Walk Description

A spectacular 11.5 mile circular walk from the village of Llwyngwril in Gwynedd, Wales. Walking from the village with views of the sea and the Mawddach estuary up to the memorial for the airmen who died in crash in the Second World War before returning along the mountain road (Ffordd Ddu) to return back to the start. This walk has some amazing views.

You can see the Ordnance Survey map of the area here

Park at the car park in the village of Llwyngwril,Gwynedd. Walk out of the car park and turn right up the road. After a few hundred yards you will see a bridleway signed up a track on the right (by a house called Tawelfan). Go up the bridleway passing the old Quaker house on the right and over a stile at the end by the last house. Continue up the path that first goes through some woodland and then between some stone walls.
Keep walking up between some walls as you come out of the trees and keep ascending up the path with the sea on your left hand side. Eventually the path becomes grassy and levels out and you make your way towards a tarmac road that goes to a farm. At this point join the tarmac road a continue along it with wonderful views of Barmouth, the Mawddac estuary and the mountains in the distance

Keep walking along this tarmac surfaced road until you come to an area where the road turns down hill and the forestry has been cleared. A triple finger post indicates a path up hill to the right through the cleared plantation follow this track. After a while you cross a stile into more open land. Keep following the fairly obvious path up. Eventually the path will come to stone wall on your left keep following with the wall on your left. Look out for the memorial on the wall for the crew of the aircraft that crashed here in the second world war. At this point you will meet the mountain road or more correctly Ffordd Ddu and you turn sharp right, uphill
 in a south west direction.

Follow the stone road for about 2 miles until you see another stone track going downhill on the right; take this track again in a south westerly direction after about another two and a quarter miles you will come to a ladder stile into a grass field on the right. Go over the ladder stile and head directly across to the stile into the next field and then cross that one to a further stile that brings you onto a country road. Take the road directly ahead then swing right and walk down to the main road. Turn right and this will bring you back to the centre of your village and your starting point.

Interesting Facts

Llwyngwril was reputedly named after the lowland giant Gwril. According to legend, he had a cousin named Idris who was the upland giant who lived on a nearby mountain called Cadair Idris (Idris’ Chair) The legend tells how these 2 giants threw stones at each other as they did not get on. This accounts for the standing stones which are visible over the mountain!

The village has a rich history and close links with the Quaker community who fled to this area in the 17th Century to avoid religious persecution in England. The Quaker burial ground is near the beach path. Most left the area with William Penn to sail to the New World to seek a home and religious freedom. Penn was a Quaker convert and devoted himself to good works and in 1682, obtained a special grant from King Charles II permitting him to sail to America where he founded Pennsylvania. Of the Quakers who left Wales for Pennsylvania in the 17th Century, about half came from Merionydd.

Map

The map below shows you the route of this walk it may not be 100% accurate so check your route first on an Ordnance Survey map. Bing Maps is a useful resource for Ordnance Survey maps and you can see this and the wider area here

Please ensure that you are properly equipped for the ground conditions and weather. The information on this site is given in good faith and was accurate at the time of writing but you are responsible for your own safety when out walking. We accept no liability for anyone doing anything stupid!

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