12/07/24 - Porthmadog to Borth-y-Gest

Two Ticks in a Pretty Tourist Town

For such a pretty place, Porthmadog has surprisingly few published routes available on-line. My usual haunts of Ordance Survey, Komoot and All Trails came up with an ambitious looking mountain walk. An End User generated trip to Borth-y-Gest looked right from a distance and coast line perspective.

The walk was a delight. Along the Afon Glaslyn estuary. Far ranging fews to the mountains. Borth-Y-Gest a charming little bay.

Leaving Porthmadog Harbour

The curved bay of Borth-y-Gest

Half sunken ships and mountain views

Out to see past Ynys Cyngar

Dunes, caravan parks and a long stretch of pavement walking back into the tourist town.

Porthmadog, a picturesque town in North Wales, boasts immense tourist potential due to its unique blend of natural beauty, rich history, and cultural attractions. Nestled on the edge of the Snowdonia National Park, it offers breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and coastline, making it a haven for outdoor enthusiasts who enjoy hiking, cycling, and watersports. The town is also the terminus of the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways, which provide scenic journeys through the stunning Welsh countryside and are a major draw for railway enthusiasts.

We, as always, head for the pub(s).

First, it's the Brewery Tap for Purple Moose. The Australia, a traditional pub dating from 1864 in the middle of the main street. Inside, it's all booths with charging points and a menu that's burger heavy.

The Australia - Purple Moose Brewery Tap

Meet the team

View from a booth - tradition and more purple than Premier Inn

Without tasting the burgers, you could do a lot worse than the deli next door. £5.50 gets you a Sunday Lunch in a bap. Not joking, beef, roasties, yorkshire pud, carrots and gravy. I vow there and then to visit more deli's. Especially deli's in Wales. 

Onwards to the Spooners - a cafe bar built into the fabric of the heritage railway. Some unusual beer choices but time it right and you can watch the steam train coming in from the outside terrace.

Heritage railway boozing

Monty's not found elsewhere in North Wales

Spooners a railway bar

Two Good Beer Guide Ticks - a fine afternoon's work.

Walk Details

Distance - 5m

Geocaches - 4

Walk Inspiration - End User generated route from Ordnance Survey Web Site

11/07/24 - All the Pubs in Nefyn

2 Good Beer Guide Pubs out of 4 ain't bad

You've got to be prepared to walk to find the Ty Coch Inn.

Walk on through the Golf Course....

.... and on

..... Just around the Corner

A Sign

It's a magical place. The bible stating that it is one of the best beach bars in the world.

We experienced it in two modes, both showing different sides of its character. A fine Monday evening, where we could sit out front, take in the rays and take in views. Yr Eifl across the bay conquered earlier in the day.

The Rivals - 3 hills, 2 in view - across the bay

The Thursday we walked Nefyn was grim beyond belief. Horizontal rain and misery. But the reward was the tiny bar, open at 11am, where tables are in scant supply. Sharing is compulsory and in a 3 pint stop we made friends with Cheshire farmers, New Zealand tourists and members of the Mancunian Abersoch golfing elite. 

Nautical Nick Nacks

Magical, unforgettable experience(s).

And if it is low tide, the walk across the beach is quicker and more pleasant.

Sometimes.

Farewell, Ty Coch.  We will be back

The Sun doesn't always shine in Nefyn.  The beach walk back, from above.

There's more imbibing to be done in Nefyn.

Yr Heliwr is the traditional boozer in the main street.The notice board outside implies that it has been brought back to life by the community. It's certainly been recently redecorated. Immaculate throughout. Our Sunday visit left me a touch underwhelmed. A tiny front bar with hard church pew seating and a huge high ceiling back room where the number of tables outnumber the punters 20 to 2.

However, a return visit on a Thursday - when they do very reasonably priced home cooked food - saw every one of those tables occupied. Beef Bourguignon for £11 a big hit. With everyone, including yours truly who was carrying a pizza from the Spar under his arm.

Community Local

The Nanhoron Arms, was included for the sake of completion. We didn't expect too much from a golfing hotel, but there was a back bar occupied by locals speaking Welsh. Apart from the swear words. A jukebox (Coldplay are big in this part of the world) and a 50p pool table made for a half pleasant visit.

Named after a boat constructed in Nefyn

Which leaves the brewery tap and 2nd Good Beer Guide Tick, Bragdy Llyn. It's remiss of me to not mention the beer purchased in the blog. In an act of town loyalty, every venue was selling Cwrw Llyn wares.

My go-to pint of the week, although IPA was equally delicious

Hosted on a business park, next to the police station, it was a popular spot, with early closing hours. 9pm on weekends, 7pm weekdays but it was open from 1pm everyday except Sunday closure.

A big window to see the shiny brewing vessels, handful of high tables, mezzanine overflow space and connect four.

Brewery drinking

Which can extend to outside

The walk? Well, I am still drying my underpants. Coastal around the bays. My favourite bit was the shelter offered by this green lane.

If it wasn't for the Ty Coch, I may still be there now

Walk Details

Distance - 6 Miles

Geocaches - 0

Walk Inspiration - Country Walking Magazine, November 2009, Walk 16

10/07/24 - The Lion Hotel, Tudweiliog

Pie of the Day, Only at Night

When it rains in Wales, it rains. Still, Mrs M is committed to exercise and fresh air. We plough on, right to the point when I tell her that today's walk is 7m.

Like all good marriages, a compromise is in order. 

A classic coastal circular walk from Traeth Pennllech can easily be cut in half. What's at Traeth Pennlech?

A pretty sign

North, up the lane we just drove down, sheltered from the light drizzle that soaks you through. Nothing to see, so we head to the sea and find the natural harbour of Porth Gwylan.

Perfect Harbour

We're exposed on the cliff tops now. Bleak, desolate, sea mist rolling in. It's a relief when we discover Traeth Penllech is the remote beach that marks the end of end of the walk and we can head for civilisation. Any civilisation.

This is Great Britain.  We are not the only fools out.

It's going to be a pub stop on the way back to our temporary home. All available Internet resources suggest that the Ship Inn, Edern, is open at lunch time. If only the typed sign in the window concurred. 18:00 on most weekdays.

Back to the Lion Hotel, Tudweiliog. The journey there marked with conversations about what we want to warm us up and keep us going until England inevitably let us down at 20:00. We both agree on what we want. 

Pie.

A specials board looks promising.

Chicken and Ham in cream sauce, with shortcrust pastry

I'll spare you the conversation but it ends with a closing line that both sums up British hospitality and offers no possible come back from hungry customers.

The "Pie of the Day" is only available at night.

Best to drown our sorrows.

I went far right

The alternative choices were very good. Mrs M going as far as to say it was the best pub lasagne she had ever had. 

Have we already had our "allotted exceeded expectations" today?

Let's see if Ivan Toney starts.

Walk Details

Distance - 4.5 Miles

Walk Inspiration - Country Walking Magazine, February 23, Walk 21

Geocaches - 0

09/07/24 - Abersoch to Porth Ceiriad

 All About St Tudwal

Abersoch. The Welsh Riviera. Where the Range Rovers outnumber the sheep. Playground of the North West of England Elite.

We head there on a grey July afternoon, the worst of the rain behind us but not especially conducive to walking.

The pub is called St Tudwal. The most interesting geological feature are the two islands of St Tudwal.

St. Tudwal, a 6th-century Celtic saint, was born into a noble family in Ceredigion, Wales, and dedicated his life to monasticism and missionary work. Renowned for establishing monastic communities in both Wales and Brittany, he significantly influenced the spread of Christianity. In Brittany, he founded a monastery in Tréguier and became one of the region's seven founding saints. Tudwal's legacy endures through the churches and communities named after him, and he is venerated for his piety and contributions to the Christian faith.

A steep, boring but mercifully crop free crossing of agricultural land takes us to Port Ceriad. Think Alex Garland's The Beach, with less sunshine. A remote yet perfect beach with only a lonely dog walker. We have options - crumbing cliffs or randy bulls.

We'll take our chances with the bovines

The remote Porth Ceiriad

A straightforward circuit of the headland, with the Islands constantly in view. West has a lighthouse.  East has a cross. With binoculars, it's possible to make out the cross is a very odd Y Shaped. Online resources are limited but some wild campers did make it there after it was struck by lightening. 

St Tudwal Islands - East and West

Cross upright again

Into Abersoch for a first visit. I saw online references stating it to be the prettiest village in Wales. Presumably by people who have never visited Aberdaron. We are in the dead zone of 3pm, where all the places that do food, don't do food. Kitchen's closed everywhere until 5pm. Only so much entertainment provided by shops like Fat Face and Weird Fish, so we do what we always do.

Head to the pub. 

A rather plain and uninteresting Robinsons pub. The Unicorn beer is far too cold. The scratchings are far too hot. Thought those machines were condemned 20 years ago.

Functional Robinsons

Ice Cold Unicorn

Onwards - to the big Asda at Pwllheli.

Walk Details

Distance - 6.5 Miles

Geocaches - 2

Walk Inspiration - Country Walking Magazine, June 2013, Walk 21

08/07/24 - Yr Eifl

We can see the pub from here

We selected the best weather day to challenge the mountains. Yr Eifl is a range of three peaks at one end of the Nefyn Bay. Garn For, Garn Ganol (the highest at 1850ft) and the hill fort of Tre'r Ceiri. Town of the Giants.

The walk is not without its minor challenges. Deceptively easy on a low incline track too start, its hands on rocks scrambling to the top of Garn Ganol. 

Pictures can tell the story.

Car Park Standing Stones and 2/3rds of Today's Work

Easy Mountain Access

Shelter view at Garn For

Hands on Rock on Garn Ganol

Views all along Lynn Peninsula.  And Lunch. 1 Banana.

Final peak - Tre’r Ceiri Hillfort

My planned route would have taken us to the pub at Llithfaen. But not with these opening hours;

Tafarn Y Fic a Monday No Go

Instead, we console ourselves with what we could have won.Through binoculars, we can see the stemmed glasses of San Miguel* at the legendary Ty Coch Inn. No one who ever visits will ever forget it. 

We made the walk on the evening - where we can see what we conquered earlier in the day.

A later in the week revisit**, a must, where it will be blogged.

A View from a Pub Bench

* exaggeration, we can see the building

** if the rain stops 

Walk Details

Distance - 4.5 Miles

Geocaches - 2 and an Adventure Lab Cache

Walk Inspiration - BBC Countryfile

07/07/24 - Gwesty Ty Newydd, Aberdaron

On the North Wales Pilgrim's Trail

Right at the tip of the Llyn Peninsula lies the village of Aberdaron.

Aberdaron has a long history, with evidence of settlement dating back to the Iron Age. It was an important religious site in the medieval period, serving as the last stop for pilgrims heading to Bardsey Island (Ynys Enlli), known as the "Island of 20,000 Saints."

Our walk is a classic coastal circular, following signs labelled the North Wales Pilgrim's Trail.

Looking back over Aberdaron

Today's route finding

Inland footpaths disappear at Porth Y Pistyll, but when the sun is shining, an extra mile won't hurt. Eventually, we are able to loop back on ourselves at the National Trust Pen Y Cil. All this, on the day where I used membership to get free parking. £5 towards the joining fee and I've not even set foot in a stately home.

Up high with the animals for the inbound return.

Meet the Boys

We find the Holy Well of Ffynnon Saint just before re-entering the village. You know the score - a Pilgrimage place with special healing properties within the water. Even as I was taking the photo, Mrs M was saying "that will be no use for your blog". And she was right. A square of water under a metal lid.

So into the pretty village, all eyes set for post walk refreshment.Tripadvisor reviews for Sunday lunch did not pass the Mrs M test. But reviews for the chippy were far more promising. If you want to know which meal is haddock and which is cod, look for the H and C on the polystyrene tub.

And there's more.... the Gwesty Ty Newydd pub is one of only a small handful in this part of the world in the Good Beer Guide. I expected a soulless hotel bar and was nearly right. Just keep moving on through for a balcony with the best pub view in Britain.

Today's Good Beer Guide Tick

Half of the furthest right for me

View from a Pub Balcony

Walk Details

Distance - 5 Miles

Geocaches - 2 available, 0 found

Walk Inspiration - AA Pocket Book of Walks

06/07/24 - The Torrent Walk Pub, Dolgellau

Following the Quaker Trail 

Breaking up the journey to the Llyn Peninsula with a stop off in Dolgellau. A solid looking market town which could only be improved if the main car park allowed more than a 3 hour ticket purchase.

We have to fit in a 5 miler, a pint and share the biggest sausage roll in the world. If you are passing, you could do a lot worse than lunch at Popty'r Dref.

There's a lot of Quaker history in the town - which forms the basis of a caching trail that we stumble on.

Dolgellau became a notable center for Quakerism, largely due to the efforts of local converts who embraced the teachings of George Fox, the founder of the Religious Society of Friends. This period saw the establishment of a significant Quaker community in the town, including the construction of a meeting house which served as a focal point for worship and communal activities. The Quaker influence in Dolgellau extended beyond religious practices, contributing to the social and economic fabric of the town, with Quaker families often being involved in local industries such as wool and leather. 

Up into the hills to the south of the town, we pass Quaker churches and crumbling meeting houses. Other humans? Duke of Edinburgh leaders, tracking their charges on GPS units.

Geocaching at an abandoned Quaker meeting room

Snowdonia views

A very decent walk from my favourite drinking druid, Laurence Main. His post walk suggestion is the Stag Inn but there is a new player in town since the book's inception 30 years ago. 

The Good Beer Guide entry is the Torrent Walk Hotel. 

Doing the Torrent Walk

Located down a tiny street, adjacent to the Cross Keys for easy crawling, this is a fine bar. Low ceiling, massive log burner, bar festooned with pump clips and 4 handpulls on. Tiny Rebel, Plum Porter, one unmembered and a fantastic first Eyton Gold by the Magic Dragon Brewing company.

Magic Dragon

We're back at the car with a minute to spare. Onwards - to the Llyn Peninsula.

Walk Details

Distance - 5.5 Miles

Geocaches - 2

Walk Inspiration - Pub Walks in Snowdonia - Laurence Main, Walk 19