The Mawddach Trail

Horse Trails & Horse Tails

by Jenni Miller

Introduction

I enjoy studying maps looking for routes to ride. For years I have looked at the Mawddach Trail a Sustrans route planned and built for walkers and cyclists. Various people had told me that there were cycle gates a horse could not negotiate so I frustratingly abandoned the idea of riding it until early this year.

Having another look at that part of the world (Dolgellau towards the West coast) I noticed a Sustrans route going along a track in a wild and woolly area. I checked it out visually on the computer and discovered that it was a really beautiful route.

If I included the trail, I calculated a total distance of about 30 miles which I considered too long for one days ride, so I set about looking for horse and rider accommodation for one, possibly two nights. It was so hard to find anything, especially for horses, that I gave up trying for months. Most places rented cottages and understandably refused one/two nighters. No farmer would entertain a horse in their field, citing they had cattle. I can't see what the problem was and even the suggestion of me providing electric fencing didn't persuade them.

By accident, and part design, I joined Facebook in late autumn. I posted an appeal for horse and rider accommodation. To my surprise within a day I had the name of a lady that could help who I contacted. I ended up taking my Arab mare, Sharnina, to Dolgellau and riding eighteen miles along the Mawddach Trail and a track called Ffordd Ddu on 3rd December 2011, returning the following day.

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The ride

Saturday

On the Saturday morning we set off for our start point. I needed to top up with fuel on the way and get some money from the bank in Bala. It was a little drizzly and the nearside windscreen wiper was clacking on the bottom of the windscreen suggesting it was loose. So annoying to have to stop and push it back on every now and then, but it had to be done. It made us a bit later than I’d hoped to be for the start. We set off at about 9.30 am heading north for Dolgellau to pick up the Mawddach Trail off the Fairbourne road (A493). The first gate is just a wooden gate and easy to get through.

Subsequent gates are cycle gates as in the picture accompanied in this report. Sharnina is 15hh and fitted easily in the U shape enough to open the gate and for her to pass through. Me thinks it might be worth the challenge to take Didi, our Tennessee Walker one day! She’s a bit taller at 16.1hh.The cycle gates at Penmaenpool had no fencing to the sides and we just walked to the side.

We stopped at one point to chat to a couple and also passed pedestrians and cyclists coming in the opposite direction. I was respectful enough to walk Sharnina on those occasions and to trot her when there was no-one about. Nearing Arthog there was a ding from a pedal cycle and then we
were overtaken by a man on a
Uni-cycle! Wow! He got off near the cycle gate and came to us asking if we minded him taking a photograph of us with him and his Uni-cycle. Of course not and I asked him if he could email it. If I ever receive it I’ll put it in this report!

We got through the cycle gate, had a spot of lunch then headed for the main road. I couldn’t see the little lane I wanted to take that dog-legged from where we came out, so turned right to find the bridlepath that went in the same direction. Gosh! - that was steep and meandering. The gates were really narrow too! Sharnina was good and carried me all the way up, stopping every so often to catch her breath. It was worth the climb. We came out onto a tarmac lane passing a holiday cottage and, turning right, came to a junction. We took the short cut straight ahead up a grassy track, and then turned right onto Ffordd Ddu. The views were brilliant! You could see the Mawddach Estuary and the railway/footbridge to Barmouth.

The track is an old drover’s road and open to all users so we met 4X4s making their way slowly along, but still too fast for Sharnina as she was in SLOW mode – I could walk faster, but I had started getting cramps in the legs. I was beginning to get concerned about the amount of daylight left and urged her on, but not with much success as she soon dropped to slow mode again. Some while on we met a farmer on his farm bike with a gun fastened to the front of it. He switched his engine off and I asked him how far it was to Rhoslefain. He said it was ten minutes. That does make you feel good for a split second! “Ten minutes on that or this?”, I said pointing lastly to Sharnina. “It depends on how fast you go”, he said. “She’s tired so it won’t be very fast!”, I replied. “Well if you shift the bugger, I’ll get going!”, he responded! How funny!

It was really dusk by now and I knew we wouldn’t make it before dark fell. Shortly after we came to a junction and two motorcyclists came from ahead and turned off onto the other track. Tempted, I nearly took us that way but decided against it. Although the map was impossible to read now, I knew we shouldn’t deviate from straight on. We could just about see the track. Sharnina was good and waded through mud and wet – seeing she hates puddles, it was a mean feat! We came to Pant Gwyn, a dark, eerie, spooky shadow of a derelict farmhouse. We turned left onto the tarmac road. I had mobile reception and phoned home to ask David (hubby) to ring ahead for me and let them know we were OK and quite near. Doesn’t the last few miles feel the longest? We could see the street lights near the coast and hear the sea. We carried on down the lane and came to the main road. Sharnina was bothered by something at the building just before the road, so I got off and led her past. There was no sign to confirm the village we were in. I looked at the parish notice board but the street lights were creating shadows making it difficult to read. I turned round and looked across the road and could see stabling though a door in a barn. I knew I had to turn right and immediately right again at the road so I realized we had arrived! We walked over the road and into the farmyard.

Ellis and Sarah came out of the dark and welcomed us. Sarah showed us into the barn I’d seen from the road and Sharnina was settled in a lovely straw bedded stable. I have been struggling with Sharnina’s mud fever for weeks and getting nowhere. Sarah professed to be ace at getting rid of it and she treated her before we went in for a very tasty cup of tea! Loads more cups of tea, yummy dinner and talking we didn’t realise the time and didn’t go to bed till after midnight.

Sunday

Sarah checked Sharnina’s mud fever in the morning and most of the scabs came away! All in one night, Wow! She bandaged it again to prevent mud getting in on the homeward journey. We could hear rain on the barn roof and it was quite windy and I convinced myself it was going to be showery!! I was concerned about doing the 14 miles (22.4 kms) I had planned and decided to go more direct along Ffordd Ddu instead of the exploratory detour cutting out a hours riding. That could do for another ride.

We set off having said goodbyes to our lovely hosts. I really enjoyed the visit and wished it could be longer. It was great to see the beautiful scenery this time. Sharnina was still slow and we came to an impasse. She had at least five minutes grass eating at each gate.

We did have showers, some of them heavy sleet. Sharnina saw a farm bike going round sheep in a field. Ears pricked forward she started a healthy trot ignoring the wet and stony surface, face turned upward on the mountain! I loved the change of pace and capitalized on it till she ran out of will power to carry on!!

When we reached the tarmac lane we passed yet another derelict farmhouse. No roof, but walls and chimneys intact. There are many to be seen like this in Snowdonia and such a shame as the past dies with them. Whilst the Snowdonia National Park is preserving the habitat and communities it seems to have a negative attitude to allowing reasonable preservation of these properties. So as a result they are left to decay and they litter the countryside. Also they wrongly encourage holiday homes which affect those that live in the area. This is a living landscape which needs these houses to be in constant use to keep these communities alive.

The lane was newly tarmacked, dark and wet. Sharnina was concerned. It looked like we could fall into a deep abyss! So head down she trotted for short distances along the road. The rain and sleet insisted on tipping on it as well! We took a left turn onto another lane. In the summer it would have been very pretty dropping downhill to the bridge over the stream. This lane ends up near Kings Youth Hostel and close to where we had parked. We got to it just after 2pm.

The area is so beautiful even in December. Many paths and tracks take you for miles without seeing another soul and well worth a visit. Unfortunately my camera battery gave out and I was only able to take a few pictures, so go there yourself, if you can, to experience it!