The Mawddach Trail

 

Having had a couple of dodgy years healthwise it is now time to don my hiking boots and breathe in the fresh air of the countryside.  Walking strengthens the bones and muscles and is the perfect treatment for a wide range of health issues.  What's not to love?  Covid and it's associated Lockdowns has meant staying very local for 18 months but as much as I love my little piece of Somerset the soul yearns for a change of scene.  Might this be the perfect time to undertake The Mawddach Trail, made famous by Julia Bradbury in her BBC series of railway walks back in 2016.  The flat 10 mile path runs along the Mawddach estuary from Dolgellau to Barmouth ending with a walk across the Barmouth Railway Bridge.

Unfortunately engineering works have closed the bridge to both trains and pedestrians for 3 months from mid-September to mid-December 2021.  No problem, a rail replacement bus completes the 20 mile trip around the estuary to Morfa Mawddach in 30 minutes and only costs £1.70 with my senior rail card.  It means completing the walk in what is considered to be the "wrong" direction but for someone who  rarely does anything the right way round this should pose no problem.  

As the mini-bus made its way down the estuary from Dolgellau to Morfa Mawddach Railway Station I wonder what I have let myself in for. It seems a very, very long way viewing it from the comfort of the bus.  Then, before I know it, the bus is turning into the car park at this remote little station. In its hey day, before the Beeching cuts, this was a major junction with 4 platforms.  Now it is unstaffed with just a single platform, and even that is out of bounds at the present time.

Fortunately the toilet block, situated at the trail's end (or beginning) is still open for those needing to "Spend A Penny".  Facilities are very basic but include everything that is required.  Notices request that only 1 person at a time use the cubicles in order to maintain "social distancing".  Penny spent it is time to head off through the woods.

Piles of logs can be seen to the right of the path and the sound of an electric saw indicates that logging is still in process not too far away.  But the air is crisp and it feels good to be stretching my legs after spending so may hurs on train and coach the day before.  A couple of experienced hikers pass me heading in the opposite direction and I wonder what time they must have set out from Dolgellau to have arrived at this point by 10.45am.

 

After a mile the path emerges from the woods at a small car park and picnic area.  Stretching in front is long metal bridge, a reminder that this was once the route of the railway line. On New Year's Day 1926 it was reported that "Mountainous seas swept the Merionethshire coast.  Near Barmouth and Penmaenpool the sea flooded the railway for over two miles and the service between Dolgelly and Barmouth had to be suspended, passengers and mails being carried by road motors.  Arthog railway bridge was damaged".

 

The sun shines on the red hawthorns as the water laps gently against the shore. In the distance I notice a couple of canoers - only visible due to their bright orange life jackets.  Stunning views to left and right keep my camera busy.  Being a very keen but very novice photographer means I am never certain whether the settings are right.  How disappointed I would be if these wonderful views were ruined by my lack of knowledge. Looking back Barmouth Bridge can be seen stretching across the estuary.

 

In 1943 a lady was taking the train from Dolgelly to Barmouth but when she reached the station she found her dog had followed her.  No time to take it back home so she boarded the train and shut the door.  As the train left the dog jumped on the track and followed.  At Arthog Station, some 8 miles from Dolgelly, the dog caught up with the train and was lifted in. The press reported "When the train arrived at Barmouth it was no worse for its long run and it enjoyed the visit to the seaside".

 

 

Further up the trail can be found Garth Isaf and the ruins of an old jetty which in the 1860s served the Tyn y Coed Slate Quarry. In November 1866 a young man was drilling a hole in a shelf of rock at the quarry when a mass weighing 4 tons fell onto him.  He died instantly.  His father and another young man who were working a few yards away had a very narrow escape.

More reminders of days gone by can be found with this line of rusting poles which at one time carried telegraph lines alongside the railway line.  Am I obsessed with things rotting and rusting?  Most definitely.  Being a genealogist I spend most of my time reading 19th. century newspapers and researching ancient archives.  When I escape from the computer I just love being on a long walks surrounded by beautiful scenery and interesting things and lost in my own thoughts.

 

One and a half hours into the walk and its time to rest my feet for a few minutes. A cheeky robin flutters down from the trees and joins me at the picnic bench.  Surprisingly he is not at all nervous of people and hops about quite happily chirping a joyful song.  Every now and then he cocks his head to one side and looks at me.  He makes me chuckle and encourages me on the way.

 

 

 

The next section of the trail reveals more rusty poles hidden amongst the shubbery.

 

 

 

 

 

Penpaenpool is a popular spot for tourists and locals alike with the George III Inn providing good food and drink.  The former Station Masters House and Waiting Room are now an annexe to the hotel. This was the perfect spot to stop for my picnic lunch. 

The Toll Bridge is still very much in operation with the cost of pedestrian access being set at a modest 20p.  My back-up plan, should my legs and feet not have been up to the whole 9 miles of the Mawddach Trail, was to cross the bridge at this point and catch the T3 bus on the otherside back to Barmouth.  Fortunately my legs seemed to get stronger with every mile covered so it was not a plan that had to be resorted to.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Along from the Toll Bridge stands the signal box dating from the 1930s and beyond that a basic toilet block for walkers and cyclists "on the trail".  Again notices request that due to social distancing regulations only one person at a time should enter.

 

The end of the trail now feels as if it is in sight - only a couple more miles to go.  To my left sheep are grazing in the green fields.

 

Then suddenly a horrid smell wafts in and I realise that hidden away in the lush foliage lies a sewerage treatment plant.  None of the guides to the trail had mentioned this. Turning away from the stench there is just enough time to snap a photo of the beautiful river - oh how deceiving photos can be!

 

Having managed to very carefully cross the A493 I come to another beautiful section of the walk.  Either side of the path, a metre tall, grows Himalayan Balsam.  The bees absolutely love this but apparently it is considered to be one of Great Britain's "Top 20" Alien plants and is really difficult to control.

 

The path then crosses back to the south side of the river and leaves the walker (or cyclist) with a choice of directions in which to go - left or right.  There are no signs to indicate which is the Mawddach Trail and for the first time all day I felt lost.  First I turn right, then I retrace my steps and turn left, then I go back again. 

 

Eventually I have to resort to using OS maps on my phone which shows me exactly where I am and which direction I need to head in.  Apparently the bridge was built in 2012 so perhaps the signage was removed at that time and never replaced?  Thankfully I do find my way into Dolgellau and this photo marks the end of a truly beautiful 9 mile walk.  The car park next to the bridge is the location for another set of toilets for those in need.  A big GOLD STAR is awarded for provision of public toilets in Wales - facilities which are so often missing within England.

 

 

The T3 bus is the route back to Barmouth with a rather hefty £3.90 fare but then that is only because my concessionary bus pass is not valid in Wales.  How one comes to rely on it.  Well done legs and feet for carrying me along.  That evening I could be found sitting on The Prom at Barmouth watching the sun set.