We left the sun behind yesterday and drove over to the cooler and cloudy North Wales coast. Our first destination was Aber Falls. I’d been there a couple of times, the last time as an add on to a lengthy circuit along the coast and amongst the Carneddau foothills on a surprisingly fine day in February. This time I was with J who wanted an easier wander, so we parked up in the car park at the top end of the village and did a “there and back” along the track to Rhaeadr Fawr – the large falls. The cloud base was quite low and the tops of the hills were hidden, but it created quite a moody atmosphere. It was cool, but not cold and still tee shirt weather.
I’d told J it was a flat route – but, of course, flat is a relative term. Still, it’s not a difficult walk with plenty of interest, including the site of a prehistoric settlement
and a spectacular climax
Close up to the falls it looks impressive, although the top part of the cascades can’t be seen from this angle
and you get a better impression from a little further away.
I was surprised how busy it was on a cloudy Tuesday outside the main holiday period. The car park was almost full, but only almost so we did manage to find a space. Consequently there were quite a few people making their way to the falls.
We didn’t walk over to Rhaeadr Bach, the smaller (another relative term) but spent a little time watching people precariously navigating their way around the bottom of the falls and a small group of lads, who must have been “base jumpers” or Parkour practitioners, jumping across the pool to land on the rock face below the falls. We then returned to the car reversing our route.
We drove over to the Aber Falls Distillery for a bite to eat at their Visitor centre, and then, avoiding the temptation to purchase from the shop, set off for Llanfairfechan, where we parked up on the prom and booted up for a coastal walk (which was flat!).
The tide was in when we set off but it was turning. Just like Morecambe Bay with the gently sloping sea bed in the Menai Straits the tide goes in and out very quickly so extensive sand and mud flats were revealed during our relatively short walk along the shore.
We wanted to avoid the worst of the traffic on the journey home – the M56 and M6 are awful between about 3 and 7 o’clock on a working day, so we decided to call in at Llandudno where we enjoyed an easy stroll along the broad Promenade.
The cloud was beginning to clear and the Little Orme was intermittently lit up with a shaft of sunlight
Llandudno claims an association, of sort, with Lewis Carrol’s Alice in Wonderland. The inspiration for eponymous heroine, Alice Liddell, had a holiday home, ‘Penmorfa’, on Llandudno’s West Shore. Not surprisingly, the resort take advantage of this and there’s an Alice Trail with sculptures dotted around the town. We spotted the Mad Hatter on the Prom
Time to set of for home. We’d done a total of about 10 miles altogether. Easier walking than normal for me, but still enjoyable even if the sunshine was absent.
It was a quiet drive home as hoped. probably helped by the England v Slovenia match that was on the TV that evening – I suspect folk bagged off work early. I caught some of the second half and what a dreary experience it was.
Down by the Dougie 
White Friars and its garden are looking particularly pretty – I’ve always liked those houses along there. I love the seagull on top of the Mad Hatter 🙂
The garden was looking particularly splendid.
Making the best of a grey day. I’ve only been to Llandudno once and I really enjoyed it.
The walk along the prom is a joy, especially in the evening
I always regret I’ve never done enough walking in Wales.
As I always say John, “too many places and not enough time”
It is always busy at Aber Falls, deservedly so. The last time I was there I came in from the top on the North Wales Coast Path which gives a different perspective.
I walked down to the falls that way during my walk in February this year. I think it gives you the better view as you approach from higher level