A Railway Ramble: Porthmadog to Criccieth
3 people attending
17 places left
This is one of a series of walks taking advantage of the main and narrow gauge trains of Wales, most of which are incredibly scenic. This walk is also one of a pair of walks this weekend in the vicinity of Porthmadog. The other one can be seen here https://www.outdoorlads.com/events/railway-ramble-blaenau-ffestiniog-tan-y-bwlch-250503.
If you are making a weekend of it there are hotel options in Porthmadog including a new Premier Inn, and for camping There's the Shell Island Camp taking place that weekend or contact the leader for advice.
On this coastal walk we will follow the Wales Coast Path all the way from the historic port town of Portmadog, where thousands of tons of slate were once exported, to the Victorian seaside resort of Criccieth Famous for its ruined thirteenth-century castle standing proudly on a rocky headland.
Our return journey will be aboard the Scenic Cambrian Coast line and costs £3.80 pp.
We start our walk in the town of Porthmadog: Nowadays a bustling town catering for Welsh speaking locals as well as tourism, with the well known Portmerion gardens and Italianate estate nearby. There are no less than 4 railway lines serving the town - the Cambrian coast line is the 'main line' that connects the terminus of Pwlhelli with places as far afield as Birmingham, The Welsh Highland Heritage line - a little branch line with ocassionals services, The Welsh Highland Line - created in the 1980's the narrow gauge steams all the way to Caernarfon through the heart of Eryri National Park, and The Ffestiniog Railway, that carried so much slate down from the mountains. You'll see all of these as we begin our route. We will also see the famous barrage or Cobb that was built to take the steam trains across the Glaslyn Estuary. Keep an eye open for the Ospreys that spend summer nearby.... We then follow the shallow harbour that is home to yachts these days and take a footpath and back road out of town .
The next place we encounter is Both Y Guest, a sleepy little beach resort with a small harbour and some very scenic coves looking back towards the mountains.
Continuing along the beach we come to Black Rock Sands which is one of the few places in the UK where you can actually drive cars onto the beach (If you don't mind getting it wet and sandy). If the tide is too high we might need to deviate inland around the rock, but otherwise it is around the corner that we will catch sight of Criccieth and its castle. The Castle was both built and destroyed by Welsh princes 200 years apart, so now its just a ruin. Depending on the speed of the group there are options at Criccieth for sea swimming (bring trunks), visiting the castle, the famous Cadwalladers Ice cream shop, Tea and Cakes or a pint in a pub. If its tight on time then we will wait till we are back in Porthmadog for tea.
All photos: AndyM, event leader.
Bad Weather This event may be altered or cancelled if persistent heavy rain is forecast - you will be notified by at least 18:00 hours the night before in this case
Dogs are welcome to join us on this event but your dog needs to be well behaved and it must not affect other member's enjoyment of the event. Your dog needs to have the stamina to keep up with the group. Dogs are accepted on the train.
Are you new to Outdoorlads and considering your first event?
- Have a look at this link, hopefully it will help, also please be sure to fill in the participation statement.
https://www.outdoorlads.com/my-first-event
IMPORTANT! - Participation Statement
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What to bring
Water: bring at least two litres on a hot day.
Medicines: if you have hay fever, diabetes, minor ailments etc.
Day rucksack: typically 20-30 litres, they are comfortable to wear and allow you to use your arms freely
Footwear: Lightweight trail boots should be OK for this walk, but we will be on the beach so choose something comfortable on sand which may be wet at times.
Layered clothing: lets you quickly adapt to changes in the weather and body temperature. Go for a base layer (vest or t-shirt) and a mid layer (a micro fleece or shirt) and in cooler weather add an outer layer (a windproof jacket or thick fleece)
Trousers: jeans will be OK so long as there's no rain forecast as they become heavy and cold in the rain, breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry and on warm days shorts are OK
Waterproof jacket: essential when hiking in all but the calmest of weather, breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry
Hat or cap: stay warm in winter and shaded in summer
Sunglasses: for any sunny day, even in winter
Sun cream: can be useful even on cloudy and winter days. You can get burnt at Easter.
Snacks: bring biscuits, energy bars, gels, bananas, chocolate or dried fruit for example and put them somewhere easy to get hold of
Lunch: bring a packed lunch
Food & drink
Please bring a packed lunch, plenty of water etc and some snacks for this walk. As we are relying on the train to get back, stops will be judged to fit with the walking speed of the group. If we are ahead of time there will be the oportunity for an ice cream or drink, or both, at Criccieth at the end.