There’s sand dunes, mountains and castles to explore on the coast of the Cambrian Bay
Words & pictures ❚ Sue Greenwood
On this spring trip our destination was Barmouth, a seaside town with an impressive mountain backdrop. After a long journey we had a comfortable night in the ’van and awoke the next morning to weak sunshine. We decided not to venture too far on our first day and caught the bus into town from the campsite. It is only a two-and-a-half-mile walk to the town centre, but we decided to save our energy!
The bus deposited us in the centre of town just across the road from the railway station. The station also serves as the tourist office and there are plenty of leaflets about local attractions available. If you're driving, campervans are able to park in the Promenade Car Park in Barmouth, and we also saw several parked in spaces along the promenade.
It was our first visit to Barmouth, so the heritage trail seemed a good idea, and the map and guide cost £1 from the tourist office. The trail starts from the station and guides you through the town, giving information on buildings and their history as you go. There is also an accompanying website that gives lots more information if you want to walk around with your smartphone, but I preferred to top up on information later when we got back to the ’van.
Firstly, though, a word of caution about this trail. The first three points on the trail require a bit of effort as they are situated up a very steep hill. Barmouth was initially developed nestled at the base of a hillside, and then houses were built further up as the town developed.
Above the town is Dinas Oleu (Fortress of Light); this was the site of a Roman hillfort, and it is famously the first parcel of land to be donated to the National Trust.
If your energy levels or legs don’t allow such a climb, you could always skip the first three points and just continue through the town. It's worth venturing a little way up the steep winding streets that make up the old town, though, as they give a sense of how Barmouth used to be. The houses are built haphazardly almost on top of one another and it’s fascinating to explore.
The heritage trail is easy to pick up anywhere you find yourself as the town is not large. It developed as a busy port involved in the wool and slate trades and had a busy shipbuilding industry for many years, along with the herring fishing industry. Then, in the second ha
