Posts tagged Anglesey

All The Welsh parkruns

There are currently 61 parkrun events in Wales of which I have completed 5. The first Welsh event was Cardiff which started on February 16th 2008 and the newest is Llwybr Dyffryn Tywi, Nantgaredig which started on April 11th 2026. The name for having completed all parkrun events in Wales is “Plugged The Leek”.

Severn Bridge parkrun’s start and end are in Monmouthshire, Wales. However the course extends into Gloucestershire, England.

Three 5k parkrun events in Wales have been permanently cancelled: Bodelwyddan Castle, Caldicot and Llanelli Coast. Each has been replaced by other nearby events.

Numbers exclude 2k Junior parkruns and any events that are not open to the general public such as prisons or armed forces facilities.

Welsh parkruns by County

If you’re exploring Welsh geography, the county names can feel a little tangled. Wales has layers of counties: some ancient, some administrative, some ceremonial, and they don’t all line up neatly. Here’s a clear guide to how the historic and preserved counties fit together.

The historic counties, with names like Glamorgan, Pembrokeshire, and Denbighshire, date back to the 16th century, when the Laws in Wales Acts (1535–1542) established them as the framework for local government, justice, and taxation.

They no longer have any official administrative role, but they remain deeply woven into Welsh life. People still use them for cultural identity, local geography, sporting organisations, and heritage. In many ways, these counties are the mental map that Wales still lives by.

The preserved counties are much more recent. They are based on the administrative counties created in 1974, when Wales underwent a major reorganisation of local government. Those 1974 counties, such as Dyfed, Gwent, and Clwyd, ran local services until 1996.

In 1996, another restructuring replaced them with today’s 22 principal areas. At the same time, the preserved counties were formally created to keep the old 1974 boundaries alive for ceremonial purposes.

Today, their role is narrow but important: they define the areas served by the Lord-Lieutenants and High Sheriffs of Wales. Beyond that, they don’t influence local government or everyday administration.

Glamorgan is the Welsh historic county with the most events at 19. Montgomeryshire has the least with 1 event.
Gwent is the Welsh preserved county with the most parkrun events at 12. Powys has the least with 4 events.
Cardiff and Gwynedd are the principal areas with the most parkrun events at 5 each. Merthyr Tydfil and Wrexham have the least with 1 each

All of the Welsh parkrun events …

Below are each of the Welsh parkrun events in alphabetical order. A few things to note:

The interactive maps below take you to the approximate location for the course, typically the centre of the park. See the course instructions in the parkrun page for each event for specific directions to the start.
Course maps and elevation profiles show the route at the time that I ran it and may have changed since then. See the Course page in the event’s page on parkrun.org.uk for the current course outline. Note that course outlines are from Garmin data during a specific run and may vary from the officially measured distance.
Please contact me If you spot an event that doesn’t have a course map and elevation profile and you would like to donate one from your own run. I’m also interested in maps and elevation profiles for courses that have changed or where there’s regular alternative route (e.g. Horsham). I’ll need a GPX file from your run plus the date. I’ll include a credit for you and will donate £1 to parkrun.

Aberbeeg

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Monmouthshire
Preserved County: Gwent
Principal Area: Blaenau Gwent
Inaugural: November 3rd 2018
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Aberdare

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Glamorgan
Preserved County: Mid Glamorgan
Principal Area: Rhondda Cynon Taf
Inaugural: June 9th 2018
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Aberfields

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Glamorgan
Preserved County: Mid Glamorgan
Principal Area: Bridgend
Inaugural: August 19th 2023
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Aberystwyth

I completed this event on: August 15th 2015 with a finish time of: 24:42
Other routes touched: None
Historic County: Cardiganshire
Preserved County: Dyfed
Principal Area: Ceredigion
Inaugural: September 1st 2012
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Barry Island

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Glamorgan
Preserved County: South Glamorgan
Principal Area: Vale of Glamorgan
Inaugural: May 2nd 2015
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Bodelwyddan Castle

***Bodelwyddan Castle parkrun is now permanently cancelled ***

I did not complete this event before it was closed
Historic County: Flintshire
Preserved County: Clwyd
Principal Area: Denbighshire
Inaugural: August 18th 2018. Final event: #35 on June 29th 2019
Reason for cancellation: Closure of the castle and grounds to the public.
Replaced by: Nova Prestatyn (maybe not officially but many of the core team moved there)
Links: Event Home Page, Wikipedia

Bryn Bach

I completed this event on: April 4th 2015 with a finish time of: 25:12
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 46, 467
Historic County: Monmouthshire
Preserved County: Gwent
Principal Area: Blaenau Gwent
Inaugural: July 21st 2012
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Brynaman

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Carmarthenshire
Preserved County: Dyfed
Principal Area: Carmarthenshire
Inaugural: September 21st 2019
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Caldicot

***Caldicot parkrun is now permanently cancelled ***

I did not complete this event before it was closed
Historic County: Monmouthshire
Preserved County: Gwent
Principal Area: Monmouthshire
Inaugural: July 29th 2017. Final event: #7 on October 14th 2017
Reason for cancellation: Suspended due to railway works.
Replaced by: Rogiet
Links: Event Home Page

Cardiff

I completed this event on: August 19th 2023 with a finish time of: 27:12
Other routes touched (walk): Cambrian Way, Taff Trail
Other routes touched (cycle): Lôn Las Cymru (NCN 8)
Historic County: Glamorgan
Preserved County: South Glamorgan
Principal Area: Cardiff
Inaugural: February 16th 2008
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Chippenham Playing Fields, Monmouth

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Monmouthshire
Preserved County: Gwent
Principal Area: Monmouthshire
Inaugural: July 16th 2022
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Coed Cefn-pwll-du

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Glamorgan
Preserved County: Gwent
Principal Area: Caerphilly
Inaugural: September 24th 2022
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Colby

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Pembrokeshire
Preserved County: Dyfed
Principal Area: Pembrokeshire
Inaugural: August 30th 2014
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Conwy

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Caernarfonshire
Preserved County: Clwyd
Principal Area: Conwy
Inaugural: January 10th 2015
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Cosmeston Lakes

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Glamorgan
Preserved County: South Glamorgan
Principal Area: Vale of Glamorgan
Inaugural: March 7th 2020
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Cwmbran

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Monmouthshire
Preserved County: Gwent
Principal Area: Torfaen
Inaugural: June 18th 2016
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Cycle Route 43, Ystalyfera

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Glamorgan
Preserved County: West Glamorgan
Principal Area: Neath Port Talbot
Inaugural: April 27th 2024
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Dolgellau

I completed this event on: June 22nd 2019 with a finish time of: 24:53
Other routes touched (cycle): Lôn Las Cymru (NCN 8)
Other routes touched (walk): Mawddach Trail
Historic County: Merionethshire
Preserved County: Gwynedd
Principal Area: Gwynedd
Inaugural: February 13th 2016
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Erddig

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Denbighshire
Preserved County: Clwyd
Principal Area: Wrexham
Inaugural: May 14th 2016
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Flint Castle

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Flintshire
Preserved County: Clwyd
Principal Area: Flintshire
Inaugural: January 10th 2026
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Gnoll

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Glamorgan
Preserved County: West Glamorgan
Principal Area: Neath Port Talbot
Inaugural: September 5th 2015
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Grangemoor

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Glamorgan
Preserved County: South Glamorgan
Principal Area: Cardiff
Inaugural: October 31st 2015
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Greenfield Valley

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Denbighshire
Preserved County: Clwyd
Principal Area: Flintshire
Inaugural: March 14th 2020
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Groe

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Brecknockshire
Preserved County: Powys
Principal Area: Powys
Inaugural: March 2nd 2019
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Hafan Pwllheli

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Caernarfonshire
Preserved County: Gwynedd
Principal Area: Gwynedd
Inaugural: February 16th 2019
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Haverfordwest

I have not yet completed this event
Other routes touched (cycle): N/A, although NCN 4 runs past the southern edge of the course
Historic County: Pembrokeshire
Preserved County: Dyfed
Principal Area: Pembrokeshire
Inaugural: September 23rd 2017
This event is part of the Compass Club challenge
Course Map and Elevation Profile by: Mark Brace on August 27th 2022
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Llanelli Coast

***Llanelli Coast parkrun is now permanently cancelled ***

I did not complete this event before it was closed
Historic County: Carmarthenshire
Preserved County: Dyfed
Principal Area: Carmarthenshire
Inaugural: November 19th 2016. Final event: #161 on March 7th 2020
Reason for cancellation: Not due to a single event, but rather its operations shifted to become the nearby Sandy Water parkrun, though the original site faced issues like flooding and changing conditions over time.
Replaced by: Sandy Water
Links: Event Home Page

Llanerchaeron

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Cardiganshire
Preserved County: Dyfed
Principal Area: Ceredigion
Inaugural: January 6th 2018
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Llanfoist Crossing

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Monmouthshire
Preserved County: Gwent
Principal Area: Monmouthshire
Inaugural: November 22nd 2025
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Llanishen Park

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Glamorgan
Preserved County: South Glamorgan
Principal Area: Cardiff
Inaugural: June 18th 2022
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Llwybr Dyffryn Tywi, Nantgaredig

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Carmarthenshire
Preserved County: Dyfed
Principal Area: Carmarthenshire
Inaugural: April 11th 2026
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Llyn Llech Owain

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Carmarthenshire
Preserved County: Dyfed
Principal Area: Carmarthenshire
Inaugural: July 13th 2013
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Maesteg

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Glamorgan
Preserved County: Mid Glamorgan
Principal Area: Bridgend
Inaugural: May 25th 2019
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Merthyr

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Glamorgan
Preserved County: Mid Glamorgan
Principal Area: Merthyr Tydfil
Inaugural: April 22nd 2017
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Milford Waterfront

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Pembrokeshire
Preserved County: Dyfed
Principal Area: Pembrokeshire
Inaugural: September 7th 2019
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Nant y Pandy

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Anglesey
Preserved County: Gwynedd
Principal Area: Isle of Anglesey
Inaugural: August 25th 2018
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Newborough Forest

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Anglesey
Preserved County: Gwynedd
Principal Area: Isle of Anglesey
Inaugural: June 23rd 2018
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Newport

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Monmouthshire
Preserved County: Gwent
Principal Area: Newport
Inaugural: March 26th 2011
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Newtown

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Montgomeryshire
Preserved County: Powys
Principal Area: Powys
Inaugural: October 24th 2015
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Nova Prestatyn

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Flintshire
Preserved County: Clwyd
Principal Area: Denbighshire
Inaugural: December 7th 2019
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Old Railway Trail, Llangollen

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Denbighshire
Preserved County: Clwyd
Principal Area: Denbighshire
Inaugural: June 17th 2023
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Parc Coed Gwilym

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Glamorgan
Preserved County: West Glamorgan
Principal Area: Swansea
Inaugural: June 7th 2025
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Parc Dewi Sant

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Carmarthenshire
Preserved County: Dyfed
Principal Area: Carmarthenshire
Inaugural: November 29th 2025
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Park in the Past

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Flintshire
Preserved County: Clwyd
Principal Area: Flintshire
Inaugural: May 3rd 2025
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Penallta

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Glamorgan
Preserved County: Gwent
Principal Area: Caerphilly
Inaugural: July 25th 2015
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Penrhyn

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Caernarfonshire
Preserved County: Gwynedd
Principal Area: Gwynedd
Inaugural: November 15th 2014
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Pont y Bala

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Merionethshire
Preserved County: Gwynedd
Principal Area: Gwynedd
Inaugural: April 13th 2019
The event is part of The Full Ponty challenge
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Pontypool

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Monmouthshire
Preserved County: Gwent
Principal Area: Torfaen
Inaugural: November 23rd 2013
The event is part of The Full Ponty challenge
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Pontypridd

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Glamorgan
Preserved County: Mid Glamorgan
Principal Area: Rhondda Cynon Taf
Inaugural: October 12th 2013
The event is part of The Full Ponty challenge
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Porthcawl

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Glamorgan
Preserved County: Mid Glamorgan
Principal Area: Bridgend
Inaugural: April 6th 2013
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Riverfront

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Monmouthshire
Preserved County: Gwent
Principal Area: Newport
Inaugural: January 21st 2017
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Riverside Walk

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Brecknockshire
Preserved County: Powys
Principal Area: Powys
Inaugural: November 28th 2023
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Rogiet

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Monmouthshire
Preserved County: Gwent
Principal Area: Monmouthshire
Inaugural: October 21st 2017
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Ruthin Memorial Playing Fields

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Denbighshire
Preserved County: Clwyd
Principal Area: Denbighshire
Inaugural: May 28th 2022
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Sandy Water

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Carmarthenshire
Preserved County: Dyfed
Principal Area: Carmarthenshire
Inaugural: August 21st 2021
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Severn Bridge

I completed this event on: November 3rd 2018 with a finish time of: 28:14
Other routes touched (walk): Wales Coast Path
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 4
Historic County: Monmouthshire
Preserved County: Gwent
Principal Area: Monmouthshire
Inaugural: August 11th 2018
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Swansea Bay

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Glamorgan
Preserved County: West Glamorgan
Principal Area: Swansea
Inaugural: October 24th 2015
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Teifi Marshes Nature Reserve

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Cardiganshire
Preserved County: Dyfed
Principal Area: Pembrokeshire
Inaugural: July 22nd 2023
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Trelai Park

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Glamorgan
Preserved County: South Glamorgan
Principal Area: Cardiff
Inaugural: March 7th 2020
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Tremorfa

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Glamorgan
Preserved County: South Glamorgan
Principal Area: Cardiff
Inaugural: October 26th 2019
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Wepre

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Flintshire
Preserved County: Clwyd
Principal Area: Flintshire
Inaugural: May 14th 2016
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Y Promenâd, Aberhonddu

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Brecknockshire
Preserved County: Powys
Principal Area: Powys
Inaugural: June 1st 2024
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Y Promenâd, Abermaw

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Merionethshire
Preserved County: Gwynedd
Principal Area: Gwynedd
Inaugural: June 13th 2024
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Y Promenâd, Llandrillo-yn-Rhos

I have not yet completed this event
Historic County: Denbighshire
Preserved County: Clwyd
Principal Area: Conwy
Inaugural: November 29th 2025
Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

Snowdon

Also known as: Yr Wyddfa
Significance: Highest peak in Caernarfonshire (Historic County Top), Gwynedd (Preserved County and Principal Area), Snowdonia National Park High Point, Wales Country Top
Member of: Marilyn, Furth, Hewitt, Nuttall, Welsh 3000s
Parent Peak: Ben Nevis.
Nearest Higher Neighbour: Stob Binnein
Elevation: 1,085m
Date climbed: 25th July 2016 (and several times before)
Coordinates: 53°4′6.59″N 4°4′34.43″W

Route Start / End: Pen Y Pass car park
Route Distance: 12.4 km (7.7 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 874m
Subsidiary tops on route: Y Lliwedd
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Pyg Track, Llanberis Path, Snowdon Ranger Path, Watkin Path, Miners Track
Other routes touched (cycle): None
OS Trig Pillar: TP6043 - Snowdon Summit
Map: OS Explorer OL17 Snowdon & Conwy Valley
Guidebook: The UK's County Tops (Jonny Muir)
Links: Wikipedia (Caernarfonshire), Wikipedia (Snowdon), Peakbagger

Before the trip I wasn't hugely excited about doing Snowdon again. I'd been up there at least 4 times before and would have rather spent the time on a new peak. Mark, my fellow County Topper, hadn't done it before so we needed to include it. Chris, the third of our group had literally no idea where he was so had no opinion on the matter.

Our plan was to do the Snowdon Horseshoe including the knife-edge Crib Goch. This excited me as I hadn't done any of that route before, normally sticking to the Watkin or Llanberis paths. I was a bit nervous about Crib Goch so I did a bit of Internet research on it the night before. I'm fine with heights but get nervous of slipping so I wanted to find out more about it. It turned out that this kind of research is much the same as looking up the cause of an itchy rash in the Web (You are definitely going to die). Our breakfast time meeting about the route was a good decider to not do it. We were discussing kit and Chris was talking about how proud he was of his new £9.99 waterproofs. He was also not sure about whether he would need to take a backpack or any water. That was it ... Pyg Track to the summit, no Crib Goch.

Despite leaving the B&B early, we soon became an hour and a half behind schedule. The Pen Y Pass Car park gets full really early so we had to go to the next lay-by a couple of miles along the road to Llanberis. The good news was that there’s a regular bus service connecting the stops on the road. The bad news is that non-one, including us, could work out what the bus timetable was telling us. Convinced that the bus would be imminent, we waited an hour before getting into a taxi exactly 30 seconds before the bus came round the corner.

Heading away from Pen Y Pass on the Pyg Track, the sky was overcast and the rain came within 10 minutes. This was further confirmation that our plan to avoid Crib Goch was the best idea ever. I also got the opportunity to stoke my amusement of people on mountains who are unprepared for the the conditions. £9.99 waterproofs were the height of preparedness compared the the walkers in jeans and t shirts and some carrying babies up the highest mountain in Wales.

Just beyond the cloud line we joined the familiar Llanberis Path and reached the summit. Apparently the view is amazing, but in the 5 times I've been there, it's only been dirty fog. After a quick stop at the summit cafe we started the descent along the Watkin Path. I done the Watkin a couple of times in reverse and remember the steep part near the top to be a bit of a wobbly scramble. We must have gone off track on those previous attempts as the path down was significantly more straightforward than I remembered.

At Bwlch Ciliau we left the Watkin and ascended again to Y Lliwedd. This was a new summit for me and, at 898m, it was taller than the majority of County Tops. With some amazing views, my previous disinterest in climbing Snowdon again was long gone.

At the bottom of Lliwedd Bach, the final peak of the Horseshoe, we joined the Miners Track on relatively flat ground. Mark, who was just ahead of Chris and I, had got talking to a lone walker by the reservoir. The guy had done Crib Goch that morning and still looked petrified by the experience. He'd got to the knife edge relatively easily only to have got caught in a strong downpour right at the top. After our breakfast decision Mark and I were worried about whether missing it would take some of the enjoyment out of the day. As it happened, the day was awesome and the had the added bonus of not shitting ourselves and/or falling off.

Snowdon done ... Next stop: Holyhead Mountain.

Holyhead Mountain

Significance: Highest peak in Anglesey / Isle of Anglesey (Historic County Top, Preserved County, Principal Area and National Landscape)
Member of: Marilyn
Parent Peak: N/A.
Nearest Higher Neighbour: Moel Tryfan
Elevation: 220m
Date climbed: 25th July 2016
Coordinates: 53°18′47″N 4°40′35″W

Route Start / End: Car park opposite Ty Mawr Hut Circles on South Stack Road
Route Distance: 4 km (2.5 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 141m
Subsidiary tops on route: none
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Isle of Anglesey Coastal Path
Other routes touched (cycle): None
OS Trig Pillar: TP3989 - Holyhead
Map: OS Explorer 262 Anglesey West
Guidebook: The UK's County Tops (Jonny Muir)
Links: Wikipedia (Anglesey), Wikipedia (Holyhead Mountain), Peakbagger

The problem with Holyhead Mountain in that it's a massive pain in the arse to get to. Holyhead an island off an island in the far North West corner of Wales and takes a long time to get there from anywhere other than Snowdonia. At only 220m high and an hour and a half up and down, it not worth the trip unless you’re in the area anyway. Having just completed Snowdon and with several hours of daylight left, we decided to squeeze in Holyhead Mountain before evening beers.

The last time I’d been to Holyhead was in 2010 for the start of the 4-day NCN Route 8 Wales End-To-End cycle trip. Holyhead was once a thriving town supporting the ferry to Dublin, but had long since fallen on hard times. With a fast road and rail connection straight through to the port, there’s now no need to stop in the town. We were staying there overnight before setting off on the ride and really struggled to find anywhere to eat. Only 1 out of 3 shops in the high street were open with the rest either shut or housing a weird local charity. The Anglesey Feral Cat Action Trust was my favourite. If only I’d got the County Top obsession back then I could have bagged Holyhead Mountain then and avoided a return trip.

The walk, like so many of those I’m not expecting much from, turned out to be surprisingly pleasant. From the RSPB car park, its a gentle incline for about 20 minutes towards the big chalky cliff. A relatively straightforward and well sign-posted path leads through beautifully coloured heather to the trig point at the top. We had a warm but cloudy day so couldn’t see all the way to Dublin, just bits of Holyhead harbour and the ferries coming in and out.

elevation_profile - Holyhead Mountain.jpg

Moel Famau

Significance: Highest peak in Flintshire (Historic County Top and Principal Area), High Point of Preserved County of Clwyd, Clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape High Point
Member of: Marilyn
Parent Peak: Moel y Gamelin.
Nearest Higher Neighbour: Cyrn-y-Brain
Elevation: 555m
Date climbed: 26th July 2016
Coordinates: 53°09′16″N 3°15′21″W

Route Start / End: Car park opposite Pen Barras Lodge on Bwlch Pen Barras Road
Route Distance: 4.4 km (2.7 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 271m
Subsidiary tops on route: none
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Offa’s Dyke Path
Other routes touched (cycle): None
OS Trig Pillar: TP0005 - Moel Fammau
Map: OS Explorer 265 Clwydian Range, Prestatyn, Mold & Ruthin
Guidebook: The UK's County Tops (Jonny Muir)
Links: Wikipedia (Flintshire), Wikipedia (Moel Famau), Peakbagger

Just like Holyhead Mountain, Moel Famau isn’t a County Top that you’d make a big effort to get to just for itself. The summit itself is surrounded by a Country Park with various routes to the top and nice views. We picked the main route from the car-park at the bottom making the round trip in an hour and a half.

The main highlight of Moel Famau is the ruins of the Jubilee Tower, an Egyptian-style monument built in 1810 to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of George III. It was never completed and the actual tower was destroyed in a storm 1862 leaving the base that you can see today.

route-28201264-map-full - Moel Famau.png

Moel Sych

Significance: Highest peak in Montgomeryshire (Historic County Top)
Member of: Marilyn, Nuttall
Parent Peak: Cadair Berwyn
Nearest Higher Neighbour: Cadair Berwyn
Elevation: 827m
Coordinates: 52°52′34″N 3°23′19″W
Links: Wikipedia (Montgomeryshire), Wikipedia (Moel Sych), Peakbagger

Cadair Berwyn

Significance: Highest peak in Denbighshire (Historic County Top), Wrexham (Council Top)
Member of: Marilyn, Hewitt, Nuttall
Parent Peak: Aran Benllyn
Nearest Higher Neighbour: Aran Benllyn
Elevation: 832m
Coordinates: 52°53′02″N 3°22′49″W
OS Trig Pillar: TP1837 - Cader Berwyn
Links: Wikipedia (Denbighshire), Wikipedia (Cadair Berwyn), Peakbagger

For both peaks:
Date climbed: 27th July 2016
Route Start / End: Car park at Pistyll Rhaeadr Waterfall
Route Distance: 10.5 km (6.5 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 597m
Subsidiary tops on route: Cadair Berwyn North Top
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): None
Other routes touched (cycle): None
Map: OS Explorer 255 Llangollen & Berwyn
Guidebook: The UK's County Tops (Jonny Muir)

Two tops in one trip: this was the highlight of the 5-County Top adventure as it was one that I’d not done before and a long, interesting trek. We’d saved this one for last as it was on our way back down South from our base on Betws-y-Coed.

The obvious starting point is a car park at the base of Tan-y-Pistyll Falls, the longest single-drop waterfall in the UK. Jonny Muir’s book recommends a there-and-back route to Cadiar Berwyn via Moel Sych. We followed this route up, but descended via a parallel path on the East side of the valley, ending up a mile further South from the car park. I definitely recommend this as is a far more interesting walk.

Navigation is easy for most of the route except, we found, for a small section near the top of the waterfall leading up to Moel Sych. It took a couple of attempts to find the small path however once on it, its an obvious route to the summit.

We read that Moel Sych was once considered the County Top of both Montgomeryshire and Denbighshire until someone noticed that Cadair Berwyn was higher and both counties got their own summit. When you’re at the top its obvious which one is the higher and hard to imagine how it too so long to discover it.

The route down follows a path curving down the side of a steep drop. Safe enough on a clear day like we had, however I’d seriously consider returning via the Moel Sych route on a low-visibility winter’s day.

route-28201389-map-full Moel Sych & Cadair Berwyn.png

For Merionethshire (Aran Fawddwy), see the Western Wales post, linked below

OTHER HIGH POINTS IN North Wales

Carnedd Llewelyn (1,064m). Highest point in the Principal Area of Conwy: Peakbagger
Aran Fawddwy (905m). Historic County Top of Merionethshire: Peakbagger
Craig Berwyn (790m), Wrexham. Highest point in the Principal Area of Wrexham: Peakbagger

Back to Welsh County Tops Index

Richard gower27 July 2016Trek, UK County Tops, Mountain, Trig Pillar, Snowdonia, National Park, Caernarvonshire, Anglesey, Flintshire, Montgomeryshire, Denbighshire, Wales, Island High PointsComment

Lôn Las Cymru: Cycling The NCN Route 8 Wales End To End

Cycling the NCN route 8, the Welsh End to End, was my alternative Stag Do. Although I had a more traditional one, my interests at the time were returning to the outdoors and this would end up being more memorable. It was a four day, three person adventure through the the heart of Wales.

The route is also know by its Welsh name, Lôn Las Cymru, which means Wales' Blue Lane. I'd only heard of this name in the last few years so I assume it adopted it since our trip. Whatever the name, it's a great North-South end to end as an alternative to, or warm up for the much longer LEJOG.

Unlike LEJOG the far ends of the route are easily accessible by train. We were travelling up from South East England and took a train from London Euston to Crewe then the North Wales Coast line to Holyhead. The return trip from Cardiff is even more straightforward with many options for trains heading east into England.

Once a busy port town for ferries to Dublin, Holyhead has lost its way in recent years. There's not much reason to stop in town now if you're taking the ferry. We were just staying one night but quickly ran out of things to do. It was a few years before I'd started my UK County Top obsession. If I'd known at the time it would have been a short cycle to Holyhead Mountain to bag the highest point in Anglesea. I returned a few years later to claim it on a tour of the North Wales County Tops.

After a good night's sleep we set off early to find the start of the route and make our way south. Splitting the trip into 4 days gives you enough time to see the country and get enough miles in. It also nice splits into 4 distinctly themed days.

Day 1 is beautiful, cutting through the heart of Anglesea, over the Menai Bridge and across the top of the Llyn Peninular. By contrast, Day 2 is hilly with more dramatic scenery as you curve round the south western edge of the Snowdonia National Park. Day 3 is a gentler descent through mid-Wales through some stunning countryside often overlooked by tourists. Day 5 is the Grand Finale, tracking the Taff Trail through the Breacon Beacons National Park, through the valleys to Cardiff Bay.

For a more detailed description of the route I recommend the section in Big Rides (look out for my own Day 3 photo on page 76).

Day 1: Holyhead To Tremadog

Start: NCN8 Sign on Prince of Wales Road, Holyhead
Finish: Ty Newydd, 30 Dublin Street, Tremadog, LL49 9RH
Distance: 108 km (67 miles)
Elevation change: +941m / - 945m / Net -4m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (Cycle): Giach Anglesey Cycle Path, Lôn Las Cefni,
Other Routes Touched (Walk): Isle of Anglesey Coastal Path, Wales Coast Path, Llŷn Coastal Path,
OS Map(s):
- OS Explorer 262 Anglesey West
- OS Explorer Map (263) Anglesey East
- OS Explorer OL17 Snowdon & Conwy Valley
- OS Explorer Map OL18 Harlech, Porthmadog & Bala/Y Bala
Links: Anglesey, Holyhead, Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, Menai Bridge, Tremadog

Day 2: Tremadog To Llangurig

Start: Ty Newydd, 30 Dublin Street, Tremadog, LL49 9RH
Finish: Plas Y Bwlch, Llangurig, Nr Llanidloes, SY18 6RT
Distance: 121 km (75 miles)
Elevation change: +2,358m / - 2,073m / Net +285m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (Cycle): NCN 82, Mawddach Trail
Other Routes Touched (Walk): Wales Coastal Path, Glyndwrs Way, Severn Way
OS Map(s):
- OS Explorer Map OL18 Harlech, Porthmadog & Bala/Y Bala
- OS Explorer Map OL23 Cadair Idris & Llyn Tegid
- OS Explorer Map 215 Newtown, Llanfair Caereinion
- OS Explorer Map 214 Llanidloes & Newtown
Links: Tremadog, Porthmadog, Dolgellau, Llangurig