Countryfile names three Welsh locations in list of ‘the 24 best summer walks in Britain’

Nation.Cymru Staff

Countryfile has named three Welsh locations in a rundown of their ’24 best summer walks in Britain’.

In a piece written by Countryfile’s Group Digital Editor, Carys Matthews, the publication calls for readers to make the most of the longer days and warmer weather with our pick of the best summer walks in the UK, offering a rundown of some of their favourite walks complete with a route and map for anyone hoping to try out the walks for themselves.

Unlike many ‘best of’ lists, the author doesn’t rank each location, instead leaving the reader to make their own mind up.

Matthews writes: “During the long, balmy days of summer, options for walking are seemingly endless. Step out of your door and stroll to your local park or reserve; amble through cool, shady woodlands; follow riverside trails and canal towpaths; relish the seaside charm of a coastal path; head for the high hills or climb mountains.

“With so many options, choosing a summer walk can be tricky. To help you out, we’ve put together a selection of our favourite summer hikes. Each summer walk includes route directions and a map, as well as wildlife highlights, amenities, distances and difficulty.”

The first Welsh walk on the list is at Nant Bochlwyd and Llyn Bochlwyd, Conwy.

With a distance of 2 miles, and a duration: 1.5 hours, Matthews shares: “Almost 200m above the magical Llyn Idwal National Nature Reserve are the mercury waters of Llyn Bochlwyd.”

Unfortunately, in keeping with many Countryfile articles, she forgoes the official Welsh name for Eryri, instead writing: “For many, this small, isolated lake offers a welcome stopping point en route to the vertiginous heights of Tryfan – one of Snowdonia’s (sic.) most prized summits.”

“But the pool has another secret: an unruly cascade that spills from its outflow between two huge rocky buttresses that conjure visions of Tolkien’s Gates of Argonath, or The Pillars of Kings.”

View the walking route and map here.

Despite being in Shropshire, the Welsh language lives on in England in Caer Caradoc Hill, Shropshire, but the next location actually in Wales is Cwm Idwal, Gwynedd at a distance of 3 miles (4.8km) and duration of 2 hours.

Carys Matthews shares: “The jagged peaks that soar over Cwm Idwal dwarf the Arctic-alpine plants that grow on the slopes around its waters.

“To appreciate them fully, you have to crouch down or dangle over them to see their colourful petals hunkered on ledges or in crevices – it’s here that they thrive, feeding on minerals that leach through the rock.”

View the walking route and map here.

The third and final location in Wales to feature in the Countryfile ‘best of’ is St Davids Peninsula, Pembrokeshire at a distance of 9.5 miles (15km) and a duration of 5 hours.

Matthews writes: “This superb coastal walk follows the trails of some of the Dark Age saints, for whom the St Davids Peninsula was a place of pilgrimage, and passes beside the wild waters of Ramsey Sound.

“The area is home to a wealth of wildlife, from dolphins and porpoise to peregrines and chough.”

View the walking route and map here.

Read Countryfile’s rundown of ‘the 24 best summer walks in Britain, from riverside trails to pristine beaches and Highland escapes’ in full here.

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