Author Topic: Walking  (Read 821003 times)

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Online Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #1920 on: February 25, 2018, 12:35:34 pm »
We had been wanting to visit Dulas Bay in Anglesey for sometime and yesterday the tide and weather conditions were ideal for the visit so four of us set off to go there.   You have to be careful where you park the car there as the road comes to an abrupt end on the beach and parts of it are tidal, some motorists have returned to their cars after a long walk only to find the cars partly submerged by the incoming tide.
We were only having a short walk to look at the two boats that have been abandoned on the beach many years ago so we had no such worries about the tide.  The beach is flat but quite muddy and slippy in parts and I noticed that Tellytubby and old Uncle Albert were being extra careful after their spectacular falls on our last outing.    Anyway it wasn't long before we got to the boats and had a good look at them.   The one stranded in the middle of the beach is quite impressive and we've seen many really good photos of them on the internet and that's the main reason why we wanted to see them first hand.
We returned to the car and then Tellytubby drove us down a narrow lane until we found a place to park by a footpath that went across  open farmland so that we could have a look at Ynys Dulas,  a small island about a mile and a half out at sea.  Many years ago this area was notorious for shipwrecks so in 1824  the Lady of Llysdulas Manor  had the  cylindrical structure with a cone shaped top built to store food and provide shelter for shipwrecked seamen. the tower was originally kept stocked with food, flint and firewood in case passing mariners were shipwrecked; this practise was curtailed when it was found that some local inhabitants were purloining the provisions. 
There hasn't been a lot of rainfall in the area recently so we were surprised by how wet and boggy the fields were and the only dry place we could find to have our refreshments was on a tree trunk that had fallen over.  We didn't stay there too long because although it was sunny, there was a bitterly cold wind blowing in from the sea so we were glad to get back to the car.    From there we drove down a very narrow lane and headed for Point Lynas.    The lighthouse is a private residence now but there are public footpaths going around the headland.  We were hoping to see porpoises or Dolphins as this is one of the best spots in the UK to see them but unfortunately we didn't see any although we heard later that they were seen in the area yesterday.   
After a good look around and a pleasant chat with the owner of the property we headed home after a very enjoyable and interesting walk.

Online Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #1921 on: February 25, 2018, 12:38:19 pm »
Dulas Bay and Point Lynas


Offline hollins

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Re: Walking
« Reply #1922 on: February 25, 2018, 02:12:11 pm »
When I saw your quiz question Hugo I thought to myself I've been there and true enough I have but I was thinking it was one of my Pembrokeshire walks. No good though as you did say it was North Wales.
When I walked around the lighthouse headland there were various brave souls canoeing into the waves. A bit mad I thought. The lighthouse was for sale when I was there so I am glad it has found new owners.
It was good to read your info about the shipwrecks which I didn't know before , thank you.

Online Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #1923 on: February 25, 2018, 02:57:15 pm »
You know me Hollins, I can't make it too easy so I only showed bits of the wall of the property.    As the jetty was hidden from the road I thought that no one would have seen it but spotty dog got it right.
The property was featured on TV not so long ago and had a nice story behind their purchase of the property by the present owners.   I'm sure that the owner told me that they have lived there for 19 years but it now back on the market but it's in a very exposed location as you already know.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-10777054

Online Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #1924 on: February 25, 2018, 03:37:38 pm »
The Lighthouse and other fantasy homes on Anglesey were featured on a TV programme last year and this link is a very short video of the properties involved




https://vimeo.com/186387369

Online Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #1925 on: March 12, 2018, 12:16:38 pm »
On Friday Tellytubby phoned me up inviting me for a walk on Saturday but wasn't sure where we could go so I suggested one that we had mentioned a few times before.    We have driven down the A470 many times and when we pass Gethin's Bridge I've told him about the impressive waterfall near there so with the weather conditions as they were it was the perfect time to do the walk.
We parked the car in a lay by on the A470 a few hundred yards west of Gethin's Bridge  and as soon as we got out of the car we could hear the thundering roar of the water as it was racing down the valley.
We carefully walked under Gethin's Bridge and the public footpath was just about 50 yards away on the right.   Walking through the woodland, it was only about 100 yards before we came to Pont Y Glyn, a narrow wooden bridge that crossed the Afon Lledr and the sight and sound of the river was breathtaking.   Even if we finished the walk there then it still would have been worthwhile but we had to carry on as we were heading up to Ty Mawr Wybrnant the birthplace of the Bishop William Morgan who translated the Bible into the Welsh language.
A short path took us past Glyn Lledr Farm and then on to a narrow tarmac lane that went uphill all the way to Ty Mawr.   It's a while since I walked up the lane but it's steep, very very steep and Tellytubby and I puffed and panted our way up the slope taking many stops on the way up to catch our breath.  I think Nemesis has been up this lane so she'll be able to vouch for the steepness.
After a while we saw an old school and school house in front of us which we found strange because there were no houses nearby.  All I know is that those children must have been a lot fitter than Tellytubby and me.    After a while the lane gradually became less steep and it was pleasant just walking along the open farmland and before long we came to Ty Mawr.     It's a nice old cottage and has a large wonky chimney at one end of the property.
By the time we reached there we were more than ready for a bite to eat and sat on a bench in the garden of the house to have the refreshments.  Before long and bearing in mind the heavy rain that was forecast for later in the day we headed back the way we came.    It was bad enough walking up the hill but we found it equally as bad walking down the steep slope but before long we were back in the car and heading home just as the rain started to come down.   It was a good walk but the highlight was seeing that water in full flood.

Online Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #1926 on: March 12, 2018, 12:22:44 pm »
Afon Lledr and Ty Mawr Wybrnant walk

Offline Nemesis

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Re: Walking
« Reply #1927 on: March 12, 2018, 06:24:50 pm »
Yes Hugo, we did go to Ty Mawr Wybrnant Many years ago, but in a car, and that was 'hairy' enough.
That chimney looks a bit dodgy. !
Mad, Bad and Dangerous to know.

Online Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #1928 on: March 12, 2018, 06:32:39 pm »
I've been up that road in my car too but only the once and never again as it's a bit iffy to say the least

Online Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #1929 on: March 26, 2018, 09:12:37 am »
We had often noticed the Stwlan Dam that was situated high up in the mountains above Tanygrisiau but had never been there before so on Saturday we decided to do the walk to the dam.   We parked the cars in the car park of the Lakeside Cafe at Tanygrisiau and started the walk from there.   The walk is up a tarmac road which is 4.5 km long and apparently the average gradient is 10 %  and it ascends 793 feet until you reach the dam which lies at 1500 feet above sea level.  So there were a few stops on the way up, not only to catch a breather but also to take photos and admire the views.  The first part of the walk goes in the direction of Cwm Orthin but then veers left,  after a short distance there is a very steep incline on the right that heads up the mountain and through a tunnel and leads to Rhosydd Quarry.   That may be the route for another walk in the future but on Saturday we were just heading straight for the dam. 
Near the top of the dam are six hairpin bends and the gradient reduces a bit,     When we reached the dam we had a look from the viewpoint and you get superb views of the Moelwyn Range, the vale of Ffestiniog and down the coast to Trawsfynydd and beyond. Then it was time for our well earned refreshments.    A gate blocked the road across the dam but we crossed it anyway and the strange thing on the other side of the dam was that  there was no gate there but a public footpath sign seemed to point towards the dam.  Anyway we retraced our steps back over the dam and the hairpin bends and stopped to have a look at a large piece of discarded machinery from the disused quarries in the area.     After that it was downhill all the way and even that had its affect on our old knees so it was nice to get back to the cafe for a coffee and chat and then it was time to head home just as the light rain started to come down, perfect timing!                 
 
 

Online Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #1930 on: March 26, 2018, 09:18:53 am »
Stwlan Dam walk

Online Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #1931 on: April 12, 2018, 06:09:46 pm »
Tellytubby sent me a photo of Stwlan Dam that was taken by a drone, it' a great shot so I thought that it would show everyone the type of walk it was

Offline DVT

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Re: Walking
« Reply #1932 on: April 12, 2018, 08:00:15 pm »
The Three Castles Classic Rally used it as timed hillclimb, although we had to include chicanes at most of the lay-bys and also a couple of stop-start controls to keep the average speed down!  Ran about 20 cars up to the top then stopped the competition to bring those cars down ready for the next batch.

On more than one occasion we had cars arrive at the top with cooked brakes - they would have got down rather too quickly with no brakes ... yes, there is a way of getting them back safely, you can work it out!

Offline Cambrian

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Re: Walking
« Reply #1933 on: April 13, 2018, 08:58:08 am »
I don't know if anyone else remembers this but for a few years in the 1960s, Crosville ran a trip up to the dam using a Blaenau-based single decker.  This was done in conjunction with British Railways in whose publicity the trip was advertised.

Online Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #1934 on: April 19, 2018, 05:20:13 pm »
When I picked up Tellytubby yesterday at 10.00am  it was dark and overcast and looked like it was going to pour down, but by the time we got to the western end of Ffynnongroew the weather had changed completely and it was sunny and very warm.    The start of the walk was on a straight track on a steep embankment which came to a road  where we turned right and went under the railway bridge arriving at the site where the Point of Ayr Colliery once stood.    By 1953 this coal mine was employing 738 people and was producing 213,000 tonnes of coal annually.   It was the last coal mine in North Wales and closed in 1996, at one time the Colliery was exporting the coal by the sea using the Colliery’s own fleet of ships.   The coal seams were worked under the Dee estuary and, despite extensive reserves, it closed as a result of the reduced demands for coal due to the use of gas in electricity generation.   Personally,  I believe that it was a political decision rather than an economical one.
Anyway, nothing now remains of a once great industry other than a few things around the area to remind people  of what was once there.
The walk then continued along the marshy banks of the sea and just before we came into Talacre we were very lucky to see so many White Egrets in the tall trees at the side of the embankment    These Little Egrets are mostly silent but make various croaking and bubbling calls at their breeding colony and it was fascinating just standing there and listening to them all making these unusual noises, we could have stayed there longer but carried on to the sand dunes on Talacre Beach.      Just before you enter the dunes area you can see a fenced off area with ponds and yesterday it was full of Primroses, this is the home of the rare and protected Natterjack Toads who live in the area.  We carried on to the beach and had our refreshments opposite the Talacre lighthouse.      It was built in 1776  and is a grade II listed building but fell into disuse and was decommissioned in 1884 and is now privately owned.    They say that it is the most haunted lighthouse in Britain and psychics visiting the site reported contact with a spirit called Raymond who was once a lighthouse man before dying of a fever!
It was just so relaxing having our refreshments on the beach in the warm Sun after the long cold Winter but before long we had to move on again and return back to the car.   No sign of Raymond this time, but perhaps we’ll see him there on our next visit to Talacre!