Penmaenuchaf Dolgellau
Set under the imposing Cadair Idris and overlooking the Mawddach estuary, Penmaenuchaf is a…
Our View
A short walk through the Coed Ganllwyd NNR in the Coed-y-Brenin Forest leads to the spectacular 60ft-high Rhaeadr Ddu, or Black Falls, on the Afon Gamlan. The falls take their name from the slab of black rock over which the water cascades. Higher rainfall and continuous river spray, which is prevented from evaporating by the dense oak canopy, results in extreme humidity in the woodland. This wet climate makes Coed Ganllwyd the richest site for mosses and liverworts in Western Europe. Sessile oak, with occasional birch and ash, dominate the ancient woodland. Spring and summer mark the arrival of a host of migrant woodland birds such as wood warbler, nuthatch, jay, black cap and redstart as well as the distinctive pied flycatcher. Dippers may be spotted along the river. Insects include the uncommon brimstone butterfly, found on the nearby Dolmelynllyn estate. The wood is also an important area for bats, especially the rare lesser horseshoe.
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Discover Gwynedd
The county of Gwynedd is home to most of the Snowdonia National Park – including the wettest spot in Britain, an arête running up to Snowdon’s summit that receives an average annual rainfall of 4,473mm. With its mighty peaks, rivers and strong Welsh heritage (it has the highest proportion of Welsh-speakers in all of Wales), it’s always been an extremely popular place to visit and live. The busiest part is around Snowdon; around 750,000 people climb, walk or ride the train to the summit each year.
Also in Gwynedd is the Llyn Peninsula, a remote part of Wales sticking 30 miles out into the Irish Sea. At the base of the peninsula is Porthmadog, a small town linked to Snowdonia by two steam railways – the Welsh Highland Railway and the Ffestiniog Railway. Other popular places are Criccieth, with a castle on its headland overlooking the beach, Pwllheli, and Abersoch and the St Tudwal Islands. Elsewhere, the peninsula is all about wildlife, tranquillity, and ancient sacred sites. Tre’r Ceiri hill fort is an Iron Age settlement set beside the coastal mountain of Yr Eifl, while Bardsey Island, at the tip of the peninsula, was the site of a fifth-century Celtic monastery.
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