Machynlleth Concepts

Lonely Planet Wales (Travel Guide)

by Lonely Planet · 17 Apr 2017 · 1,181pp · 163,692 words

Solva (Solfach) St Davids (Tyddewi) Porthgain & Around Fishguard (Abergwaun) Cwm Gwaun Newport (Trefdraeth) St Dogmaels (Llandudoch) Aberystwyth & Mid-Wales Cardigan (Aberteifi) Aberaeron Aberystwyth Around Aberystwyth Machynlleth Corris Rhayader (Rhaeadr Gwy) Elan Valley Llanwrtyd Wells (Llanwrtyd) Builth Wells (Llanfair-Ym-Muallt) Llandrindod Wells (Llandrindod) Presteigne (Llanandras) Knighton (Tref-Y-Clawdd) Newtown (Y

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of good food. Stop at Pentre Ifan and Castell Henllys on the long, leisurely drive up the coast to studenty Aberystwyth. Continue on through ecofriendly Machynlleth and historic Dolgellau to Harlech and its World Heritage castle. Spend half a day exploring the surreal Italianate village of Portmeirion before continuing on to

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visit the remote ruins of Carreg Cennen before continuing on to Tenby and St Davids. Continue up the coast to Aberystwyth and then inland to Machynlleth. Head through the heart of Snowdonia National Park to Dolgellau and onto Llanberis to get better acquainted with Snowdon, Wales' highest peak. Explore the

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Harlech (castle number four) and beachy Barmouth before following the Mawddach Estuary to stony faced, heritage-filled Dolgellau. Head south to visit the greenies at Machynlleth before rejoining the coast at the buzzy student town of Aberystwyth. Stop at the Devil's Bridge waterfalls and the gallery at Newtown, before finishing

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over mountainsides and quarries. Talyllyn Railway, Tywyn What kid wouldn't love getting to ride the inspiration behind Thomas the Tank Engine? Living Room Treehouses, Machynlleth Sleeping, eating and playing in the canopy is something kids will never tire of. Gwydyr Stables, Penmachno Explore Snowdonia's hills and forests on horseback

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of the Celtic Deep to spot whales, porpoises and dolphins. Rainy-day Activities Techniquest, Cardiff Whizz-pop science adventures for all. Centre for Alternative Technology, Machynlleth Educational, fun and truly green, CAT offers plenty of interactive displays and a great adventure playground for curious kids. King Arthur's Labyrinth, Corris Trudge

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Poppit Rocket stops here, as does the 407 bus (Poppit Sands–Cardigan; hourly, no Sunday service). Aberystwyth & Mid-Wales Cardigan (Aberteifi) Aberaeron Aberystwyth Around Aberystwyth Machynlleth Corris Rhayader (Rhaeadr Gwy) Elan Valley Llanwrtyd Wells (Llanwrtyd) Builth Wells (Llanfair-Ym-Muallt) Llandrindod Wells (Llandrindod) Presteigne (Llanandras) Knighton (Tref-Y-Clawdd) Newtown (

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arrange accommodation. It's due for an upgrade, as part of the museum's 2017 expansion. 8Getting There & Away Bus Routes include the X28 to Machynlleth (45 minutes); T2 to Dolgellau (1¼ hours), Porthmadog (2¼ hours), Caernarfon (three hours) and Bangor (3½ hours); 701 to Carmarthen (two hours), Swansea (2¾

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is the terminus of the Arriva Trains Wales Cambrian Line, which crosses Mid-Wales every two hours en route to Birmingham (£30, three hours) via Machynlleth (£6.50, 35 minutes), Newtown (£13, 1¼ hours), Welshpool (£15, 1½ hours) and Shrewsbury (£20, two hours). 8Getting Around The bus station ( GOOGLE MAP ;

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Radnorshire and Brecknockshire. It's an overwhelmingly rural place, ideal for walking and cycling, but this county isn't just green in a literal sense – Machynlleth has become a focal point for the nation's environmentally friendly aspirations, and all over the county efforts to restore the threatened red kite have

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been met with outstanding success. The bird is now the very symbol of Powys, the county at Wales' green heart. Machynlleth Pop 2235 Little Machynlleth (ma-hun-khleth) punches well above its weight. Saturated in historical significance, it was here that nationalist hero Owain Glyndŵr established the country

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's first parliament in 1404. But even that legacy is close to being trumped by Machynlleth's reinvention as the green capital of Wales – thanks primarily to the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT), 3 miles north of town. The centre

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has given Machynlleth an eco-magneticism that attracts alternative lifestylers from far and wide. If you want to get your runes read, take up yoga or explore holistic

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dancing, Machynlleth is the ideal place for you. Unfortunately, it hasn't been enough to protect the town from failing fortunes, with some much-loved shops

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dedicated band of enthusiasts have spent 40 years practising sustainability at the thought-provoking CAT, set in a beautiful wooded valley 3 miles north of Machynlleth. Founded in 1974 (well ahead of its time), CAT is an education and visitor centre that demonstrates practical solutions for sustainability. There are 3

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postgraduate programs on sustainability, renewable energy and sustainable architecture. Volunteer helpers are welcome, but you'll need to apply. To get to the CAT from Machynlleth (seven minutes) you can take the 34 bus. Buses T2 and X27 go to the village of Pantperthog, a 10-minute walk away. oMOMA MachynllethGALLERY

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( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %01654-703355; www.moma.machynlleth.org.uk; Penrallt St; h10am-4pm Mon-Sat)F Housed partly in the Tabernacle, a neoclassical former Wesleyan chapel (1880), the Museum of Modern Art

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after Glyndŵr instituted his parliament on this site, but it's believed to closely resemble the former venue. 2Activities The rolling wooded hills that surround Machynlleth shelter some of the best mountain biking in the country, with numerous tracks and bridleways criss-crossing the hills and four excellent trails to follow

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by the greenest possible form of transport. Dyfi Mountain BikingMOUNTAIN BIKING (www.dyfimountainbiking.org.uk) This local collective has waymarked four mountain-bike routes from Machynlleth: the Mach 1, 2, 3 and 4, each longer and more challenging than the last. In the Dyfi Forest, near Corris, is the custom

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ClimachX loop trail. In May the same crew runs the Dyfi Enduro, a noncompetitive, 37-mile mountain-bike challenge attracting over 1000 riders. zFestivals & Events Machynlleth Comedy FestivalCOMEDY (www.machcomedyfest.co.uk; hApril/May) This long weekend of laughs also involves theatre and kids' shows and is increasingly attracting top-flight

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are the two excellent mountain-bike descents and the network of tracks and bridleways around the farm. Beudy Banc is about 3 miles northeast of Machynlleth off the A489. oGlandyfi CastleBOUTIQUE HOTEL££ ( GOOGLE MAP ; %01654-781238; www.glandyficastle.co.uk; A487, Glandyfi; r £90-250; pW) Built in 1820 as

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menu (£35 per head) is served in the evening, and afternoon tea can be arranged (£18 per head). The castle is 6 miles southwest of Machynlleth, off the A487. Sunny ViewB&B££ ( GOOGLE MAP ; %01654-700387; www.sunnyviewbandb.weebly.com; Forge; s/d £50/70) Set in a quiet village

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1 mile from Machynlleth, this bungalow has two immaculate en-suite rooms decorated in an unfussy modern style. The breakfasts are good, there's a very warm welcome and

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( GOOGLE MAP ; Maengwyn St) and other destinations ( GOOGLE MAP ; Pentrerhedyn St) are either side of the market cross in the centre of town. By train, Machynlleth is on the Cambrian and Cambrian Coast Lines. Destinations include Aberystwyth (£6.50, 35 minutes), Porthmadog (£13.20, 1¾ hours), Pwllheli (£15.30, 2½ hours

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723 Tucked beneath looming slopes of pine on the edge of Snowdonia National Park, Corris is a peaceful former slate village, 5 miles north of Machynlleth. With a steam railway, craft centre, theatre, great bike trails and subterranean tours of the village's old slate mine and caves, it's

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an unofficial wealth of information for visitors to the area. Local crafts and preserves are sold, too. 8Getting There & Away Buses T2 and X27 from Machynlleth (15 minutes) stop in Corris. OFF THE BEATEN TRACK CAMBRIAN MOUNTAINS The Cambrian Mountains are a rather desolate but starkly beautiful area of uplands covering

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2Activities Sustrans National Cycle Route 43 passes through Llanwrtyd Wells, heading east to Builth Wells (from where Route 8, Lôn Las Cymru, continues north to Machynlleth or south to the Wye Valley). There's excellent mountain biking in the surrounding hills; enquire at the Drovers Rest. zFestivals & Events While mulling over

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Newtown on Tuesday and Saturday from around 7am. 8Getting There & Away Bus routes include X75 to Welshpool (40 minutes) and Shrewsbury (1½ hours); X85 to Machynlleth (55 minutes); and T4 to Llandrindod Wells (55 minutes), Builth Wells (70 minutes) and Brecon (two hours). The daily National Express (www.nationalexpress.com)

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By train, Newtown is on the Cambrian Line, which crosses from Aberystwyth (£13, 1¼ hours) to Birmingham (£19.60, 1¾ hours) every two hours via Machynlleth (£9.10, 38 minutes), Welshpool (£5.20, 15 minutes) and Shrewsbury (£7.40, 40 minutes). Montgomery Pop 986 Set around a market square lined with

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uk/glyndwrs-way) Named for the last native Prince of Wales, Glyndŵr's Way meanders some 135 miles from Welshpool, near the English border, to Machynlleth on the southern cusp of Snowdonia National Park. It then returns cross-country to Knighton, just below the dreamy Shropshire Hills. zFestivals & Events Welshpool Country

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Aberystwyth (£15, 1½ hours) to Birmingham (£17.70, 1½ hours) and Shrewsbury (£6.10, 22 minutes) every hour or two and, in the other direction, Machynlleth (£12.70, 52 minutes) and Newtown (£5.20, 15 minutes). Snowdownia & the Llŷn Holywell (Treffynnon) Ruthin Llangollen Bala (Y Bala) Coed y Brenin Forest Park

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. Plenty of walkers, too, in season. 8Getting There & Away Buses stop on the western side of Eldon Sq in the heart of town. Destinations include Machynlleth (route T2, 30 minutes), Betws-y-Coed (route X1, 1¼ hours, one daily Monday to Saturday), Llangollen (route T3, 1½ hours), Porthmadog (route T2,

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and meat are also given their chance to shine. 8Getting There & Away ATrain Tywyn is on the Cambrian Coast Line, with direct trains to/from Machynlleth (£5.90, 27 minutes), Fairbourne (£4, 20 minutes), Barmouth (£5.90, 30 minutes), Porthmadog (£12, 1½ hours) and Pwllheli (£14, two hours). ABus Buses

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head to/from Dolgellau (route 28/30, 55/40 minutes), Fairbourne (route 28, 30 minutes) and Machynlleth (route X29, 35 minutes). Barmouth (Abermaw) Pop 2315 With a Blue Flag beach and the beautiful Mawddach Estuary on its doorstep, the seaside resort of

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its year-round schedule of live performances, cinema and exhibitions. 8Getting There & Away ATrain Barmouth is on the Cambrian Coast Line, with direct trains to Machynlleth (£9.30, one hour), Fairbourne (£2.80, seven minutes), Harlech (£4.90, 24 minutes), Porthmadog (£7.30, 50 minutes) and Pwllheli (£12, 1¼ hours).

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-considered assortment of films, from Hollywood blockbusters to artier offerings. 8Getting There & Away ATrain Harlech is on the Cambrian Coast Line, with direct trains to Machynlleth (£12.60, 1½ hours), Fairbourne (£6, 34 minutes), Barmouth (£4.90, 25 minutes), Porthmadog (£4, 24 minutes) and Pwllheli (£8.40, 47 minutes). The

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minor injuries but doesn't have a full emergency department. 8Getting There & Away ATrain Porthmadog is on the Cambrian Coast Line, with direct trains to Machynlleth (£14, two hours), Barmouth (£7.30, 50 minutes), Harlech (£4, 24 minutes), Criccieth (£2.80, seven minutes) and Pwllheli (£5.10, 25 minutes). See

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services to Blaenau Ffestiniog, the Snowdon trailheads and Caernarfon. ABus Buses stop on High St and most services pass through Tremadog. Routes head to/from Machynlleth (route T2; 1½ hours), Dolgellau (route T2; 50 minutes), Beddgelert (route S97; 25 minutes), Pwllheli (route 3; 40 minutes) and Caernarfon (route 1/1A,

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’s an intimate place and popular, too – bookings are advised. 8Getting There & Away ATrain Criccieth is on the Cambrian Coast Line, with direct trains to Machynlleth (£16, two hours), Barmouth (£8.10, one hour), Harlech (£6, 35 minutes), Porthmadog (£2.80, seven minutes) and Pwllheli (£3.60, 15 minutes). ABus

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, with direct trains to Criccieth (£3.60, 15 minutes), Porthmadog (£5.10, 25 minutes), Harlech (£8.40, 47 minutes), Barmouth (£12, 1¼ hours) and Machynlleth (£16, 2½ hours). WORTH A TRIP ART BY THE BEACH Oriel Plas Glyn-y-WeddwGALLERY (%01758-740763; www.oriel.org.uk; h10am-5pm Wed-Mon

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(12 minutes) and Beaumaris (35 minutes); 85/86 to Llanberis (30 to 50 minutes); T2 to Caernarfon (30 minutes), Porthmadog (one hour), Dolgellau (two hours), Machynlleth (2½ hours) and Aberystwyth (3¼ hours); and X4 to Menai Bridge (12 minutes), Llanfair PG (18 minutes), Llangefni (36 minutes) and Holyhead (1½ hours).

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This only increased support for the rebellion and by 1404 Glyndŵr controlled most of Wales, capturing Harlech and Aberystwyth castles and summoning a parliament at Machynlleth and at Harlech. But Glyndŵr met his match in Prince Henry, son of Henry IV and hero of the Battle of Agincourt. After a

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after 1406 he faded into myth-shrouded obscurity. Glyndŵr remains a great hero to the Welsh; he is memorialised in the Owain Glyndŵr Centre in Machynlleth, devoted to his life story, and the Glyndŵr's Way National Trail, a multiday walking track connecting places associated with him. The Acts of

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Gloucester and Chepstow. Main lines heading through the centre of Wales: Cambrian Line (www.thecambrianline.co.uk) Birmingham to Aberystwyth through Shrewsbury, Welshpool, Newtown and Machynlleth. Heart of Wales Line (www.heart-of-wales.co.uk) A scenic route through the heart of Mid-Wales from Shrewsbury to Swansea via Knighton

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are thin on the ground. Following are the principal cross-regional routes, most of which operate daily: 701 Cardiff, Swansea, Carmarthen, Aberaeron, Aberystwyth T2 Aberystwyth, Machynlleth, Dolgellau, Caernarfon, Bangor T3 Wrexham, Llangollen, Bala, Dolgellau, Barmouth T4 Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil, Brecon, Llandrindod Wells, Newtown T5 Haverfordwest, Fishguard, Cardigan, Aberaeron, Aberystwyth TRAVEL

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thecambrianline.co.uk) The Cambrian Main Line crosses northern Mid-Wales from Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth, and its spectacular branch line heads up the coast from Machynlleth to Pwllheli and the Llŷn. Conwy Valley Line (www.conwy.gov.uk/cvr) A little gem heading down through Snowdonia from Llandudno to Blaenau

The Rough Guide to Wales

by Rough Guides · 14 Oct 2024 · 882pp · 240,215 words

services – detailed in our “Getting there” section (see page 52), there is the Cambrian Coast line from Birmingham and Shrewsbury through Welshpool, Newtown and Machynlleth. Beyond Machynlleth it divides at Dyfi Junction; the southern spur goes a few miles to Borth and Aberystwyth, the northern one crawls up the coast through Tywyn

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Grove Narberth. See page 144 Llangoed Hall Bronllys. See page 185 Plas Dinas Caernarfon. See page 291 Tyddyn Llan Llandrillo. See page 266 Ynyshir Hall Machynlleth. See page 235 Star ratings Visit Wales (http://visitwales.com), the country’s tourist board, operates a grading system for accommodation, assigning them a minimum

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5 Restaurants Chapters Hay-on-Wye. See page 193 The Beach House Oxwich Bay. See page 127 The Heathcock Cardiff. See page 91 Ynyshir Hall Machynlleth. See page 235 Tyddyn Llan Llandrillo. See page 266 Eating out price codes Each restaurant and café reviewed in this Guide is accompanied by a

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also started production of their own grain to glass single malt whisky (http://inthewelshwind.co.uk) – the Dyfi Distillery (http://dyfidistillery.com) in Corris, near Machynlleth and the Snowdonia Distillery (http://snowdoniagin.com) in Conwy. Surprisingly perhaps, there are also a number of creditable Welsh wines available – the Llanerch Vineyard (http

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-up of indie, folk, dance and Americana, alongside film, theatre and drama and loads of stuff for kids, over four days. See page 186. Gŵyl Machynlleth Machynlleth, late Aug; http://moma.cymru. Wide-ranging, week-long arts festival, with a solid programme of chamber music at its core. Llandrindod Wells Victorian Festival

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their hometown son, this two-week gathering comprises talks, performances, exhibitions, readings and music throughout the city. See page 123. Bonfire Night and Lantern Parade Machynlleth, early Nov. Superb procession culminating in a spectacular fireworks display. Real Ale Wobble Llanwrtyd Wells, mid-Nov; www.green-events.co.uk. Non-competitive mountain

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west in particular – has become a haven for people searching for alternative lifestyles. Permanent testimonials to this include the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT), near Machynlleth, now one of the area’s most visited attractions, and Tipi Valley, near Talley, a permanent community living in Native American tepees who run a

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. Stunning Snowdonia setting for residential courses, storytelling and arts events, with accommodation in roundhouses and a Navajo-style hogan. Centre for Alternative Technology Llwyngwern, near Machynlleth, Powys; http://cat.org.uk. Residential courses on green themes such as building your own home and organic gardening. Dance Camp Wales Pembrokeshire; http://dancecampwales

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and arts activity. To the west, the inhospitable mountain of Plynlimon is flecked with boggy heathland and gloomy reservoirs, beyond which the spirited town of Machynlleth (covered in Chapter Four) lies on the westernmost margins of Powys. The eastern side of Montgomeryshire is home to the anglicized old county town, Montgomery

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restricted to the Heart of Wales line from Shropshire to Swansea via Knighton, Llandrindod Wells, Llanwrtyd Wells and smaller stops in between, and the Shrewsbury–Machynlleth route through Welshpool and Newtown. By bus Many larger centres such as Brecon, Llanidloes, Rhayader and Hay-on-Wye rely on sporadic bus services, although

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“blue lake”, and the reedy shores of Bugeilyn. The scenically varied Glyndŵr’s Way footpath (see page 201) crosses this patch on its way to Machynlleth. A popular viewpoint on the road two miles west of Dylife has been furnished with a cheery memorial to broadcaster and author Wynford Vaughan-Thomas

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newtown and around By train Newtown’s train station is on the southern edge of the town centre. Destinations Aberystwyth (9–10 daily; 1hr 15min); Machynlleth (9–10 daily; 40min); Welshpool (9–10 daily; 15min). By bus A path heads past the Victorian parish church of St David and up Back

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Lane to the bus station. Destinations Llandrindod Wells (Mon–Sat 6 daily; 50min); Llanidloes (Mon–Sat 8 daily; 30min); Machynlleth (Mon–Sat 6 daily; 50min); Montgomery (Mon–Sat 8 daily; 25–40min); Welshpool (Mon–Sat hourly; 40min). accommodation Maesmawr Caersws, 6 miles west, SY17 5SB

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the neo-Gothic turrets of the old Victorian station just in front. Destinations Aberystwyth (9–10 daily; 1hr 30min); Birmingham (6–8 daily; 1hr 30min); Machynlleth (9–10 daily; 1hr); Newtown (9–10 daily; 15min); Shrewsbury (9–10 daily; 25min). By bus Buses depart from the Old Station on Severn Rd

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scenic narrow-gauge, steam-powered Vale of Rheidol Railway from Aberystwyth to this towering triplet of bridges and series of cascades. See page 233 6 Machynlleth Learn about ways to reduce your impact on the planet at the cutting-edge Centre for Alternative Technology. See page 235 7 Cadair Idris Hike

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itself, climbs out of Aberystwyth to Devil’s Bridge, where three bridges, one on top of the other, span a plunging chasm of cascading waterfalls. Machynlleth, at the head of the Dyfi estuary, was once the seat of Owain Glyndŵr’s putative fifteenth-century Welsh parliament and is still a thriving

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to, and along, the Cambrian coast is on the Cambrian Line (http://thecambrianline.co.uk) from Shrewsbury in England through Welshpool and Newtown to Machynlleth. At Machynlleth, the line splits: one branch runs south to Aberystwyth, from where you can pick up the Vale of Rheidol line to Devil’s Bridge; the

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be reached by bus, though there are few services on Sun. The most useful routes are the #T1 (Carmarthen–Lampeter–Aberaeron–Aberystwyth); the #T2 (Aberystwyth–Machynlleth–Dolgellau–Porthmadog–Caernarfon–Bangor); and the #T5 (Aberystwyth–Aberaeron–Cardigan–Fishguard–Haverfordwest). There’s also the handy Cardi Bach bus (service #552), which connects all

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train The train station is in the centre of town on Alexandra Rd, a 10min walk from the seafront. Destinations Borth (10–12 daily; 12min); Machynlleth (10–12 daily; 30min). By bus The main bus station is next to the train station on Alexandra Rd. Destinations Aberaeron (Mon–Sat every 30min

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); Borth (Mon–Sat hourly; 30min); Cardigan (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 3; 1hr 45min); Carmarthen (Mon–Sat hourly; 2hr 20min); Lampeter (Mon–Sat hourly; 1hr 15min); Machynlleth (hourly; 40min); New Quay (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 3; 1hr); Pontrhydfendigaid (Mon–Sat 5 daily; 45min); Tregaron (Mon–Sat 10 daily; 1hr); Ynyslas (Mon–Sat

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fan out along its banks and up through the tiny valley of the Nant Gau. North from Aberystwyth The A487 runs north from Aberystwyth towards Machynlleth, slicing between the mountains to the east and the flat lands bordering the vast Dyfi estuary. The seaward plain is essentially a raised bog, Cors

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and fourteen settlements. Arrival and departure borth By train The train station is on Cambrian Terrace, midway along High St. Destinations Aberystwyth (10 daily; 12min); Machynlleth (10 daily; 18min). By bus Bus #512 to Aberystwyth (Mon–Sat hourly; 25min) departs from the train station. Accommodation and eating Tir a Mor High

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Dyfi estuary, which in turn bleeds into the grand, green scenery of the Dyfi Valley. The valley’s focal point is the engaging town of Machynlleth, but there’s pleasure in staying at small-scale coastal resorts such as Aberdyfi, a good base for exploring the inland cormorant colony at Craig

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-Bere and the quaint narrow-gauge Talyllyn Railway, which runs seven miles up the Talyllyn Valley to Abergynolwyn at the foot of Cadair Idris. Machynlleth and around MACHYNLLETH (pronounced Mah-hun-cthleth, and referred to locally as Mac) is Wales’ “alternative” capital in more ways than one. Shortlisted as a possible capital

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the end of 1403, he controlled most of Wales. In 1404, Glyndŵr assembled a parliament of four men from every commot (community) in Wales at Machynlleth, drawing up mutual recognition treaties with France and Spain. He also had himself crowned ruler of a free Wales. A second parliament in Harlech took

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– as distinct from those who, by dint of being the first-born son of the reigning British monarch, have occupied the title ever since. Plas Machynlleth Y Plas, SY20 8ER • Dyfi Arts Guild gallery Mon–Sat 11am–4pm • Free • 01654 702571 Opposite the Owain Glyndŵr Centre, a path leads into the

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landscaped grounds of Plas Machynlleth, the elegant seventeenth-century mansion of the Marquess of Londonderry. Its solitude is entirely intentional: in the 1840s the marquess bought up all the surrounding

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exhibitions, including some from its own growing collection. It is also the place to go for theatre, comedy, concerts, good coffee and the highbrow Gŵyl Machynlleth festival (last week in Aug; http://machynllethfestival.co.uk), which combines classical and folk music with theatre and debate. Corris CORRIS, a small former slate

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-quarrying settlement six miles north of Machynlleth in the middle of the Dyfi Forest, is home to the sweet little Corris Railway. Half a mile further up the valley, the Corris Craft

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• Museum May–July & Sept Sat, Sun & bank hols; Aug Mon, Tues, Sat & Sun 10.30am–5pm • Free • http://corris.co.uk • The #34 bus from Machynlleth runs to Corris (Mon–Sat every 1-2hr; 15min) Built in 1859 as a horse-hauled tramroad, and subsequently used to transport passengers until 1930

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passengers along a half-mile stretch of the 27in-gauge line that linked the slate quarries of the Dulas Valley with the main line at Machynlleth. Starting at Station Yard, the train takes ten minutes to reach Maespoeth, where you have around thirty minutes to look around the old engine shed

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9RF • April–Oct daily 10am–5pm; call for winter hours • Labyrinth charge, Welsh Legends charge, combined ticket available • http://kingarthurslabyrinth.co.uk • The #X27 from Machynlleth to Dolgellau runs to Corris Craft Centre (Mon–Sat every 45min–1hr, Sun 2; 15min) Deep within the flooded tunnels of a former slate mine

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younger generations. Corris Mine Explorers Corris Craft Centre, SY20 9RE • Tours all year on demand, book ahead • Charge • http://corrismineexplorers.co.uk • The #X27 from Machynlleth to Dolgellau runs to Corris Craft Centre (Mon–Sat every 45min–1hr, Sun 2; 15min) With Corris Mine Explorers you head into different levels of

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wires as they sidle along the steeply shelving walls of a vast slate cavern. Wear something warm and prepare to have fun. arrival and information machynlleth and around By train Trains stop at the station, a 5min walk up Heol Penrallt from the clock tower. Destinations Aberdyfi (8 daily; 20min); Aberystwyth

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2; 35min). Tourist information There is no tourist office, but staff at the Owain Glyndŵr centre are usually able to help. Mountain biking in Mac Machynlleth has become one of the country’s most important mountain biking centres, with a number of excellent purpose-built tracks nearby. The most impressive is

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and there are cosy guest lounges where you can curl up with a book. ££ Campsite Llwyngwern Farm Pantperthog, 3 miles north, SY20 9RB; 01654 702492. Machynlleth’s closest campsite, in a grassy field beside oaks and the burbling Afon Dulas. Facilities are limited to little more than toilets and hot showers

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mile east (the most convenient for the centre of town), and Aberdyfi, 0.5 mile west of the tourist office. Destinations Barmouth (8 daily; 45min); Machynlleth (9 daily; 20min); Porthmadog (8 daily; 1hr 30min); Tywyn (8 daily; 15min). By bus The #28 & #X29 stop close to the tourist office. Destinations

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Machynlleth (8 daily; 20min); Tywyn (8 daily; 10min). Tourist office Wharf Gardens (Easter–Oct daily 9.30am–1pm & 1.30–5pm; http://aberdyfi-council.wales/aberdovey-

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(Mon–Sat 3–4 daily) which runs from Tywyn to Abergynolwyn and continues to Minffordd (where you can catch #32 or #X32 to Dolgellau or Machynlleth). Accommodation and eating Dôl Einion B4405 at Minffordd, just before the A487 junction, LL36 9AJ; http://doleinion.wordpress.com. Conveniently located around 400yd along from

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is well served by trains; the station is in the centre of town, off Beach Rd. Destinations Aberdyfi (8 daily; 30min); Barmouth (8 daily; 10min); Machynlleth (9 daily; 50min); Tywyn (9 daily; 20min). Dolgellau and around The old county town of Meirionethshire, DOLGELLAU still maintains an air of unhurried gravitas, never

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). Destinations Bala (Mon–Sat 10 daily, Sun 5; 40min); Barmouth (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 5; 25min); Llangollen (Mon–Sat 10 daily, Sun 5; 1hr 30min); Machynlleth (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 3; 30min); Porthmadog (Mon–Sat 7 daily, Sun 4; 50min). Bike rental Dolgellau Cycles, Smithfield St (March–Oct Mon–Sat 9

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train The train station is on Station Rd, right in the centre. Destinations Aberdyfi (9 daily; 35min); Harlech (8 daily; 25min); Llanbedr (8 daily; 15min); Machynlleth (9 daily; 55min); Porthmadog (8 daily; 50min). By bus Buses to Dolgellau (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 5; 25min) and Harlech (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 2

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and the Llŷn Peninsula are magnificent. Arrival and DEPARTURE harlech By train Trains stop by the A496 below the castle. Destinations Barmouth (8 daily; 25min); Machynlleth (8 daily; 1hr 25min); Porthmadog (8 daily; 25min). By bus Buses to Barmouth (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 3; 30min) and Porthmadog (Mon–Sat 7 daily

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(5 daily; 2hrs 25min); Chester (every 15min; 1hr); Chirk (2 per hour; 22/50min); Denbigh (every 2 hours; 1hr 20min); Llangollen (2 per hour; 40min); Machynlleth (4 daily; 3hrs 30min); Mold (hourly; 50min); Ruthin (hourly; 1hr); Welshpool (5 daily; 1hr 40min). information Tourist office 12 Chester St (Mon–Sat 9am–5pm

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Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland services. Destinations Aberdyfi (8 daily; 1hr 30min–1hr 40min); Barmouth (8 daily; 50min); Criccieth (8 daily; 7min); Harlech (8 daily; 20min); Machynlleth (8 daily; 1hr 55min); Pwllheli (8 daily; 25min). By bus The Pwllheli-bound National Express buses from London, Manchester and Liverpool stop outside Tesco on

Lonely Planet Wales

by Anna Kaminski;Hugh McNaughtan · 640pp · 160,013 words

Haverfordwest Skomer, Skokholm & Grassholm Islands Little & Broad Haven Newgale Marloes Sands MID-WALES Ceredigion Cardigan Aberporth & Around New Quay Aberaeron Tregaron Aberystwyth Around Aberystwyth Powys Machynlleth Corris Rhayader Elan Valley Llanwrtyd Wells Builth Wells Llandrindod Wells Presteigne Knighton Newtown Montgomery Berriew Welshpool SNOWDONIA & THE LLŷN North Wales Borderlands Ruthin Llangollen Snowdonia

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, with family discounts and free cots. AManor Town House, Fishguard AFforest Farm, Cilgerran AMandinam, Llangadog APorth Tocyn, Abersoch ALlama Lodge, Preseli Hills ALiving Room Treehouses, Machynlleth Best for Solo Travellers Many B&Bs and hotels only have double rooms and give just a tiny discount to solo travellers. So if budget

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Ifan and Iron Age Castell Henllys on the cruise through the Preseli Hills and along the coast to cool, cultured Aberystwyth. Continue on to ecofriendly Machynlleth and dark-stone Dolgellau, a fine base for hiking Snowdonia peaks like Cadair Idris. Visit Harlech and its coastal castle, before popping into the trippy

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Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. Allow time for discovering hidden bays and headlands en route north to Aberystwyth in Ceredigion, then veer inland to mountain-rimmed Machynlleth. Dip into the rugged heart of Snowdonia National Park to Dolgellau and onto Llanberis to get up close and personal with Snowdon, Wales’ highest peak

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through Porthmadog, Harlech (castle number four) and beachy Barmouth before following the Mawddach Estuary to stony-faced, heritage-filled Dolgellau. Head south to eco trailblazer Machynlleth before rejoining the coast at the buzzy coastal student town of Aberystwyth. Gawp at the Devil’s Bridge waterfalls and the gallery at Newtown, before

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-soft beach perfect for sandcastles, ball games and kite flying. Rainy-day Fun Techniquest, Cardiff Whizz-pop science adventures for all. Centre for Alternative Technology, Machynlleth Interactive displays and a great adventure playground for curious kids. Zip World Slate Caverns, Blaenau Ffestiniog Go underground to trampoline on giant nets, slide and

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three hours and £6 for the day from March to October. Mid-Wales Ceredigion Cardigan Aberporth & Around New Quay Aberaeron Tregaron Aberystwyth Around Aberystwyth Powys Machynlleth Corris Rhayader Elan Valley Llanwrtyd Wells Builth Wells Llandrindod Wells Presteigne Knighton Newtown Montgomery Berriew Welshpool Mid-Wales Welcome to the gap: the giant, green

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Aberystwyth is the terminus of the Arriva Trains Wales Cambrian Line, which crosses Mid-Wales to Shrewsbury (£22, 1¾ hours) eight times a day, via Machynlleth (£7.20, 33 minutes), Newtown (£14.50, 1¼ hours), Welshpool (£16.30, 1½ hours). There are three trains to Birmingham (£34, three hours). Change in

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in 1974 from the historic counties of Montgomeryshire, Radnorshire and Brecknockshire. Ideal for walking and cycling, Powys isn’t just green in a literal sense – Machynlleth has become a focal point for the nation’s environmentally friendly aspirations. The red kite – a once-threatened bird, for which the county went to

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outstanding lengths to save from extinction – is now the very symbol of Powys. Machynlleth POP 2200 Little Machynlleth (ma-hun-khleth) is saturated in historical significance: the town was the site where nationalist hero Owain Glyndŵr established the country’s first parliament

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in 1404. Oddly, that legacy is not widely known or enthusiastically celebrated, and Machynlleth is perhaps better known as the country’s green capital – thanks to the Centre for Alternative Technology, 3 miles north, and its proximity to cycle

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-path-laced forested hills. Machynlleth is a surprisingly cosmopolitan local town, with some fantastic sleeping and eating options scattered about. Machynlleth 1Top Sights 1MOMA MachynllethB1 1Sights 2Owain Glyndŵr CentreC1 4Sleeping 3WynnstayB2 5Eating 4Number Twenty OneB1 1Sights oCentre for Alternative

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small, dedicated band of enthusiasts have spent 40 years practising sustainability at the thought-provoking CAT, set in the Dyfi Unesco Biosphere Reserve, north of Machynlleth. Founded in 1974 (well ahead of its time), it’s an education/visitor centre that demonstrates practical solutions for sustainability. Nearly 3 hectares of displays

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programme of residential courses for adults throughout the year. Volunteer helpers are welcome, but you’ll need to apply. To get to the CAT from Machynlleth (seven minutes) you can take the 34 bus. Buses T2 stops close by too, on the A487. oMOMA MachynllethGALLERY (map Google map; %01654-703355; http

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://moma.machynlleth.org.uk; Penrallt St; h10am-4pm Mon-Sat) F Housed partly in a former Wesleyan chapel, the Museum of Modern Art exhibits work by contemporary

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ever-changing temporary exhibitions. The chapel itself has superb acoustics – it’s used for concerts, theatre and August’s annual celebration of international music, the Machynlleth Festival. Owain Glyndŵr CentreMUSEUM (map Google map; Canolfan Owain Glyndŵr; %01654-702932; www.canolfanglyndwr.org; Maengwyn St; h11am-3pm Jul, Aug & school holidays) F Housed

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email in advance to book a look round, or ask for the keys at Caffi Alys alongside. Closed at the time of research. 2Activities The Machynlleth region has some of Wales’ best mountain biking, with numerous tracks and bridleways and four excellent trails to follow. Beicio Mynydd Dyfi Mountain Biking has

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the Centre for Alternative Technology. Beicio Mynydd Dyfi Mountain BikingMOUNTAIN BIKING (www.dyfimountainbiking.org.uk) This local collective has waymarked four mountain-biking routes from Machynlleth: the Mach 1, 2, 3 and 4, each longer and more challenging than the last. In the Dyfi Forest, near Corris, is the custom-built

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’s Way, plus two excellent mountain-biking descents and a network of other tracks and bridleways. Beudy Banc is about 3.5 miles northeast of Machynlleth off the A489; look for the small turn-off signed simply ‘Banc’. WynnstayHOTEL££ (map Google map; %01654-702941; www.wynnstay.wales; Maengwyn St; s/d

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including dinner, bed and breakfast). An RSPB reserve immediately behind the property adds extra appeal. Ynyshir Hall is off the A487, 7 miles southwest of Machynlleth. Aberystwyth-bound buses stop on the main road 0.25 miles away. 8Getting There & Away On a bike? Sustrans National Cycling Network Route 8 passes

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through Machynlleth, heading north to Corris then southeast to Rhayader. Bus routes include the X28 and T2 to Aberystwyth (£4.25, 40 minutes, at least hourly) and

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bus stops for Newtown (Maengwyn St) and other destinations (Pentrerhedyn St) are either side of the market cross in the centre of town. By train, Machynlleth directly serves Aberystwyth (£7.20, 35 minutes), Porthmadog (£15.90, two hours), Pwllheli (£18.40, 2½ hours) and Newtown (£10.70, 35 minutes). There are

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.cambrianway.org.uk, and find more information about the region at www.cambrian-mountains.co.uk. 8Getting There & Away Buses T2 and X27 northbound from Machynlleth (15 minutes) or southbound from Dolgellau (22 minutes) stop in Corris. Rhayader (Rhaeadr Gwy) POP 2100 Rhayader is a small, fairly uneventful livestock-market and

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& Activities Sustrans National Cycle Route 43 passes through Llanwrtyd Wells, heading east to Builth Wells (from where Route 8, Lôn Las Cymru, continues north to Machynlleth or south to the Wye Valley). There’s excellent mountain biking in the surrounding hills; enquire at the Drovers Rest. Llanwrtyd & District Heritage & Arts CentreVISITOR

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. Newtown is on Arriva Trains Wales’ Cambrian Line, crossing from Aberystwyth (£14.50, 1¼ hours) to Birmingham (£22, two hours) five times a day via Machynlleth (£11, 39 minutes), Welshpool (£5.70, 14 minutes) and Shrewsbury (£8.30, 40 minutes). Montgomery POP 990 Set around a market square lined with handsome

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the last native Prince of Wales, Glyndŵr’s Way (www.nationaltrail.co.uk/glyndwrs-way) meanders 135 miles from Welshpool, near the English border, to Machynlleth on the southern cusp of Snowdonia National Park. It then returns cross-country to Knighton, just below the dreamy Shropshire Hills. Allow nine days to

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(from £18, 5½ hours) in the other. Welshpool is on the Cambrian Line. Eight daily services forge east from Aberystwyth (£16.30, 1½ hours) via Machynlleth (£14.20, 50 minutes), Newtown (£5.70, 15 minutes) and Shrewsbury (£6.70, 22 minutes). Birmingham is also served by direct train (£19, 1½ hours

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stop on Eldon Sq in the heart of town. The frequent T2 connects Dolgellau to Aberystwyth (£2.40, 1¼ hours, three to seven daily) via Machynlleth (£1.70, 30 minutes), and to Bangor (£2.90, two hours, three to nine daily) via Porthmadog (£1.90, 50 minutes) and Caernarfon (£2.40

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, 30 minutes), route 30 serves Dolgellau (£2.20, 1¼ hours, once daily) via various stops in the Talyllyn Valley (four daily), while X29 runs to Machynlleth (£1.70, 35 minutes, three to nine daily). Train Tywyn is on the Cambrian Coast Line, with direct, frequent trains to/from

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Machynlleth (£6.40, 27 minutes), Fairbourne (£4.40, 20 minutes), Barmouth (£6.40, 30 minutes), Porthmadog (£12.80, 1½ hours) and Pwllheli (£14.90, two hours).

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Harlech and east to Dolgellau. Train Barmouth is on the Cambrian Coast Line, with eight direct trains per day to Fairbourne (£3.20, seven minutes), Machynlleth (£10.30, one hour), Harlech (£5.40, 25 minutes), Porthmadog (£8, 50 minutes) and Pwllheli (£13, 80 minutes). Harlech POP 1618 Hilly Harlech is best

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Cymru North) passes through Harlech, heading north to Porthmadog and south to Barmouth. Train Harlech is on the Cambrian Coast Line, with direct trains to Machynlleth (£13.90, 1½ hours, eight daily) via Barmouth (£5.40, 27 minutes) and Fairbourne (£6.60, 40 minutes); and Pwllheli (£9.20, 47 minutes, eight

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in the opposite direction to Aberystwyth (£3.25, 2¼ hours, two to six daily) via Dolgellau (£1.90, 50 minutes, three to nine daily) and Machynlleth (£2.25, 1½ hours, three to seven daily); the frequent (Monday to Saturday only) 3/3B to/from Pwllheli (£1.70, 40 minutes) via Criccieth

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direct trains to/from Criccieth (£3.20, seven minutes), Pwllheli (£5.60, 25 minutes), and eight daily trains to Harlech (£4.40, 23 minutes) and Machynlleth (£15.30, two hours). The Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways (www.festrail.co.uk) runs scenic services to Blaenau Ffestiniog, the Snowdon trailheads and Caernarfon. Llŷn

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Cambrian Coast Line, with direct services from the train station (High St) including eight direct trains each day to Pwllheli (£4,15 minutes), and to Machynlleth (£17.50, two hours) via Porthmadog (£3.20, nine minutes), Harlech (£6.60, 35 minutes) and Barmouth (£9.60, one hour). WORTH A TRIP ART

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eight direct trains daily from the station (Station Sq) to Criccieth (£4, 15 minutes), Porthmadog (£5.60, 23 minutes), Harlech (£9.20, 48 minutes) and Machynlleth (£18.40, 2½ hours). Abersoch POP 705 Abersoch is a former fishing port that’s reinvented itself as a yacht and boat harbour, bona fide

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/T2 to Caernarfon (25 to 35 minutes, every 30 minutes), T2 to Porthmadog (1¼ hours, three daily) and T2 to Dolgellau (two hours, eight daily), Machynlleth (2½ hours, seven daily) and Aberystwyth (3½ hours, seven daily). Train Direct services from the train station (Holyhead Rd) head to/from Holyhead (£12, 30

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. This only increased support for the rebellion and by 1404 Glyndŵr controlled most of Wales, capturing Harlech and Aberystwyth castles and summoning a parliament at Machynlleth and at Harlech. But Glyndŵr met his match in Prince Henry, son of Henry IV and hero of the Battle of Agincourt. After a series

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after 1406 he faded into myth-shrouded obscurity. Glyndŵr remains a great hero to the Welsh; he is memorialised in the Owain Glyndŵr Centre in Machynlleth, devoted to his life story, and the Glyndŵr’s Way National Trail, a multiday walking track connecting places associated with him. The Acts of Union

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. Main lines heading through the centre of Wales include the following: Cambrian Line (www.thecambrianline.co.uk) Birmingham to Aberystwyth through Shrewsbury, Welshpool, Newtown and Machynlleth. Heart of Wales Line (www.heart-of-wales.co.uk) A scenic route through the heart of Mid-Wales from Shrewsbury to Swansea via Knighton

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Paddington Cardiff from 27 2 London Paddington Swansea from 37 3 London Euston Bangor 72 3¾ London Euston Holyhead 75 4 Gloucester Chepstow 11 ½ Birmingham Machynlleth 25 2¼ Birmingham Aberystwyth 33 3 Manchester Abergavenny 65 2½ Air The only useful internal flights are the Eastern Airways (www.easternairways.com) services between

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are thin on the ground. Following are the principal cross-regional routes, most of which operate daily: T1C Cardiff, Swansea, Carmarthen, Aberaeron, Aberystwyth T2 Aberystwyth, Machynlleth, Dolgellau, Caernarfon, Bangor T3 Wrexham, Llangollen, Bala, Dolgellau, Barmouth T4 Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil, Brecon, Llandrindod Wells, Newtown T5 Haverfordwest, Fishguard, Cardigan, New Quay, Aberaeron, Aberystwyth

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.uk) The Cambrian Main Line crosses northern Mid-Wales from Birmingham and Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth, and its spectacular branch line heads up the coast from Machynlleth to Pwllheli and the Llŷn. Conwy Valley Line (www.conwyvalleyrailway.co.uk) A little gem heading down through Snowdonia from Llandudno to Blaenau Ffestiniog, reopened

Great Britain

by David Else and Fionn Davenport · 2 Jan 2007

BRYCHEINIOG) BRECON (ABERHONDDU) AROUND BRECON ABERGAVENNY (Y FENNI) HAY-ON-WYE (Y GELLI) POWYS LLANWRTYD WELLS (LLANWRTYD) BUILTH WELLS LLANDRINDOD WELLS (LLANDRINDOD) AROUND LLANDRINDOD WELLS MACHYNLLETH CEREDIGION ABERYSTWYTH AROUND ABERYSTWYTH * * * Ignore Mid Wales at your peril. While generations of visitors have traditionally viewed the region as a staging post en route

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festival, and Abergavenny is the unlikely champion of Wales as Britain’s great undiscovered foodie haven. While Powys feels more low key overall, hippie-chic Machynlleth is a nucleus of sustainable living with its Centre for Alternative Technology, while Builth Wells offers a glimpse of rural Welsh culture at its best

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Making your contribution to counter climate change at the superb Centre for Alternative Technology, then getting back to nature at a tepee camp, both near Machynlleth Browsing for books, catching a reading, or pulling on your walking boots at Hay-on-Wye Sampling the new vintage of Welsh whisky after a

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with Traveline Cymru ( 0871 200 2233; www.travelinecymru.org.uk). Train-wise, the Cambrian Main Line dissects Mid Wales, travelling from Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth via Machynlleth, while the scenic Heart of Wales line (see the boxed text) skirts the Brecon Beacons. Arriva Trains ( 0845 6061 660; www.arrivatrainswales.co.uk) offers

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the council’s decision to close several tourist offices across the county rather gives the impression that – with the notable exceptions of Builth Wells and Machynlleth – Powys is increasingly closed to tourism. If relying on public transport, then plan ahead with Traveline Cymru ( 0871 200 2233; www.travelinecymru.org.uk). Thankfully

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& Sat, 10am-5pm Tue & Thu Nov-Easter), part of the tourist office in the border town of Knighton. Return to beginning of chapter MACHYNLLETH pop 2200 Tiny Machynlleth (ma-hun-khleth) punches well above its weight. The town is rich in historical importance as it is here that nationalist hero Owain Glyndŵr

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defied the English to establish the country’s first parliament in 1404. His legacy still lends Machynlleth a noble air but, more recently, the town has reinvented itself as the green capital of Wales and a centre for alternative communities. See www

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movement is the excellent Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT; see the boxed text), which has been quietly championing sustainable living for more than 30 years. Machynlleth, set amid lush Welsh countryside, is also a good walking base with trails through the Dyfi Valley, and an ideal base for mountain-biking (see

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galleries: one for Welsh and one for international works. The 400-seater Tabernacle Chapel is the focus of August’s impressive weeklong Gŵyl Machynlleth Festival of classical music. Activities Machynlleth is a centre for mountain-biking, with the Holey Trail Cycle Hire ( 01654-700411; www.theholeytrail.co.uk; 31 Maengwyn St; bike

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main road. This independent hostel operates a truly green policy and specialises in vegetarian food. Located in the village of Corris, 5 miles north of Machynlleth, heading off the A487 – follow signs for the railway museum into the village. Reditreks ( 01654702184; www.reditreks.com; Powys St; dm £15) Mountain-bikers flock

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up on local organic produce and fair-trade supplies. Getting There & Away The train station is less than half a mile north of the centre. Machynlleth is on the Cambrian Main Line with services runninf to Shrewsbury (£10.90, 80 minutes, every two hours, six on Sunday) and Aberystwyth (40 minutes

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.20; 10am-5.30pm Easter–mid-Jul, Sep & Oct, 10am-6pm mid-Jul–Aug, 10am-dusk Nov-Easter), set in a beautiful wooded valley near Machynlleth. CAT is a virtually self-sufficient cooperative where more than 3 hectares of displays demonstrate how wind, water and solar power provide food, heating and

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will be a major new facility for CAT’s program of courses. CAT lies 3 miles north of Machynlleth on the A487. Hourly buses (four on Sunday) run from the clock tower in Machynlleth; bus 34 stops directly at the visitor centre, while bus X32 drops off in Pantperthog, five minutes’ walk

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, the land is leased from a local organic farm and the welcome hampers contain fair-trade produce. The tepee camp is 8 miles south of Machynlleth off the A487, following a rough track into the forest. * * * Bus X32 runs north to Dolgellau (35 minutes, about every two hours Monday to Friday

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, and spa treatments are available. This is a lavish, treat-yourself escape. Go on, you’re worth it. Ynyshir Hall is 5 miles south of Machynlleth off the A487. * * * Return to beginning of chapter CEREDIGION Ceredigion, far from the English border, is proud of its Welsh identity, its nationalist spirit forged

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, such as amusement arcades and candy-floss stalls, with a contemporary student buzz. The Cambrian Main Line train service runs from Aberystwyth to Shrewsbury, via Machynlleth, connecting at the latter for Cambrian Coast services to Pwllheli. For further information, consult Traveline Cymru ( 0871 200 2233; www.travelinecymru.info). Return to beginning

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Express coach runs daily to London (£30.50, seven hours) from a stop around the corner. Other long-distance Traws Cambria services includ: X32 via Machynlleth (45 minutes, roughly hourly Monday to Saturday) to Bangor (three hours 50 minutes); X40 via Carmarthen (two hours 10 minutes, roughly hourly Monday to Saturday

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Saturday) Aberystwyth is the terminus of the Cambrian Main Line with trains to Shrewsbury in England (£13.10, 1¾ hours, every two hours). Change at Machynlleth (30 minutes) for Cambrian Coast Line services north to Pwllheli (£10.90, three hours 50 minutes, every two hours). Return to beginning of chapter AROUND

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-cymru.org.uk). Major rail routes include the North Wales Coast Line from Chester to the ferry terminal at Holyhead, the Cambrian Coast Line from Machynlleth to Pwllheli, and the Conwy Valley Line from Llandudno to Blaenau Ffestiniog. Check with National Rail Enquiries ( 0845 748 4950; www.nationalrail.co.uk) for

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Abergynolwyn. The shortest and steepest trail is the Minffordd Path (6 miles, five hours), northwest from near the Minffordd Hotel on the A487 road to Machynlleth. Whichever route you choose, always carry appropriate clothing and check weather conditions online at www.eryri-npa.co.uk before departure. Sleeping Kings YHA ( 0870

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-5pm). Getting There & Away Arriva bus 38 runs to Barmouth (30 minutes, hourly, two on Sunday) and Blaenau Ffestiniog (30 minutes). Cambrian Coast trains serve Machynlleth (£8.20, 1½ hours, about every two to three hours, three on Sunday) and Porthmadog (20 minutes). Return to beginning of chapter AROUND HARLECH Barmouth

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daily, two on Sunday) and Bangor (1½ hours). TRAIN The train station is opposite the Welsh Highland Railway station on the Cambrian Coast Line to Machynlleth (£9.50, two hours, every two hours, fewer on Sunday) and Pwllheli (30 minutes). Return to beginning of chapter AROUND PORTHMADOG Portmeirion The Portmeirion ( 01766

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the Llŷn, Pwllheli (poolth-heh-lee) is a workaday town of staunch Welsh tradition. Crucially it’s the terminus of the Cambrian Coast Line from Machynlleth, and as far as most tourists get without the aid of a car. It’s also home to the region’s only official tourist office

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the A499. Getting There & Away Arriva bus 3 runs to Porthmadog (40 minutes, half-hourly, six on Sunday) via Criccieth (25 minutes). Trains run to Machynlleth (£11, two hours 20 minutes, every two Monday to Friday) via Porthmadog (20 minutes). Return to beginning of chapter EXPLORING THE LLŶN A trip around

On the Slow Train Again

by Michael Williams · 7 Apr 2011 · 196pp · 66,253 words

THE 10.43 TO THE LONELIEST STATION – ALONG THE BANKS OF THE LOVELY DOVEY INTO WILD WEST WALES Wolverhampton to Aberystwyth and Pwllheli, via Newtown, Machynlleth, Dovey Junction, Aberystwyth, Aberdovey, Tywyn, Morfa Mawddach, Harlech, Porthmadog and Criccieth CAN THERE BE a railway station more surreal in its function yet more beautiful

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generally easier to change, if you are travelling from Pwllheli to Aberystwyth, at the more commodious station one stop back in the hospitable town of Machynlleth. But windswept Dovey Junction is still there, standing lonely sentry at the point where the old counties of Montgomery, Merioneth and Cardigan meet. The station

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to the coast. It climbs 373 feet from Caersws to its summit and falls a spectacular 645 feet to the level of the Dovey at Machynlleth, with no gradient steeper than 1 in 52. No wonder Davies became Wales’s first self-made millionaire. As Rolt put it, ‘In his pride

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era the Cambrian Railways Company was formed. This was an entirely Welsh enterprise composed of various smaller lines – the Oswestry and Newtown, the Newtown and Machynlleth, the Aberystwyth and Welsh Coast, the Oswestry, Ellesmere and Whitchurch, the Wrexham and Ellesmere and the Mid Wales – that gave, in the words of one

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is plenty of time to admire it, since we are halted, engines idling, yet again to let another late train pass on the loop. At Machynlleth the severe-looking but commodious stone station buildings are unchanged since the Cambrian Railways era, but thank goodness for that. The waiting room is inviting

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bottles of Tesco Chardonnay as they celebrate completing their finals. Where better for an evening meal, as I wait for the last train back to Machynlleth, than in the Aberystwyth station buffet? I am to stay the night at the White Lion, an old coaching inn in

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Machynlleth. ‘It has impeccable railway connections,’ says Iorwerth. ‘Wendy the manageress is engaged to one of the drivers. And we hold our RMT meetings there.’ Rather

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‘Beer ’n’ a Burger’ promotions. But after a pint of two of Felinfoel Double Dragon, who cares if the train is late? Waking up in Machynlleth next morning, what had seemed a severe little town, watched over by its ‘bible-black’ chapels straight out of Under Milk Wood, has taken on

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-built steam shed, which forms part of a new £3 million complex where today’s diesel trains are maintained. This features a large sign reading MACHYNLLETH TRAIN CARE. (Where do the trains go to sleep at night, Daddy? In the Train Care, Darling.) I’m taking the 09.03 to Pwllheli

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young woman called Mo Kohler. She has remembered me from booking a ticket the day before. This is Welsh country charm at its best. At Machynlleth everyone is made to feel important. As we head north along the coast through Aberdovey I get chatting to Gus, who tells me he is

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. A lorry has run into the base of a bridge and all services have been halted until it is inspected. When we pull in at Machynlleth, there’s a further trauma. A small boy has dropped his teddy bear between the platform and the train. ‘Don’t worry,’ Lynn the conductor

The World's First Railway System: Enterprise, Competition, and Regulation on the Railway Network in Victorian Britain

by Mark Casson · 14 Jul 2009 · 556pp · 46,885 words

the coast around Barmouth and Aberystwyth. The Cambrian built a line from Whitchurch, on the LNWR line from Crewe to Shrewsbury, through Oswestry, Welshpool, and Machynlleth to Aberystwyth (opened in 1863). A coastal branch was later completed from the Dovey estuary near Machynthlleth to Pwllheli in the Lleyn Peninsular of North

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. On the actual system this route had four distinct portions, separated by hubs at which trains reverse directions—Afon Wen, near Pwllheli, Dovey Junction near Machynlleth, and Aberystwyth. Three separate companies owned the line: the LNWR, the Cambrian, and the GWR. The sections north and south of Aberystwyth were operated almost

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(2002) An Illustrated History of the Welsh Highland Railway, Hersham: Oxford Publishing. Jones, G. Briwnant (1990) Railway through Talerddig: The Story of the Newtown and Machynlleth and Associated Railways in the DyW Valley, Llandysul: Gomer. Jones, Ivor Wynne and Gordon Hatherill (1977) Llechwedd and Other Ffestiniog Railways, Blaenau Ffestiniog: Quarry Tours

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–Pembroke–6.6– Manorbier–4.8–Tenby–3.0–Saundersfoot–7.0–Narberth (CM) (Whitland–Carmarthen, Haverfordwest) Aberystwyth (AW) (Llanafan–London)–10.8–Aberdovey (AW) (Machynlleth)–4.3–Towyn–11.8–Barmouth (BP) (Dolgellau–Ruabon–Chester)–11.5–Harlech–6.3–Penrhyndeudraeth (CJ) (Blaenau Ffestiniog)–3.5–Portmadoc–5.0– Criccieth

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LB28 Nant-y-moel–Tondu 8.0 m LB29 Cleobury Mortimer–Stockton-on-Teme 7.0 m LB30 Halesowen–Old Hill 2.5 m LB31 Machynlleth–Aberdovey 10.3 m Blaenau Ffestiniog–Penrhyndeudraeth 10.3 m Avonmouth–3.2–Henbury–2.4–Filton (BR) (Bristol, Thornbury–Cam–Gloucester, Pilning)–8.2

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–Stockton-on-Teme (WF) (Knightwick–Worcester, Great Witley–Stourport-on-Severn, Tenbury Wells–WooVerton–Ludlow) Halesowen–2.5–Old Hill (BM) (Stourbridge–Kidderminster, Handsworth–Birmingham) Machynlleth–10.3–Aberdovey (AW) (Aberystwyth, Barmouth, North Wales Coast loop) Blaneau Ffestiniog–10.3–Penrhyndeudraeth (CJ) (Porthmadoc–Criccieth–Pwllheli, Barmouth, North Wales Coast loop) Llanberis

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1 3 Sandbach Leek StaVord North Wales and Welsh Borders Bangor 5 4 6 1 9 7 2 1 Llandudno Junction Rhyl Corwen Portmadoc Barmouth Machynlleth 4 2 1 1 5 6 5 3 6 2 1 3 1 2 4 1 3 1 1 3 1 1 Aberystwyth Welshpool Llanymyncech

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bridge 112 M6 motorway 15, 118 M45 motorway 15, 118 Mablethorpe 119 Macclesfield 68, 176 Macclesfield, Bollington and Marple Railway 175 Macclesfield Committee 175–6 Machynlleth 138, 139 Maidenhead 172 Maidstone 69, 150, 151, 155, 189 mail 6, 7 see also Irish mail Maldon 108 Malton 125 Manchester 2, 55, 68

Feral: Rewilding the Land, the Sea, and Human Life

by George Monbiot · 13 May 2013 · 424pp · 122,350 words

glowing hearth of the ruined wood, with its occasional bird calls, I almost wept with relief. The Cambrian Mountains cover some 460 square miles, from Machynlleth in the north to Llandovery in the south, Tregaron in the west to Rhayader in the east. They are almost uninhabited, almost unvisited: two friends

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was a permanent loss. It’s all gone.’ As part of his first degree, Ritchie took a placement at the Centre for Alternative Technology in Machynlleth. ‘It all came together in my head: the care for the land and our impact on it, the importance of minimizing it. After working in

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afraid of the disorderly, unplanned, unstructured revival of the natural world. On a cool, blustery day in June, I travelled up the mountain road between Machynlleth and Llanidloes to visit the nature reserve that is said to exemplify the delights of the Cambrian Mountains. Glaslyn is described by the group that

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for a few weeks and then move on, how do their activities enhance the Welsh coastal fishery? ‘Well, it means that people in Aberystwyth and Machynlleth who want to eat scallops can hopefully eat scallops from Cardigan Bay . . . scallops are eaten by people from this area, and I want them to

Homemade Kids: Thrifty, Creative and Eco-Friendly Ways to Raise Your Child

by Nicola Baird · 14 Sep 2010

ask if you and your baby, or young child, will be welcome. At LILI, the low-impact Het) Homemade Kids living initiative in Buckinghamshire (in Machynlleth, Wales there’s CAT — the Centre for Alternative Technology) you can find a range of courses that will develop practical skills from making biodiesel to

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about compost worm bins at www.wigglywigglers.com. Eco chic areas Places like Ballymena, Bath, Brighton, Bristol, Cheltenham, Hebden Bridge, Glastonbury, Hove, Leicester, Lewes, Llanidloes, Machynlleth, Monmouth, Oxford, Saltaire, Stroud, Totnes, Wivenhoe or London’s Stoke Newington have reputations as being green areas. Find out if this is true by asking

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, www.low impact.org, offers a wide range of courses, including solar hot water, woodland skills and cob building. O The Centre for Alternative Technology, Machynlleth, Wales develops your DIY and energy-efficiency skills on its short courses. It’s also a good place for a touristy day out — access it

Ye Olde Britain: Best Historical Experiences

by Lonely Planet Publications · 3 Mar 2012 · 168pp · 35,753 words

Whitby York Wales Blaenavon (Blaenafon) Beaumaris (Biwmares) Caerleon Caernarfon Cardiff Castell Henllys Iron Age Fort Offa’s Dyke Path Chepstow (Cas Gwent) Conwy Harlech Llandeilo Machynlleth Pembroke Raglan Castle St Davids (Tyddewi) Edinburgh & Around Glasgow & Southern Scotland Culzean Castle Glasgow Jedburgh Kelso Kilmarnock Melrose New Lanark Traquair House Central & Northern Scotland

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by commoners to overthrow the feudal system is brutally suppressed. 1400 Welsh nationalist hero Owain Glyndwr leads the Welsh in rebellion, declaring a parliament in Machynlleth, but his rebellion is short-lived and victory fleeting. 1459–71 The Wars of the Roses – an ongoing conflict between two competing dynasties, the Houses

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the sheer southern cliff, which leads down to a long, narrow, natural cave; bring a torch, or hire one from the ticket office (£1.50). Machynlleth Owain Glyndwr Centre (www.canolfanglyndwr.org; adult/child £2/free; 10am-4pm Tue-Sat Easter-Sep) Housed in a rare example of a late-medieval

Empire of Guns

by Priya Satia · 10 Apr 2018 · 927pp · 216,549 words

tactics. The rioters wielded crowbars and rails to tear buildings down. I have found but two instances in which rioters used guns before 1795: in Machynlleth, around 1739, one participant in a stone-flinging mob fired a pistol to force the Welsh Methodist Howell Harris to cease preaching in the street

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, Industrial Enlightenment, 201. Birmingham’s riots of 1715 and 1751 also focused on destruction of houses of worship. Showell, Dictionary of Birmingham, 271–72. in Machynlleth around 1739: Guldi, Roads to Power, 162. in Birmingham in 1789: Aris’s Birmingham Gazette, March [?], 1789, 3. One instance of an armed crowd firing