accomplishedWe live at the southern end of the Snowdonia National Park and there are so many beautiful locations around here that there is no shortage of places to walk. Then time slips by and, before you notice, it's nearly three years since you visited a favourite place and you decide it's time to go back.
Currently, the weather is alternating Summery with Definitely Not Summery, so we grabbed the chance last Thursday to escape to the forest for a walk. It was a lovely day sandwiched between two days of heavy rain.
I've already posted the B&W arty photo I took that day, the coiled wire and broken window of one of the old mine buildings, so here is a general view of the old mine site.
Gwynfynydd mine has a long history, but was last worked seriously in the 1990s. They tried supplementing the income from gold by having part of the mine open to tourists, but for various reasons it closed in 1999 and nothing has been done with the site since.
Photo showing the entrance to the old workings
I love the comment on this website:
"Still privately owned, explorers are most unwelcome. The river turns orange when people enter the mine, giving the game away!"
So don't even think of trespassing. :) Actually, G has been through the mine several times and I climbed all the way up it once. You used to be able to enter the mine through this tunnel, climb up the old ladders up the mineshafts and walk along the old tunnels until you finally come out on the top of the hill above. But that was in about 1982 during a period when the mine was disused and before it re-opened in 1993. It was unsafe enough then, I don't think nearly 25 more years of decay would have done much for the state of the ladders that were already crumbling and rotting back then.
But it's not all ruins. The old industrial site is set in the most beautiful forest. Here, not far from the mine is the spectacular waterfall Pistyll Cain.
This walk formed part of my Eowyn challenge journey. I am currently following Frodo and Sam's journey to Mordor and Mount Doom.
Miles travelled since last update: 52 (7 of them on the walk described in this post)
Miles travelled so far: 55 (2298 from Bag End)
Miles still to go: 415
Percentage complete: 12%
Point reached on journey:
We have continued into barren, rugged hills. There is not even any grass. We have seen the glow of Gollum's eyes in the dark! Now we are approaching the Dead Marshes, but we are lost. Finally we climb down to the bottom of ravine and look out toward Mordor.
