At the mouth of the River Seiont where it empties into the southern end of the Menai strait, stands Caernarfon, the county town of Gwynedd and the mighty Caernarfon Castle. Building of the walled town and its castle, began in 1283, shortly after the defeat of the native Welsh prince, Llywelyn the Last, by the …
Looking at a map of the Snowdonia National Park, there is an obvious circle highlighting the fact that Blaenau Ffestiniog has been, (most would say unfairly), deliberately omitted from the national park. The original thinking was that because of its industrial past and the heaps of splintered slate surrounding the town, Blaenau Ffestiniog was a …
At the foot of the Ffrancon Pass, alongside the A5 and the River Ogwen, lies the old slate town of Bethesda. The town comprises sombre, grey stone quarrymen’s cottages, roofed in slate, clinging to the hillside in irregular terraces. Paradoxically, for the size of the town, there are a disproportionately large number of public houses …
Awe-inspiring beauty surrounds Beddgelert, making it one of the most memorable villages in Britain. Set at the meeting point of two rivers, the Glaswyn and the Colwyn, Beddgelert nestles in the heart of a majestic landscape with the Snowdon range rising steeply to the north and the craggy Moel Hebog (2569ft), to the west. The …
Where the north shore of the Mawddach Estuary and the south-western slopes of Snowdonia meet on the Cambrian coastline is the beautiful location for one of Gwynedd’s most popular seaside resorts, Barmouth (Abermaw). Barmouth boasts a wide expanse of fine sandy beach, with safe bathing, which stretches for almost two miles, backed by a promenade, …
Situated at the Eastern end of the Menai Strait and within close proximity to its neighbour, The Isle of Anglesey, Bangor is perfectly placed for further exploration of North Wales and is easily accessible by the modern road network Bangor can trace its roots back to 525AD, when Saint Deiniol a Celtic missionary arrived with …
Bala, (Y Bala), is a thriving market town at the north east tip of Bala Lake (Llyn Tegid), in the Dee Valley, alongside the A494, a town often overlooked by the visitor en-route to the Cambrian coastline. The town itself is little more than a pleasant, wide, tree lined high street, with all the facilities …
On a fine day with the sun shining, the sea glittering and yachts moored in the bay, it is easy to see why this area has been dubbed The Welsh Riviera. A picturesque harbour, several sandy beaches and a flourishing village, make Abersoch an excellent and popular choice for the discerning visitor. Blessed with a …
Abergwyngregyn, (mouth of the River Gwyngregyn), or Aber as it’s locally known, is a quiet village situated just off the A55, close to the northern end of the Menai Strait. A footpath from the village leads through a delightful valley to the village’s best known asset, the Aber Falls, a pair of spectacular waterfalls in …
The Dyfi Estuary, one of the pretty estuaries on Gwynedd’s Cardigan coast, is the natural border between Mid Wales and North Wales. On the northern shore, terraces of pastel coloured houses cling to the hillside, a delightful setting for the picturesque seaside village of Aberdyfi (Aberdovey), a fine example of a Victorian seaside resort. The …