Parking: Pay & Display car park Llyn Tegid.
Facilities:Toilets and picnic tables.
Note: Bus Services operate between Bala & Llanuwchllyn.
A little about the path...
This walk leads along the northern hills above Llyn Tegid, offering striking views of the Arenig mountain and open countryside. As part of the Bwrlwm Eryri cultural heritage project, a verbal commentary has been produced for this route which gives a brief introduction to the legends, folklore, culture and history connected to the area. Along the route, look out for blue numbered signposts with Bwrlwm Eryri written on them – the numbers denote the relevant track number on your MP3.
Click here to download the audio files.
1. Go to the left from the Llyn Tegid foreshore car park and walk along the pavement, past Fron Feuno car park in Llanycil, until you see the driveway to Fron Feuno farm on the opposite side of the road.
After passing Fron Feuno car park you will see St Beuno’s Church on the left. The church was named after its founder, Saint Beuno, who, in the sixth century, used to travel from his monastery in Clynnog Fawr near Caernarfon all over North Wales to preach. Many renowned men are buried in the church cemetery – the most notable being the Rev. Thomas Charles, a prominent leader in the Methodist revival.
2. Cross the road and follow the middle track towards Fron Feuno farm. When you reach a turn in the track, follow the public footpath that leads off to the left. Follow the path through the trees. When you come out of the woods, walk up the field and follow the ditch until you see a waymarker. From the waymarker follow the path to the left until you reach a stream called Nant Gwenwyn Meirch. Walk down stream until you can cross over a footbridge.
In 1645 during the Civil War, Rowland Vaughan, a famous poet and royalist lived in Caer Gai, approximately a mile from this spot. When some locals realised that Oliver Cromwell’s knights were on their way to Caer Gai, they gathered some yew leaves, which are very poisonous to horses, and threw them into the stream knowing that the knights would stop here so the horses could drink. That is exactly what happened and the horses became ill, and ever since the stream is known as Nant Gwenwyn Meirch (stream of horses’ poison).
3. Follow the path across the field, and straight through Plas Moel y Garnedd Caravan Park, until you reach a stile. Go over the stile and across the field, heading for Moel y Garnedd Uchaf farm. The public footpath leads to the right and around the farm.Once you have past the farm, follow the public footpath signs that lead you towards Ty’n y Rhos.From Ty’n y Rhos, follow the signs that direct you over the Gwastadros open country.
This heathland, known as Gwastadros, is a perfect habitat for birds such as Skylark, Curlew and Northern Wheatear. This heathland has always been common land which meant that local people had a right to bring their animals to graze here. It is a very wet and poor terrain to keep livestock, and as this was the only land available for the poor people of the area to support their family, life was very hard.
4. Cross the open heathland, aiming for the pine trees. After passing the trees, follow the path along the edge of the field until you reach a country road.
5. Follow the road down to the left and take the second public footpath on the right. Follow the footpath across the field, leading towards Llwyn Mawr Uchaf farm. From Llwyn Mawr Uchaf, go straight ahead along the track and across the field towards Llwyn Mawr Isaf farm. From Llwyn Mawr Isaf, follow the track towards the road near Pentre-felin.
6. From the road, the walk will follow a track towards Coed Swch y Pentre woodland. This section is over permissive path so it won’t appear on an OS map. When you reach a bend in the track at Coed Swch y Pentre, veer to the left off the track and follow the edge of the woodland.
7. When you reach the southern tip of the young woodland, follow the public footpath to the right. The path will take you past the northern side of the site of an old Roman fort, Caer Gai, and then along a track towards Werglodd Wen farm. The track will fork near Werglodd Wen – follow the track to the right past the front of the farm.
The history connected with Caer Gai goes way back. Originally, this was the site of an old Roman fort – with a Roman road going right by, and a Roman cemetery and baths nearby. A farmhouse stands on the site today but some of the fort’s remains can still be seen. The site was named Caer Gai (Cai’s Fort) after the mythical hero Cai fab Cynyr (Cai son of Cynyr) who is connected to Arthurian legends including Culhwch ac Olwen (Culhwch and Olwen) and Y Tair Rhamant (the Three Romances) to name a few. He is also mentioned in the work of aristocrat poets, which refers to Caer Gai as his home.
8. From Werglodd Wen, follow the path until you join a country road on a sharp corner. Follow the road to the right and past Werglodd Ddu.
Werglodd Wen, which used to be part of the Glanllyn estate, was the home of the Rev. Michael Jones and Mary Jones. When her husband passed away, Mary Jones continued to live there. In 1859 an open election was held and landowners kept an eye on how their tenants were voting. Mary Jones was thrown out of her home by the Tory landowner because her son, Michael D Jones, had been trying to persuade other tenants to vote Liberal. Michael D Jones is an important figure in the history of Bala. He was the Principal of Bala Theological College, and he played a major part in establishing a Welsh settlement in Patagonia in the 1860s, where the Welsh language would be the language of religion, government, trade and education.
9. Continue along the road past a large chapel on the right. Just after the chapel, follow the path down to the left that leads along the Afon Lliw riverbank. You will shortly reach the main road with a bridge on the right. Follow the road to the right and over the bridge. In a while you will arrive at the commemorative monument.
This is a monument to commemorate a father and son from Llanuwchllyn. Sir O M Edwards was an editor, litterateur and a passionate and prominent educator, who was eager to encourage pride in the Welsh language and traditions. In the 1890s he launched children’s magazines called Cymru and Cymru’r Plant (The Children’s Wales), which was a new leaf in children’s literature. His son, Sir Ifan ab Owen Edwars continued with his father’s good work, and was responsible for founding the youth movement Urdd Gobaith Cymru in 1922. His vision was to provide an opportunity for children and young people to learn and socialise through the medium of Welsh, and to have pride in their language and culture. The movement is as strong as ever, with 50,000 of Wales’ children and young people being members.
Click here for the southern section of the Llyn Tegid Circular Walk.
Respect the Environment!
If you're going out for a walk,
please take all your rubbish
home with you
including
fruit skins
& cigarette
stumps.
Snowdonia National Park Authority, National Park Offices, Penrhyndeudraeth, Gwynedd LL519DX
Telephone: 01766772274 e-mail: parc@snowdonia-npa.gov.uk www.snowdonia-npa.gov.uk