William Wordsworth was bowled over by Barmouth when he visited the town in 1824. ‘With a fine sea view in front, the mountains behind, the glorious estuary… Barmouth can always hold its own against any rival’, he wrote. Many years later, television celebrity Julia Bradbury was equally impressed when, in 2008, she walked over Barmouth Bridge whilst filming her railway walk from Dolgellau. But it was from a viewpoint tucked away near Barmouth harbour that she indicated the tidal waters below. ‘This is one of Wales’ better kept secrets’, she said. Barmouth is, indeed, very special and its highly rated beach and dramatic surroundings attract visitors to the area in their thousands. But, for many, the town’s less well known localities and buildings remain undiscovered. The first National Trust site, Dinas Oleu (Fortress of Light), four acres of steep hillside once described as ‘Barmouth’s open air sitting rooms’, overlooks the town, yet gaining access to its paths and viewpoints is not straightforward. The attractive Old Town clings to the rock-face above the harbour in the manner of an Italian hill village, its houses connected by paths, not roads; yet many visitors remain unaware of its existence. Barmouth’s medieval buildings, Llanaber Church and Ty Gwyn; the town’s conservation park, Wern Mynach; The Birmingham Monument; the ruins of Gellfechan Farm; Orielton Woods: these wonderful places (and more) remain undiscovered by many visitors. Now, however, finding out about such places has been made easier through the creation of the twenty Barmouth walks contained in this book. The walks incorporate, and often link together, many of the town’s less well-known localities and buildings, thus making them easier for visitors to discover, and delight in, for themselves. Designed to be practical for those who want to spend an hour or two on a walk, rather than take an entire day, the walks are circular and are mostly quite short (up to 3½ miles, one 5 miles). The majority start in the centre of Barmouth at the combined Tourist Information Centre and railway station. Two other starting points, Orielton Woods (on the eastern edge of town) and the northern end of the promenade, are used for a few walks visiting locations nearby.
