Wales Coast Path 2024

  Another fine day, perhaps a bit too warm, but we were well prepared with water and food; after recent walks, we also felt fitter to tackle this.  The walk from Llanbedr Station around the airfield until the beach is a little dull. The length of the beach at Morfa Dyffryn was a little daunting at first, but unlike some other sandy beaches, we soon found some firm sand which supported a brisk pace. Towards the middle of this beach, there is a special section which the guide book does mention, mostly comprising single gentlemen. The red and white pole, well forewarned in our book, took us off the beach, where we first stopped at a table for our picnic lunch. We soon had to follow quite detailed directions in the book, field by field, for the section which rises diagonally towards the A496 road.   We stopped at Dylans Barmouth (not really in Barmouth at all) for a drink: until we reached  Barmouth itself, this was the only refreshment point actually on the path. ...

This walk was done last Friday, 7 August, again parking at the finish and using the train to get to our starting point. There's a convenient little car park on the Coast Path, close to Llanbedr station. It meant we crossed Pont Briwet four times in the day. After leaving the bridge and crossing to the seaward side of the railway, there was some confusion as to whether we should be walking on top of a sea wall, or on a more obvious track just below it, especially as these began to be separated by a fence. Guidebook and maps were ambiguous. On top, and inside the fence, proved to be the right choice. It was a walk for old churches. At Llanfihangel-y-traethau there's a grave marker, recording the burial of Wleder, mother of Odelau, who built the first church when Owain ap Gruffudd was king of Gwynedd: this dates the church and the stone to the twelfth century. This is all explained in the church, but what we found remarkable was that the stone, still standing outside, still has le...

  We took coffee at the curiously-named Eating Gorilla in Penrhyndeudraeth before catching our train to our starting point. Setting off from Cricieth, we were soon at Black Rock Sands - Morfa Bychan, which is a very different beach from what we have seen so far. It is massive, with vehicles of all kinds are allowed along it, at a charge. There is an informal roadway along the sand (which at least made for firmer walking), with all sorts of cars, camper vans and tents on either side. People were having a good time, with the constant sound of jetskis in the background. The sandcastle pictured was the best bit.  At Ynys Cyngar (so named but no longer an island), we viewed some Celtic Longboat rowing just offshore. After passing the point, it was a lot quieter, with small pretty sandy coves below us along the way to Borth-y-Gêst. There we bought a cinnamon bun (their speciality) from Bae Borth but went on for a hearty lunch at the Sea View Tea Rooms . We got to Paorthmadog, by...