Snowdonia - August 16 - 21, 2009
Introduction
In the wilds of Snowdonia National Park we experience the primitive beauty of a mystical land where a singular language and culture still thrive. The passion of Welsh poetry and music is inspired by wondrous landscapes where mountains sweep down to green valleys and white sand beaches. Kings real and imagined did battle here; saints, poets and bards sang its praises.
A center of gastronomy, Wales offers organic produce, succulent lamb, artisan cheeses and fish fresh from the seas.
Walk highlights include listening to the sweet music of a Welsh harpist and watching a farmer and his dog herd sheep.
Walk Summary
| Date | 16-AUG-09 - 21-AUG-09 |
| Trip | 6 days, 5 nights |
| Terrain | We walk along drovers paths which contour the foothills and follow the shores of estuaries, descending paths through woodlands alongside cascading streams; we squeeze through stone fences that cross the wide mountainous countryside with views of Snowdonia's mountains. Daily walks are between 8-10 miles, encountering modest hills. Our Wayfarers van is there for your use as always. |
| Price |
Walk begins in Dolgellau, with arrival at Chester Rail Station and ends in Caernarfon, with departure from Bangor Rail Station.
Walk Itinerary
Sunday
We rendezvous at Chester Rail Station to take a pretty drive to Dolgellau for our Introductory Talk and Welcome Dinner.
Monday
From our hotel we walk through meadows and farmyards, via an old drovers' road to a river bubbling down to the serene Mawddach Estuary. We lunch at a 17th-century waterside pub and watch birds feeding on the tidal mud flats. A walk into the old town of Dolgellau to explore its historical USA connections completes the day.
Tuesday
We walk where Druids made their sacrifices, cross a 7th-century clapper bridge, descend a secretive waterfall and cross the mouth of the Mawddach Estuary for lunch. The afternoon takes in a leisurely stroll through the hills. We finish our day in Barmouth, a town praised in poems by Tennyson and Shelley.
Wednesday
After a gentle ascent into the hills we see the dramatic 13th-century Harlech Castle below us, now enclosed from the sea by drifting sands. After a castle tour we lunch at the country's leading tea-room before visiting a hill-farm with working border collies. We descend to our award winning hotel of Maes-y-Neuadd with its beautifully tended kitchen gardens.
Thursday
We descend along the lovingly restored, narrow gauge steam railway from Blaenau Ffestiniog over undulating meadow land with views over the vale below. A short 'Thomas the Tank Engine' ride takes us to lunch in Portmeirion, a fantasy village modelled on Portofino. We cross the 'Cob' to Porthmadog with magnificent views of Snowdon, the highest mountain in England and Wales.
Friday
After breakfast we visit the mightiest of castles, Caernarfon, on our way to our departure at Bangor Rail Station.
This itinerary represents a typical Walk. We prepare itineraries well in advance of the trip and therefore we reserve the right to make changes due to weather, local events or other circumstances - but always to improve the experience of our guests.
Hotels
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Penmaenpool
Dolgellau
Gwynedd
North Wales LL40 1YB
T: +44 (0)1341-422-129
F: +44 (0)1341-422-787
E: relax@penhall.co.uk
W: www.penhall.co.uk
This luxury country house hotel is set in the beautiful Snowdonia National Park close to the market town of Dolgellau, where Mid Wales meets North Wales. Penmaenuchaf Hall evokes a bygone era with its polished oak floors and panelling, sumptuous rugs, fresh flowers, a blazing log fire, leather sofas, deep set armchairs and oriental rugs.
Fresh produce and herbs from the hotel's own gardens are used to create exceptional cuisine. The Chef and his team produce 'Modern British Food' with an emphasis on lightness and simple, careful presentation.
The hotel has a warm welcome reinforced by little details like fresh fruit and sweet platters offered on all bedroom corridors and rooms serviced twice daily for guests' comfort. Each bedroom boasts a wonderful view out across the landscaped gardens to the Mawddach valley and mountains beyond. The rooms come in all shapes and sizes, but all have exquisite furnishings, luxurious drapes and 21st century amenities including TV, clock radio, hairdryers and telephone. There are also handy in-house drying facilities for wet clothes!
Talsarnau
Nr. Harlech
Gwynedd
North Wales LL47 6YA
T: +44 (0)1766-780-200
F: +44 (0)1766-780-211
E: maes@neuadd.com
W: www.neuadd.com
Maes-y-Neuadd is a very old Welsh manor house dating from the 14th century, now converted into a country house hotel. Situated amongst some of the most beautiful scenery in Britain with spectacular views across the Snowdonia National Park, it nestles into a wooded mountainside. Steeped in history, the sixteenth, eighteenth and twentieth century additions to this gracious, historic Manor, blend harmoniously and retain the old world character.
The individual ensuite bedrooms vary in style, reflecting the different eras. Features range from high ceilings in Georgian rooms to 16th century beams but all are furnished and equipped to provide luxury, comfort and warmth. Instead of tea and coffee making facilities in the rooms, the staff are always on hand to provide you with this service.
In the gracious and elegant dining-room, guests can enjoy the highly acclaimed cuisine is focussed around what is locally available such as freshly picked fruit and vegetables from the hotel's garden, Welsh lamb from nearby farms, fresh fish from Cardigan Bay and Welsh cheeses.
Maes-Y-Neuadd requests that guests kindly respect the hotel's dress code at dinner: no denim jeans/skirts, no trainers or sportswear.
This hotel list is a provided as an example. We may use different hotels of the same quality and style on specific trips. The Wayfarers will notify confirmed travelers of any changes to the hotels.
Photo Gallery
Travel Information
Before & After Your Walk
- Have a night or two in Chester and walk the Roman walls, which encircle the ancient city.
- Take a local train to South Wales and explore St. David's Cathedral and the Pembroke Coast
Weather:
Temperatures usually range from around 45º to 65ºF (7º to 18ºC) in spring/autumn and from 60º to 70º F (15º to 21ºC) in summer although it can rise to above 80º F (27ºC) on some days. You are likely to need a light jacket or sweater in the evenings. Rainfall is unpredictable but occurs all year round and can be heavy, even in summer. Equally there can be long spells of warm dry weather so you will need to bring clothing to accommodate all situations.
To see more Travel Information and a list of our recommended tips please register or sign in. Once you confirm a booking for this walk, as a registered website member, you will be able to access detailed Joining Instructions including exact arrival and departure points and times as part of the Travel Information.
FAQs
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Are there any hidden costs?
Our Vacations do not include the cost of air or rail fares to and from the destination or tips for your walk leader and manager. -
How large are the Groups?
Our maximum group size is 16, but groups average between 8-12 people. -
Will I feel welcome as a single traveler?
Yes! Our walks are the perfect environment of comfortable camaraderie for the single traveler. -
Can you accomodate special diets?
Yes! -
How physically fit do I have to be to do a Wayfarers Walk?
If you are in good health and reasonably fit you will be comfortable participating in a walk.
Ask a question
Please do not hesitate to ask us a question about this walk.
Reading List
British actor Phillip Madoc's outstanding narration conveys all of the warmth and affection of this 1939 classic about growing up in a Welsh coal-mining village. Endearing without being overly sentimental, Madoc's perfect Welsh accent differentiates the characters clearly, consistently and fondly. His low personal tones throughout the first-person narrative speak from the heart and draw the listener into an engrossing tale. This audio production coincides with the long-awaited video release of the 1941 Academy Award-winning film based on the same story.
Based on the most recent historical research and current debates about Wales and Welshness, this volume offers the most up-to-date, authoritative and accessible account of the period from Neanderthal times to the opening of the Senedd, the new home of the National Assembly for Wales, in 2006. Within a remarkably brief and stimulating compass, Geraint H. Jenkins explores the emergence of Wales as a nation, its changing identities and values, and the transformations its people experienced and survived throughout the centuries. In the face of seemingly overwhelming odds, the Welsh never reconciled themselves to political, social and cultural subordination, and developed ingenious ways of maintaining a distinctive sense of their otherness. The book ends with the coming of political devolution and the emergence of a greater measure of cultural pluralism. Professor Jenkins's lavishly illustrated volume provides enthralling material for scholars, students, general readers, and travellers to Wales.
From the Ice Age until 1992: the story of Wales, expertly chronicled by renowned Welsh scholar Davies (Welsh History/University College of Wales). The Welsh can claim to be the original Britons. They preserved a language and culture--and, for many centuries, a legal code-- that, along with their topographical isolation, kept them distinct from the Angles (“English''), Saxons, and later Norman invaders. The subjugation of Welsh land by the English occurred in stages: the vanquishing of Llywelyn's revolution in 1282; the Act of Union in 1532; and the effects of the new commercial world that opened up after the Revolution of 1689 and led to the mixed blessings of the Industrial Revolution. Here, Davies relates the history of his people with proper pride. Avoiding sentimental generalizations and the temptation of portraying the Welsh as victims, he offers a closely written monument of scholarship lightened by flashes of dry humor.
An elegantly written tale of identical twin brothers who grow up on a farm in rural Wales and never leave home. In depicting the lives of Benjamin and Lewis and their interactions with their small local community, Chatwin comments movingly on the larger questions of human experience.
A photographic study of 32 places in Snowdonia. Each image is accompanied by a concise text dealing with historical and archaeological facts and curiosities, with an emphasis on Welsh legend and folklore.
We in Wales often take our stunning mysterious landscapes for granted. This book reminds us how lucky we are.A beautiful book that will leave you longing to breathe in the fresh country air.
The Touring map series is a must for anyone visiting Britain's most popular holiday destinations. These reformatted maps are simple to use and packed with essential tourist information - from the best beaches to rural pubs, designed specifically with Tourists in mind. All county boundaries are clearly marked and as well as showing motorways and main roads, the maps also pinpoint many minor roads, cycle routes and even rural toilets. No holiday is complete without one.
This classic study examines the period when Wales struggled to retain its independence and identity in the face of Anglo-Norman conquest and subsequent English rule. Professor Davies explores the nature of power and conflict within native Welsh society as well as the transformation of Wales under the English crown. An account of the last major revolt under Owain Glyn Dwr forms the culmination of this excellent work.
Giraldus Cambrensis was a curmudgeon with a vivid imagination. He has an eye for detail and an ear for a good story. As such, his works combine many different elements -- travelogue, miracle tales, slander, complaints, and puffed-up pride. This book serves as a great introduction to medieval writing in many ways. The book, is not a history book, not a religious book, not a travelogue, but instead the notes and jottings of a mind interested in many topics. While a lot of the writing speaks of God, Christ and miracles, not all of it does -- this will help give a general reader a broader understanding of the medieval world-view.
Providing a celebration of Snowdonia National Park, this book investigates the creation of its landscape and how its shape has affected agriculture and industry in the area. It also looks at the Celtic heritage, with its myths and language, how the region and its people have inspired artists through the ages, and the conflicting interests that threaten to destroy its beauty today. Throughout the book the author makes stops at beauty spots and other places of cultural and natural interest, and meets an array of characters such as farmers, national-park wardens and residents of forgotten industrial towns.
What's Next?
At this point we would like to thank you for looking at our website, we hope you will have seen a little of the places we walk to, hotels we stay in and that we have answered some of your questions.
For more information contact our team who are waiting for your questions. Alternatively we suggest you choose one of the following:
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