Category: Welsh Coast Path

While in mid-Wales, it seemed like a good opportunity to do another walk I’d heard about, around the remote Teifi Pools. So after another scenic train ride along the south side of the Dyfi estuary (three ospreys!) to pick up the car in Borth, we drove through Aberystwyth and up beyond Strata Florida abbey.

We followed the Cambrian Way up a quiet valley for a couple of miles, passing a marker of its halfway point between Cardiff and Conwy.

When we reached the first of the pools – actually reservoirs at the top of the river Teifi – it felt a little less remote than the valley, with a dam of course and a vehicle track, and a couple of fishermen. A strange landscape though of low grassy hills and the pools snuggling between them.

After walking around a second pool, we descended again along a faint path through another very quiet valley, down to an abandoned farmhouse. Thankful that we were nearly finished, we were unprepared for a final half mile or so of shoulder high bracken on a steeply shelving hillside.

Our holiday finished with a good meal and night at Y Talbot in Tregaron. My walking wanderlust has been satisfied for the time being and we are back home with aching calves (me) and a badly bruised knee (Ian, who slipped on the last downhill). 6.6 miles around the Teifi Pools, over 28 on the Coast Path and some significant climbs. Not completely past it yet!

If you want to see the river, estuary and coast between Machynlleth and Aberdovey, catch the train that runs right along the coast, as we did this evening. If you would like a spectacular and strenuous walk nowhere near the coast at all, walk this stretch of the Welsh Coast Path.

We left Machynlleth with overcast skies. The path takes the old main road out of town, while the new road marches on fat white pillars over the flood plain. Then up and up and up a very minor road, then a grassy path, to 820’ in just a couple of miles. The views opened up and though it was still a bit murky, it was a big improvement on yesterday. Almost immediately we slithered back down a stony path, then more gently down a couple of miles of forest tracks – mostly conifer plantations unlike yesterday’s temperate rain forests, but with a good variety of native species at the edges.

A lone picnic bench materialised just as we started thinking about eating lunch, then we crossed the main road at Pennal and walked up the drive to the Plas Talgarth Hotel and through the woodland beyond, with lovely views across the river.

Back across the main road again and the second big climb of the day, slightly less steep but our legs were tireder. Some sunshine now and as we climbed up to 800’, more and more rolling Welsh hills. Then a beautiful section, first with views south over the estuary and Borth bog, then as we switched to the other side of the hill, down into Cwm Maethlon (Happy Valley). The track rose and fell for rather longer than I had anticipated but it felt worth it.

Eventually we turned south and started descending steeply, though several open fields full of cows, calves and bulls (I know if chased you should let your dog go, but what if you don’t have a dog??). We survived (they were completely uninterested) and finally could see the rooftops of Aberdovey and hear the sea and gulls and the clock striking six.

Friday night is music night back in Machynlleth, bizarrely centred on the bike shop. We’ve finished with the Welsh Coast Path for now, but there might be another walk tomorrow or Sunday…

On the plus side, we didn’t get too hot today. On the minus, most of the day we were damp and clammy, and there weren’t many good views as every time we went up a hill (and there were several) we were in the cloud.

We stopped early on our walk for breakfast at Cletwr, a community shop and cafe on the A487. The walk was a mixture of very minor roads, forest tracks and paths, and generally well-marked. It cleared sufficiently by mid-morning for us to enjoy a brief glimpse of the estuary.

Above the village of Furnace we met the only other walkers of the entire day, and that was one of the nicest bits of the walk with a cascading stream and then a lovely stretch contouring the hillside, where we stopped to eat our sandwiches. But it got wetter and mistier and the waterproof trousers went on.

Not a lot of obvious bird life but we saw a few kites, a peregrine in hot pursuit of something (we heard the whoosh before we saw it) and a heron. Harebells, rowan with red berries already and several types of heather.

After seven miles or so we turned east up the Llyfnant valley which felt peaceful and mysterious in the mist. Steeply down into a valley and then up again to test our aching legs, then at last we could see Machynlleth below us, with a final challenge of slippery steps cut into the rock. Now drying off in the White Lion in the middle of town – and the sun has just come out! 11.2 miles and it felt like enough.

We drove up from Pembrokeshire after lunch, through Aberystwyth (50 years after we started university there!) and on to Borth which hasn’t improved in 50 years. From there we could see our final destination, Aberdovey, only 4 miles away, but there is a very large river in the way and we have to go up to Machynlleth and back down the other side.

We picked up the Welsh coast path where we left off 10 years ago, and skirted around Borth Bog which is apparently very interesting if you like that sort of thing. It was one of the flattest walks we’ve done and easy going, with a few flowers, butterflies and dragonflies, but also a lot of bitey flies delighted that a meal had turned up. So we arrived at our quirky AirBnB in Tre Taliesin somewhat bloodstained and itchy.

It was only a short walk today, 4 miles to practice carrying our big packs. OK so far but tomorrow is much longer with hills….

I said I’d had enough of blogging, and it’s four years since our last serious walk – we haven’t been idle but life has thrown a few unexpected challenges in our way. Now we’re seeing if we can still manage the big rucksacks but just for a couple of days, and continuing the Welsh Coast Path north from where we left it, near the end of the Ceredigion Coast Path, ten years ago. This walk was originally intended to be the nicely alliterative Borth to Barmouth, but has been shortened to Borth to Aberdovey. So tomorrow we drive north. If anyone is still following us, wish us well!