For my latest review I have decided to return to another area of the British Isles which has very fond childhood memories for me. This time it is the turn of Snowdonia.
I have been to this area of North Wales on more occasions than I can remember, and each time that I visit even now the magic is still there.
GENERAL INFORMATION
The Snowdonia National Park Or Eryri as it is known in Welsh was designated a National Park in 1951 when it became the third National Park to be created in England and Wales.
The Park covers a vast area of 838 square miles, which incorporates two different Mountain ranges, the Carneddau, and Glyderau Mountain ranges. The highest peak in these Mountains is Yr Wyddfa which means "The Tomb" in Welsh, standing 3560 feet above sea level this is Britain's highest point outside of Scotland, and it is more commonly known to non Welsh speakers as Snowdon Mountain.
THE HABITAT OF THE PARK
The Park is famous for its Mountain ranges but it actually covers a diverse variety of different landscapes, ranging from picturesque wooded valleys with their wide rivers and meandering streams to rugged coastlines with sandy beaches.
There are over 23 miles
of coastline within the National Park with sand dunes and estuaries. These are important areas for wading birds and wintering wildfowl, while some of the more remote beaches are the breeding grounds of Little Terns during the Summer months, and also the extremely rare Roseate Tern. The crags and cliffs that surround these bays are the home of Choughs, a member of the Crow family found only within this area in the British Isles.
The Mountains which so often symbolise this region also provide a unique habitat for Birds, Animals and Plants. These include an Artic/Alpine plant called the Snowdon Lily (Lloydia Serotina) which is found here but nowhere else in the world. Another endemic species to the Park is the rainbow coloured Snowdon Beetle (chrysolina cerealis) found only on the slopes of Yr Wyddfa.
PEOPLE & CULTURE
Snowdonia is positioned right in the heart of Welsh speaking Wales and almost 70% of the 27,500 people who live and work within the boundaries of the Park speak Welsh as their mother tongue.
70 % of the land within the Park is in Private ownership with the remainder being owned by the Forestry Commission, the Ministry of Defence, the National Trust and various Local Authorities. The main employment within the Park is with the Forestry Commission who own 16% of the land.
THINGS TO SEE & DO
There are plenty of things to see and do in Snowdonia but the emphasis is on outdoor activities as you would probably expect. These activities include climbing, walking, mountain biking, bird watching, pot holing and fishing. There are over a hundred different Lakes within the Snowdonia National Park and seventeen Nature reserves.
The roads throughout the Park are on the whole fairly good but a car is pretty much a necessity as public transport in the area is rather limited.
This area is steeped in history, not merely because the Mountains have been here for the past 400 million years but it is also rich in legends and folklore and the region has many magnificent castles like the one at Caemarfon.
There are many working tin and copper mines, slate quarries and woollen mills which are open to the public and these are relatively inexpensive to visit. These places can be an excellent day out for all the family, where you can have a try at making pottery, working a loom or etching onto slate.
Most visitors to the region will visit Snowdon Mountain which has its own Mountain Railway that will take you to the summit. This Railway dates back to 1896 and was one of the greatest engineering achievements of its time.
Tickets can be bought from the station at Llanberis, which will take you from here to the summit and back. It is also possible to buy a single ticket if you wish to walk back.
The cost of tickets are as below:
Adult Return - £21 Adult Single - £14 Child Return - £14 Child Single - £11
There are special discounted tickets for Disabled travellers and Early Bird tickets for those wishing to travel at the crack of dawn.
On the summit of Snowdon there is a Restaurant, Cafe and Gift Shop, which does tend to spoil things somewhat but the views from here more than forgive.
ACCOMODATION
Accommodation within the Park is plentiful and there are a wide range of different types of accommodation available to suit all budgets.
At the lower end of the range there are many campsites, some of which have static caravans and chalets for hire, and there are a dozen different Youth Hostels scattered throughout the region.
As a small child I visited this region many times. My parents had a VW Camper Van so we usually stayed on Campsites and travelled around.
As a taster to the Park I would thoroughly recommend that you take a drive along the A548 from Rhyl to Colwyn Bay, this road follows the boundary of the Snowdonia National Park and will take you along the twisting coastline which is probably at its most impressive at Llandudno, where the rocky peninsula juts out into the sea. This road offers magnificent views across the Menai Straits to Anglesey with views of the Menai Suspension bridge on one side of the road and the outline of the Mountain peaks on the other side of the road.
As an adult I have stayed here with a tent on various campsites and I can definitely recommend choosing the area around Betws -y-coed as a base and having a morning wash in the river in the woods. Betws-y-coed is a very picturesque town set within the remnants of an ancient broad leaved Forest of Oak, Ash, Rowan and Hazel that once covered all of these valleys and extended to the Mountain slopes.
CONCLUSION
It actually occurred to me whilst writing this review that it is five years since I last visited this area and therefore I am well overdue a return visit.
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