistance and had also decided that softer training shoes may be more comfortable. So we visited Porthmadog, for the first time in a long time! Very bustling it is too which is great to see.
So armed with special Ibuprofen cream, heel insoles for achilles injuries and comfy pair of trainers, off we set to Llandecwyn, or so we thought, to get the train, bus replacement back to Harlech which would have been the other half of the walk started with Julia on Tuesday. We were headed for the 10.10 bus once more around the roadworks. In fact Llandecwyn station is right at the end of the bridge works and so where the road works start so I had thought it was near the next village, Talsarnau which in fact is Talsarnau station! Oh well, the bus would still come here. It has good views across the estuary to Portmeirion. We were amazed that there was no charge for the bus! Missed opportunity? Again back at Harlech with its marvellous castle, built by Edward 1st of course, designed for him by James of Saint George as were the other Edwardian castles in Wales.

It was a nice flat walk to begin over the fields heading away from Harlech, a good introduction for my "partner".

We crossed some ex MOD type tracks past a smelly new looking tip and once more into fields, the first containing cows, calves and a bull! Oh eck! I bravely crossed to then cross a cow field too. But the views were worth it across the estuary to Portmeirion

....perched on the promontory between the 2 rivers of the estuary and then down the Lleyn to Porthmadog, Borth y Gest and Criccieth.

Ynys Gifftan came into view ahead as we rounded the marsh, Glastraeth, with views out to the sands of Traeth Bach where rivers meet the sea.

We were directly across from Portmeirion and then soon headed inland a little to the settlement of Ynys with its little church, then passing an old mill, no jet skis on a sign allowed by Lord Harlech.

Saw a heron and swan as we headed around the edge of the marsh along the levee.

And Chris made friends with a lamb...

Back at Talsarnau station the cloudswere lifting! We ate our lunch in the car and Chris decided he could go further so off we went again, now with the sun high in the sky! We had watched a man go past with a cage on his head which seemed strange, it seemed he was flying his bird of prey on the marsh. We continued around the edge of the marsh and then climbed a little to head inland again with good views back to the estuary....

....and to Llandecwyn with its workers on the bridge.

A Hercules, probably from RAF Valley, flew across us. We heard lots of fighters going across today. We crossed the A497 to head steeply up a lovely old quarry road, by now it was really quite hot!

We met a lady here who had lived here all her life telling us lots of trees had been chopped down recently after the storms and how her view has changed. She had seen the clouds come down over Snowdon recently and realised she hadn't seen anything like that ever before....how easily we can forget to look. We came out at the top near a pretty reservoir where a pair of Canada geese were teaching their gosling to swim, with lovely views back down to the estuary, even the row of tall pylons couldn't spoil it. We soon dropped down near to the HEP station which turned out to be nuclear cleaning place on side of A497.

 Then we were back steeply uphill on a track where the pipes also ran down the other side..

.arriving on the lovely tops with marvellous views...could we see Snowdon?? No but we could see Cnicht and its friends...

But then it was difficult to find the path for a while...a bit stressful for us with Chris's heel. We found our way only to lose it again further down.....rather frustrating as we clambered over fallen trees only to have to find another way....at last we found our way into Maentwrog and the Grapes Hotel for a very welcome drink of Evan Evans Cwrw beer. Taxi lady from Zimbabwe took us back to Talsarnau...think we paid her flight! Beautiful evening, lovely day!

Stephen Sutton died yesterday, aged 19. What an inspiration.

 Walk 27. Maentwrog to Porthmadog 16th May, 2014 

Birthday boy today...do still need him, do still feed him, now he's 64! All ok with his heel so off we set to Porthmadog as we decided to get there from Maentwrog today. Planned to get the train/bus to Penrhyndeudraeth from Porthmadog then a cab to Maentwrog but the cab at P'deudraeth didn't answer as we waited in Porthmadog so we just took a taxi all the way in the end. A sea fret was hanging over Porthmadog as we passed the estuary as it did til the afternoon but inland at Maentwrog the sun was shining, hats today as we were red faced yesterday.

Walked through gardens passing Plas Tan y Bwlch, up through its woodlands, its rhododendrons, its bluebells.

Passed pretty Llyn Mair, quite a pull uphill again! Soon crossed the Ffestiniog railway track and heard a steam train below us.

We were mostly in woodland as we traversed this northern edge of the estuary....we have walked so many woodlands now! We could dimly see the estuary going out to sea in the haze.

 Passed another pretty lake where Chris saw a snake tail!

Weird! Soon I saw a red butterfly! Not a cinnabar as it was really red all over...no idea what it was and I was too slow to photo it. Did get one of the Peacock though!

Chris's foot pained him here as he crossed a stile by the side of the rail track at Rhiw Goch signal point.

We stopped for lunch soon after where we did catch sight of the train with lots of carriages. And a lady coming to the farm chatted and told us she had lived here for a long time before moving to ....Presteigne! What a small world! We soon dropped into Penrhyndeudraeth where we saw maybe the other half of the snake as we dropped down some steps.

We walked along the road into Minffordd passing the station here with fine views across to Snowdon.

Then we turned left towards Portmeirion. Just skirted Portmeirion but like its ex-kitchen type garden!

Lovely walk zigzagging above the estuary and around Portmeirion. We chatted to a farmer as we came up to a view over Porthmadog and its Cob, very friendly chap.

What fantastic views! Snowdon, the Glyders, Cnicht......we've been up them all in the past.

We dropped down through a little wood, nice in the shade! And here was a green veined white - I think!

We walked then across the Cob and into Porthmadog and return to the car at the station.

9 and a half miles today.
Heard the cuckoo this morning in the woods.

Walk 28. Porthmadog to Criccieth 17th May, 2014  

Lovely birthday dinner last night at the Union inn in Tremadog. Beer was good too...Purple Moose Brewery (Bragdy Mŵs Piws) Elderflower Ale, this is a Porthmadog brewery now exporting to China and Spain and a brew from Nefyn on the Lleyn, Cwrw Lleyn y Brawd Houdini. Ping won Masterchef.

So the last morning at Lle Bach. Drove to Criccieth, avoiding low bridge! Ha ha! Didn’t really mean to…

Had coffee in a lovely tea room on the square as we were early for the 11.10 train/ bus which duly took us back to Porthmadog. I bought a new hat as we walked through the town so Chris could have his back...I hadn't packed expecting so much sun!

Lovely walk around the harbour and it's old original houses. 

Now it's a marina of course. We headed around the back of many marine type garages with the island of Cei Ballast to be seen through their edges before we headed over a headland into Borth y Gest. 

What a pretty village. Views of the Cob, boats, beach and the estuary across to Harlech, Shell Island and Barmouth, although a bit misty round the edges.

It had been a small settlement before Porthmadog grew with locals guiding people across the sands. Tide was going out so the sandbanks were emerging between us and Harlech forming Traeth Bach at the end of the estuary where the 2 rivers meet. We could just make out Harlech castle.

Mountains galore so much fun guessing their names! Soon around to lovely Morfa Bychan...what a place! We passed the little beach and a headland around the golf club and there was the huge beach!

Cars parked here and there...

quite a lot as it turned out as we walked further, complete with a 10 mph speed limit! 

Barbecues were smelling good! What a lovely walk, Chris even had an ice cream. 

We had to go inland as we approached Criccieth as the tide was still too far in to get around Craig Ddu, Black Rocks. Met a young man at a farm on the tops who named a lot of the mountains for us. 

We dropped over the headland to follow the railway once more with views of Snowdon and Cnicht for company...phenomenal! We soon crossed the railway behind the shingle levee and soon emerged onto the path alongside the beach into Criccieth. 

Missed a burial chamber coming into the town..bother! Walked past the castle with its Dinas and its St Andrew's flag.

Couldn't be in the Union flag as it wouldn't match would it? Having bought a sandwich at Cadwalladers, we arrived back at the station for lunch and the drive home.

7.5 miles today
What a lovely week in the end. I have my marine specimens as mementoes....sea urchins from Morfa Bychan

and the starfish that Julia found for me on Barmouth beach.

Now we look forward to more of the Lleyn peninsula in a couple of weeks with our granddaughters.....and their parents of course!

Thank you so much for your support. The total for Victory over Cancer is steadily going up which makes it so worthwhile. www.justgiving.com/Pamela-Mallpress