Reviews

On the coast, adjoining the Menai Strait separating the mainland from Anglesey (Ynys Mon), are two important historic settlements. One is the small cathedral and university city of Bangor and the other is Caernarfon, a fortified walled town of Roman origins, with an impressive late 13thC castle, and now a designated World Heritage Site. During the 19thC both places, along with Port Dinorwic lying between the two, became important slate ports serving vast inland quarries at a time when North West Wales was the main producer of slate in the world, and the slate industry dominated the local economy. Huge quantities of slate were shipped to meet the demand for roofing tiles in the rapidly developing industrial towns in Britain and elsewhere.

The old quarries and small communities that developed near them, lie at the edge of the Snowdonia National Park. Bethesda, the largest, grew alongside Penrhyn quarry which became the worlds biggest open cast slate quarry, and from where slate went by rail to Port Penrhyn in Bangor. Caernarfon was the port for the quarries of the Nantlle valley and Moel Tryfan area. The industrial legacy includes old quarries (some water-filled), former tramways, a network of quarrymens paths and the trackbed of former narrow gauge railways used to transport the slate.

The 22 walks in this book explore the areas varied landscape and fascinating history. There are town trails, walks by the Menai Strait, through woodland and river valleys, across foothills offering panoramic views, past quarries and through a complex pattern of enclosed fields. Some follow old miners paths and sections of former railways, now surfaced recreational trails such as Ln Las Ogwen and Ln Eifion, the latter offering close views of the steam hauled narrow gauge Welsh Highland Railway. There are good views of Snowdon and other mountains.

The routes follow public rights of way, permissive paths or cross Open Access land, and are within the capability of most people. A key feature is that many routes, as well as containing shorter walk options, can easily be linked with others, to provide longer day walks, if required.
*Kittiwake*