Llanycil to Llanuwchllyn

From striking views and varied landscape to history, culture, legends and agriculture - this route along the northern hills of Llyn Tegid has it all…

The walk

Starting point: Llanycil car park, off the A494
Grid reference: SH 916 350
Length of walk: Approximately 6 miles/9.7Km
Time: Approximately 4-5 hours
Facilities: Car park, waymarkers along the route, verbal commentary available for download onto MP3 (click on the links below).

Standard of path
Some steep sections.
The path can be quite wet and slippery.
The path leads through farm land with no path definition.

Useful information
Wear comfortable shoes with a good tread.
Relevant map – Ordnance Survey Explorer OL 23 Cadair Idris & Llyn Tegid.
The path does not take you back to the starting point – you will need to make prior arrangements.
Public transport – bus service No. X94 (Barmouth/Dolgellau/Wrexham/Chester). For further details go to www.traveline-cymru.org.uk or phone 0871 200 22 33.
For more information about this route contact our Area Warden, Islwyn Pritchard-Jones on 01678 520 626 or e-mail islwyn.pritchard-jones@eryri-npa.gov.uk.

Important: The walk leads through farm land so you are sure to come across farm animals. Keep your dog on a lead whenever you are near them.

The ‘Bwrlwm’ Trail

Bwrlwm Eryri has produced a verbal commentary for this route which gives a brief introduction to the legends, folklore, culture and history connected to the area. Along the route, look out for blue numbered signposts with ‘Bwrlwm Eryri’ written on them – the numbers denote the relevant track number on your MP3. Click on the files below to download audio files.  

Audio File 1 (01_bala_e.mp3)

As you walk from the car park (Point 1 on the route), on your left in front of you stands St Beuno’s church in its proud location on the shore of Llyn Tegid. The church was named after its founder, Saint Beuno, who, in the sixth century, used to travel from his monastery in Clynnog Fawr near Caernarfon all over North Wales to preach.

Many renowned men are buried in the church cemetery – the most notable being the Rev. Thomas Charles, a prominent leader in the Methodist revival. Here also lies Dafydd Cadwaladr, father of Betsi Cadwaladr a well-known nurse who worked in a hospital in Balaclava during the Crimean war, and not forgetting Bob Tai’r Felin – who was well-known for his ballads and folk singing.

Audio File 2 (02_bala_e.mp3)

Point 2 on the route is Nant Gwenwyn Meirch stream. In 1645 during the Civil War, Rowland Vaughan, a famous poet and royalist lived in Caer-gai, approximately a mile from this spot. One day, some of the local inhabitants saw Oliver Cromwell’s knights on their way to Caer-gai, and in an attempt to stop them they gathered some yew leaves, which is very poisonous to horses, and threw them in the stream knowing that the knights would stop there so the horses could drink. That is exactly what happened and the horses became ill, and since then the stream is known as Nant Gwenwyn Meirch (stream of horses’ poison). Despite the effort of the inhabitants, the knights made it to Caer-gai and the mansion was burnt to the ground. A large farmhouse was built in its place which still stands today.

Audio File 3 (03_bala_e.mp3)

You will shortly reach Point 3, which is on moor land known as Gwastadros, a perfect habitat for birds such as Skylark, Curlew and Northern Wheatear. This moor land has always been Common Land which meant that local people had a right to take their animals to graze there. It is a very wet and poor terrain to keep livestock, and as this was the only land available for the poor people of the area to support their family, life was very hard.

In the past, Gwastadros was one of the areas which made up the Parish of Llanycil, other areas of the parish included Cyffty, Maestron, Uwchmyndd and Ismynydd. In the early nineteenth century many poor people lived in the parish of Llanycil, as in the other parishes of Penllyn. Parochial meetings were held to discuss how best to help these people – this is what was agreed at the August 1819 meeting:

Gwen Ty’n Siglen towards carrying peat – 1 shilling, 6 halfpence.
Siân Dafydd Cefnbodig – 3lbs of wool.
Sally Smith – 3 shillings to make 3 pairs of clogs.
Widow of Ty’n Llyn – 6 shillings and an old petticoat.
Mathew of Llandderfel – a packet of oatmeal.
Richard Pen Rafel – nothing.

The parish looked after its people in other ways too – a parish cow was kept in the Cyffty area to supply milk for all the babies in the area, and a parish donkey was available when needed.

On your way towards Point 4 you will see Caer-gai, which was mentioned earlier, on your left. The history connected to this site goes way back before Cromwell’s time. Originally, this was the site of an old Roman fort – a Roman road goes right by it and the remains of a Roman cemetery and baths were discovered nearby. A farmhouse stands on the site today but some of the remains can still be seen.

The site was named Caer-gai (Cai’s Fort) after the mythical hero Cai fab Cynyr (Cai son of Cynyr) who is connected to Arthurian legends including Culhwch ac Olwen and Y Tair Rhamant to name a few. He is also mentioned in the work of aristocrat poets, which refers to Caer-gai as his home.

Audio File 4 (04_bala_e.mp3)

By Point 4 you will have reached Weirglodd Wen, which was home to the Rev. Michael Jones and Mary Jones. Weirglodd Wen was formerly part of the Glanllyn estate and after the death of her husband, Mary Jones continued to live there. In 1859 an open election was held and landowners kept an eye on how their tenants were voting. Mary Jones was thrown out of her home by the Tory landowner because her son, Michael D Jones, had been trying to persuade other tenants to vote Liberal.

Michael D Jones is an important figure in the history of Bala. He was the Principal of Bala Theological College, and he played a major part in establishing a Welsh settlement in Patagonia in the 1860s, where the Welsh language would be the language of religion, government, trade and education.

Audio File 5 (05_bala_e.mp3)

On arriving at Point 5 you will have reached the end of your journey. Here is the commemorative monument of a father and son – Sir O M Edwards and Sir Ifan ab O M Edwards of Llanuwchllyn. Sir O M Edwards was an editor, a litterateur and a passionate and prominent educator, who was eager to encourage pride in Welsh traditions and language. In the 1890s he launched magazines for children called Cymru and Cymru’r Plant (The Children’s Wales), which was a new leaf in children’s literature.

His son, Sir Ifan ab O M Edwards, carried on with his father’s good work, and was responsible for founding the youth movement Urdd Gobaith Cymru. In the beginning, young people from across Wales came to stay at the Urdd camp in Llanuwchllyn – the first camp was held in the garden at Neuadd Wen, the founder’s home, but then it was moved to a larger site at Glan-llyn. Following the founding of this camp, another was opened in Llangrannog, and more recently at the Millennium Centre in Cardiff and the children of Wales continue to come and stay at these camps each year. The movement continues to go from strength to strength and arranges a variety of events for young people – being Eisteddfodau, sports, theatre and much more. These events ensure that the children of Wales continue to enjoy their language and culture and have pride in them – and to think that it all began here in Llanuwchllyn!