This walk is of medium distance, taking you the roughly ten miles through the town of Barmouth and into the hills above the lovely Mawddach Estuary, getting some incredible views over the area as you walk along ancient pathways.
Start at the station at Morfa Mawddach, walking over the bridge into Barmouth. Take some time for yourself, exploring the town at your own leisure, making sure to see both the harbour and the jail house.
Walk up the hill towards the villages, and go on through to the National Trust property, Dinas Oleu. The views from this area are breath-taking, out over Cardigan Bay, and even stretching to Snowdonia when the weather is good.
Choose one of the paths along here – they all offer great views – and make your way up to Barmouth slabs, an area that’s loved by climbers. Follow the path around to Gellfawr Farm, then down to the stone circle, Cerrig Arthur.
The Sword Stone of legend is near here (grid reference 643, 199). Once you’ve seen it, walk down into the Cwm Mynach valley and its RSPB reserve. The hamlet Penmaenpool is just along here; it’s worth spending a little time here to take a look around, before catching a bus back to Barmouth.
You can follow the route in the opposite direction starting in Dolgellau (this was done by Julia Bradbury in her series "Best Railway Walks"). Dolgelau Cycles offers bike hire for £20 a day for adults and £10 for children
Image Source: CC by-SA 2.0 by Henry Spooner
Image Source: CC by-SA 2.0 by Richard Szwejkowski (Edited by NWHC)
Location
This walk starts in Barmouth which lies on the estuary of the River Mawddach and Cardigan Bay. Follow the estuary along for this walk and you will end up in the hamlet of Penmaenpool.
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