Where
is it ? The walk starts at Pont-y-Pant Station In the beautiful
Lledr Valley, close to Dolwyddelan,
near Betws y Coed, Snowdonia North Wales.
How long will it take ? 5 miles. The walk took me and Eifion
6 hours to complete. But we did take a few wrong turns and did a lot
of dawdling along the way.
What's the attraction ? Includes forest tracks, pastureland
in the beautiful Wybrnant valley, riverside walk, the historic Welsh
house known as Ty Mawr, views of Snowdonia, tumbling streams and pools.
Rating : Moderate. But best walked after a dry spell as the first
section, the forest section, can be very boggy.
Essentials : Walking
boots and appropriate wet weather clothes required, expect to sink up
to your ankles on the boggy ground at the top of the climb. OS map and
compass.
Directions : [
Map
of Pont y Pant to Wybrnant Valley Walk location ]
If travelling by
train on the Conwy Valley Railway (recommended) leave the train at Pont
y Pant station, exit the station turn right and walk along the lane toward
Dolmurgoch cottage.
If travelling by car there is little space to park near Pont-y-Pant and
you may have to park in Dolwyddelan. Take the A470 from Betws-y-Coed
to Dolwyddelan. Turn left at the Gwydir Pub and continue to the Dolwyddelan Railway
Station car park at Pentre Bont. Exit the car park and bear right follow
the lane for 1 mile to metal gate close to Dolmurgoch cottage. Ladder
style is on the right.
Facilities : None at Pont-y-Pant Station, but refreshments are
available at Plas Hall close to the end of the walk, and in the village
of Dolwyddelan there is a Spar shop, public
toilets, and the Gwydyr Pub with meals.
Lets Go !
On exiting Pont-y-Pant Station turn right and follow
the lane for .5km (.3
mile) to Dol
mur Goch, a cottage on the
right of the lane. Take the ladder style on the left side of the road
and climb the track through the field to the forestry track at the
top of the field. (Tip. To avoid the muddy patch in the middle of
the field scramble over the remains of a stone wall
among the trees). Bear left along the forestry track, the road bends
to the left, then right, then left again before passing a farmstead
on your right hand side. Continue forward along the track, passing through
a metal gate. Find a waymarker Immediately on your right. Follow the
waymarker taking the narrow track at the edge of the forestry plantation.
Walk alongside the stone wall that forms a boundary between the forest
and the farmstead. The view opens up with chickens and cows in the
foreground and the hills of Snowdonia in the distance.
Continue along the trail heading back into the trees. You will see plenty
of evidence of foxes along the trail, those chickens being too much of
a temptation for old Reynard.
After a short climb the trail opens out with a pretty display of bluebells
in the springtime. But be careful here as the waymarkers can be deceiving.
One arrow beckons you to continue on, bearing to the left, while another
bears to the right. Ignore the leftward instruction unless you want to
visit the "falling over fields". We went left and spent half an hour
falling over and still couldn't find the trail. It was a laugh though!
We retraced our steps and took the other trail bearing right and we were
soon on our way again.
The trail continues uphill and through the forest with clearings every
now and then offering delightful 
views of the Carneddau range of mountains
to the north.
On reaching the highest point of the walk the landscape again opens out
with views of Moel Siabod across the Lledr Valley, Mount Snowdon in the
far distance, Tryfan can just be seen to the right of Siabod, and the hill
of Y Ro Wen away to the west. It is possible to take the trail to the summit
of Y Ro Wen and the village of Dolwyddelan from here but that's for
another day.
Our aim is to reach the Wybrnant Valley which according to the map means
cutting across the open land and then bearing to the left to a style
that crosses the boundary fence between the open land and the forestry
plantation. However this route (as of 2008) is blocked by rows of fallen
trees, which necessitates Plan B.
Plan B is to bear to the right, west, for a few hundred yards until
joining the Dolwyddelan track. On joining this track follow it back heading
left toward another boundary fence and cross the ladder style.
From here the ground improves considerably and it's all downhill to
Wybrnant. This is the best part of the walk with the verdant pastureland
of Wybrnant coming into view. We leave behind the plantation pine trees
and welcome the broad leaf trees of the lower hillsides. The forest track
becomes a winding lane flanked on both sides by ancient stone walls
and hazel coppice leading down to Ty Mawr.
Ty Mawr hold's an important place in the heart of the Welsh nation,
being the birthplace of Bishop William 
Morgan who translated the
Bible into the Welsh language. The house has been restored to its 16th–17th-century
appearance and houses a display of Welsh bibles.
There is a small fee to enter Ty Mawr but there is no charge to picnic
on the old stone bridge and enjoy the peace and quiet of the Wybrnant
Valley.
To continue the walk retrace your steps a few yards and take the road
north alongside the river through the valley. Depending on the season
you may see brown trout in the streams, bluebells in the woods, brilliant
white hawthorn, and river boulders carpeted in emerald green moss amid
tumbling waterfalls.
As the season warms (we should be so lucky) Wales' woolly quadrupeds
are assisted in removing their overcoats by hairy Welsh bipeds. Yes you
may see the Welsh farmers shearing their sheep in the peaceful Wybrnant
valley.
And should you pause awhile where the river starts to tumble down
the hillside to the Lledr you may be fortunate to glimpse even stranger
looking beings ....the Tylwyth Teg, the ellyllon, goblins or fairies
playing in the enchanted grove that sits close to the lane.
If you can break the spell of Wybrnant then continue on your way down
the steep hill into the Lledr Valley. Half way down the hill is the old
school at Cyfyng. In bygone days the children came from far and wide
to attend the school, but it makes you wonder from where they came as
it is the only building to be seen for miles around. The children
crossed the hills and the valleys and through the forest trails to attend
this little school on the hill. And fortunately for us one of the old
forest trails is still visible next to the school house.
Leave the road and take the trail heading west through the forest until
it once again joins the larger forestry track that leads back to Pont-y-Pant.
Here you have the option to bear left and take the high road back to
the station, or look carefully and you will find another track leading
down through the woodlands. Take this track for the scenic riverside
route home. The trail passes through a camping site, follow the waymarker
to the riverside walk. The track cuts through a tunnel below the Conwy
Valley Railway Line and then keeps close to the river for much of the
way back.
After heavy rain this section can become particularly boggy but fortunately
there is an alternative track set just back from the river.
Both tracks converge below the dramatic Pont-y-Pant Falls. But unfortunately
the right of way takes us away from the falls and past both the Lledr
Hall and Plas Hall before joining the lane to Pont-y-Pant Station.
Attractions
and facilities near Pont-y-Pant: