view from Carn Llidi
The St Davids Walk
St Davids to Bangor
An Account of
A Complete Walk in 2010
The Snowdon Horseshoe

 

home | route summary | route map | route1details | | route2details | route3details | route4details | accommodation | equipment | photos | links

 

 

 This is an article written for Walking Wales and accepted for publication in 2011. Unfortunately, the magazine closed down before the article was printed and so I am adding it to the web-site as it gives a great deal of general information which could be of interest to anyone contemplating the walk.  It has been slightly altered to make it more appropriate to its new position.

 

 

St David's to Bangor

A walk linking two National Parks, repeated after 11 years.

I live in St David's in South West Wales. Twelve years ago, two of us decided to walk to Bangor, enjoying the best coastal walking and the finest mountain scenery in Wales. We started at the largest cathedral in the Principality and finished at the cathedral serving the oldest diocese (founded c. 546). I subsequently wrote an article about our route for Walking Wales, published in autumn 1999 and made a website giving full details. In 2010, eleven years later, I celebrated my 80th birthday by walking the route again with friends. This article is an account of that journey.

 

Two views from the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, seen during the first two days of the walk.

 

 

 

 

 

If you are considering doing our route, you should be aware that it is not the easiest way to walk from St David's to Bangor . It follows the Pembrokeshire coast for sixteen miles but then turns inland, crosses the Preselis and continues east to the Tywi valley at Rhandirmwyn (SN785437). At this point it turns north following the Cambrian Mountains, traversing Plynlimon, crossing Cadair Idris and passing through Snowdonia to reach Bangor . So it is a glorious route but longer and higher than it need be.

I have usually walked long distance paths in one, or possibly two continuous stretches, day following day, but for reasons that will become clear I decided that this was going to be different. I did do the central half of the walk (about 130 miles) in this way in two, separate weeks using different, pre-booked accommodation each night, but the first and last quarters of the journey (totalling another 120 miles) were each walked from single bases, St David’s and Beddgelert. This arrangement split the walking into four separate periods and I spread these through the year.

I had three reasons for planning the walk in this way. Firstly, the use of a single base for several days made it possible to have an un-scheduled off-day if the weather was appalling - and it sometimes was! Secondly, I wanted to walk with as many different friends as possible but they were all free at different times; by spreading the walk over the year this became possible and I had the company of 21 different companions and a dog, Seren , starting with my wife on January 2nd in thick snow, and finishing in October with my youngest grandchildren during their half-term. Finally I considered my age. Although my friends said the walk was a stiff challenge for an old man, I was determined to enjoy every day of it but was not sure how many continuous days walking I could comfortably manage at the age of 80. So I never walked more than six days in succession and never more than 16 rough miles in a day. This all worked very well. I always looked forward to the next day's walk and never got sore feet!

 

 

Sun after rain. Pont Scethin, west of the Rhinogs. Two of my 21 companions -

and here's Seren, mentioned above!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Repeating the walk after 11 years was interesting. Some things had changed: others had not. The astonishing variety of country on the route - two very different national parks separated by little-walked farming land, and deserted high ground, was virtually unchanged. But rights of way had altered in accessibility, sometimes for the better, often for the worse. After eleven years, I was walking more slowly and my memory had got worse. When I mislaid my wallet and my cousin, Richard lost his spectacles, he observed ''a man with no money buying a meal for a man who could not read the men''. Navigation was incredibly easy as I had acquired a GPS displaying 25,000 OS maps, compensating for my poorer eyesight. Surprisingly, the world seemed to have become a more friendly place. And, because walking was spread over the whole year, I experienced more varied weather than previously: snow at the start, autumnal colours at the end, perhaps the best day’s weather I have ever had in Snowdonia and, yes, a lot of rain. A friend who joined me for two long, wet days said he dreamt of rushing water! And yet we had a moment of sheer exhilaration when, after crossing the Rhinogs in pouring rain and then wading through a temporary lake we reached Pont Scethin, SH634235, the sun came out and we saw a Dipper having a bath in a nearby waterfall (photo above). The opportunity to record the changes after 11 years led me to believe that a follow-up to my previous article could be of interest, particularly, perhaps, to older walkers considering a mild adventure.

 

 

 

A surprising feature of the accommodation we used was the way ownership had changed since 1999. We had no difficulty in booking accommodation which, with one exception, was uniformly good. But every one of the places we had used eleven years ago had either changed hands or closed. Even the country pubs where we did not stay were mostly either permanently closed or under new management. Running a country pub in Wales appears to be tough, and three reasons were offered for this: the smoking ban, increased awareness of the danger of drinking and driving and the conditions imposed on the landlords by the companies providing the booze.

 

 

Some navigational assistance for one of my my grand-daughters.

 

 

Throughout my walk, I used a waterproof GPS showing my position on an OS 25,000 map. Although I carried normal, paper maps, I never used them. It was 100% reliable and made navigation very easy. If you are thinking of buying a GPS which displays maps, do be careful.– if you want 25,000 OS maps, and, in my opinion, you should, you must, at present, use a device displaying MemoryMap software. Try the equipment page for further information. Mistakes can be costly.

As full details are available on other pages  I am not going to describe the route in detail but will mention a few interesting places, probably not as well-known as they should be but worth visiting.

 

First, in the lovely Tywi valley, four miles north of Rhandirmwyn you will find the idyllic spot where the Doethie meets the Tywi (SN778467). Nearby is a cave in the hillside where the Welsh Robin Hood, Twm Shon Cati used to hide. (try Google to find a route to the cave)

Next, the ravine at Parson’s Bridge (SN748790) between Devil’s Bridge and the George Borrow Hotel at Ponterwyd. Easy to reach and very little known. A bit of a scramble, perhaps.

Third, after heavy rain, visit Rhaeadr Cynfal (SH705412), an attractive waterfall south of Llan Festiniog, only 0.2 miles from the lane at SH704408.

Fourthly, the little-used ascent of Glyder fach from Pen-y-Gwryd (SH661559) where you can park and then leave the crowds behind. On a clear day you get astonishing views back to Crib Goch (see the last picture below) and can continue to Ogwen Cottage in a variety of ways.

And finally, see below

 

 

One day from the end. My wife, Shirley at Ogwen Bank (SH626654) in Autumn, where the waterfall, quarry and magnificent birch trees are a photographer’s paradise.

 

 

We had problems with blocked rights of way on the route, particularly east of Crymych in rural Carmarthensire. There was sympathy from Carmarthenshire Footpaths Department but they have a small budget and lots of blocked paths. The photograph below of my companion, Philip Brenan at SN294348, south of Newcastle Emlyn shows one of the worse moments.  I have now altered the routeebsite to avoid these problems, but only by using more country lanes than I would have wished. a tough moment

 

However, after turning North at Rhandirmwyn, things were OK until we got completely stuck at a point 4 miles south of Trawsfynydd village at the northern boundary of Coed y Brenin SH676315. We had crossed the Rhinogs from Llyn Cwm Bychan using the Roman Steps, and entered the forest by an attractive gate. A clear route led north but an area near the expected exit from the forest had been felled and rotting brushwood was a problem. Our feet kept breaking through into space below – seriously painful. We were, anyway, on the last day of a section of the walk so we returned, defeated, to our starting point at Llyn Cwm Bychan and next day phoned the Forestry Commission and Gwynedd County Council. I received incredibly rapid help. A young man from the County Council immediately (on the same day!) walked the route and then emailed me within four days sending a map marking a feasible alternative way through. But better was to follow. Within three weeks the definitive right of way as shown on the OS map was cleared and way-marked with yellow-topped poles provided by the County Council and brilliant orange flashes provided by the Forestry Commission. We were able to follow it with ease when we returned and even met a couple walking in the opposite direction, unaware that they had only escaped disaster by three weeks. As budgets for footpath work are so small, it is a great pleasure to report such outstanding support.

 

 

Looking south from Barmouth towards Cadair Idris at ther end of a long day

 

 

 

I mentioned earlier that the world seemed to have become more friendly over 11 years. During the walk, my wife and I were invariably treated with great kindness by everyone we met, from fellow-walkers to farmers, wardens etc. In my case it could simply have been my age, I suppose. People might think that a man of 80 needs gentle treatment. But my wife experienced the same thing: One day in the shadow of the Rhinogs, in pouring rain on her way in the car to collect me, she broke down, miles from anywhere with no mobile signal available. But a man stopped his car, went a considerable distance out of his way and spent a great deal of time solving her predicament. I have already mentioned the help we had from Gwynedd CC and the Forestry Commission. Here are a few more examples:

A delightful new coffee shop and gallery has opened in Croesor, the tiny village under Cnicht. This conversion of Bryngelynnen Farm, SH163447, by a group of villagers has won two awards. It has a special place in my affections as I arrived very wet and was treated with real friendliness by the host, his son and the dog; When they knew what I was doing they gave me free coffee!

On one beautiful sunny day in Carmarthenshire when I was pushed off the right of way by an enormous heap of tyres placed on top of a large quantity of, probably, silage, I met a boy of about ten on a small quad bike, undoubtedly the farmer’s son. He was surprised to see me and addressed me with great courtesy. He then did his best to see that I knew where I was and gave me detailed directions to the nearest pub (which happened to be closed!).

Over the year I have been trying to raise money through sponsorship for our local hospice, Shalom, in St David’s and I have received astonishing, unsolicited donations from a taxi driver, a young shopkeeper in Caernarfon and two groups of walkers whom I had never seen before.

In Carmarthenshire I was twice offered a cup of tea when saying''Hello''to people working in their gardens. My friend and I were both given a free glass of wine by the landlord of the Black Lion in Pontrhydfendigaid, coupled with best wishes for a successful conclusion to the walk.

 

 

 

Two days from the end on the shoulder of Glyder Fach.

 

In conclusion, I must say that I count myself lucky to have met such people, to live in such a beautiful country and to be fit enough to enjoy such a journey. It was with great satisfaction that I was able, again, to offer my dean's greetings to the Dean of Bangor, now the Very Revd Alun Hawkins. I hope that readers who have, perhaps, never walked a long distance path will consider doing something similar. Following the plan outlined above and always taking my time, I probably got less tired than on similar trips walked when I was many years younger than I am now. There is a special pleasure in standing on high ground looking back at country many miles away where you have recently stood, and then looking forward, anticipating the pleasure of reaching landmarks barely visible, many miles ahead. A metaphor for life, perhaps?

 

Michael Slaney. Written in 2011 for Walking Wales but never published as the magazine regrettably ceased publication.

 

 

Please email the author, Michael Slaney if you have any questions, comments or corrections.

Please also email me if you complete either the whole walk or a substantial part of it

 

home | route summary | route map | route1details | | route2details | route3details | route4details | accommodation | equipment | photos | links