The Sublime Mawddach

Barmouth (once better known in Welsh as Y Bermo), used to be a seaport, trading the coarse woollen goods of Merionydd with the Americas. In those days the cottages that made up the village were strung out across terraces in the cliffs and there was one pub, the Corsygedol Arms, to cater for the traveller. There wasn't enough room to squeeze the main road from Harlech between those rocks and the sea, so it by-passed the village and instead went inland, over the Rhinog mountain passes.

In the mid-19th century it all changed. Barmouth built a main street on the beach. The traveller became more frequent and the resort's sea and sand started to attract the gentry from the Midlands. Barmouth also came to the notice of the rich and famous: the poet, Wordsworth said of the Mawddach Estuary that it was sublime and equal to any in Scotland. Artists like JMW Turner and Richard Wilson came to capture the changing light and renowned beauty of estuary and mountainside.

In 1867 the railway came, and a new bridge was engineered across the sands of the estuary. It was half a mile (800m) in length and had a swing section across the Mawddach's main channel to allow shipping to pass. Today when you walk the streets of Barmouth you can see that the town is not as smart as it was in its heyday. It's still in the most wonderful situation though and, as you step on to the wooden boards of that half-mile (800m) foot and railway bridge, you can feel exactly what Wordsworth felt.

The view is best when the sun's shining and the tide's half out. That way the waters of the Mawddach will be meandering like a pale blue serpent amidst pristine golden sandbars. Across the estuary your eyes cannot help but be drawn to mighty Cadair Idris. This is not one mountain, but a long ridge with several peaks, each displaying fierce cliffs that soar above the wooded foothills. The biggest is Penygadair at 2,927ft (892m), but the most prominent is Tyrrau Mawr, a shapely peak with a seemingly overhanging crag. As you get to the other side you can look back to Barmouth, and you will see how this town has been built into the rocks of the lower Rhinogs. Across the bridge you're ready to explore those wooded foothills. Through Arthog the path climbs between oak trees and you find yourself looking across to some waterfalls, thundering into a wooded chasm. At the top you are presented with an elevated view of all that you have seen so far, the estuary, the sandbars, the mountains and the yawning bridge. By the time you return to Barmouth you will have experienced that 'sublime' Mawddach.

Where to eat and drink

Barmouth has many pubs, cafés and fish and chip shops to feed the hungry. Alternatively you could try Halfway House at Bont Ddu or the George III, which lies on the southern side of Penmaenpool toll bridge. Here you can splash out on a splendid meal.

While you're there

There's a narrow gauge steam railway linking Fairbourne with Penrhyn Point, reached by ferry from Barmouth. The railway dates back to 1895 when Arthur McDougall, of McDougalls flour fame, built it for horse-drawn trams used to transport materials for Fairbourne village.

What to look for

Near the place you cross the Arthog river (on Walk 39), at the top of the woods, is Llys Bradwen. These days its no more than banks covered by grass, but here are the remains of large wooden hall from a Dark Ages house. In those times it would have been occupied by the local chieftain, Ednowain ap Bradwen.