{"id":12548,"date":"2022-05-16T12:30:19","date_gmt":"2022-05-16T11:30:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/becster.com\/?p=12548"},"modified":"2024-02-23T13:30:42","modified_gmt":"2024-02-23T13:30:42","slug":"the-snowdonian-circular","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/becster.com\/cy\/the-snowdonian-circular\/","title":{"rendered":"The Snowdonia Circular"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

A few years back I was waiting to catch my bus to work and got talking to some visitors at the bus stop. They were staying in Caernarfon and were going to do the Snowdonia Circular\u2026 taking the bus to Bangor from Caernarfon and then find their way back to Caernarfon via train. Ever since that conversation I\u2019ve been meaning to do the trip. I\u2019m hoping that this Summer I\u2019ll finally achieve it. (Interestingly it wasn\u2019t on my\u00a02022 Railway Bucket List<\/a>\u00a0but hey ho!)<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Now I\u2019ve deliberated long and hard about which way to take this route and I think I\u2019ve decided on the anti clockwise route. Mainly because I love to hear my Ffestiniog engines chuffing\u2026 and there\u2019s a better chuff uphill. Actually the route through Tanygrisiau looks better on the way up in my opinion. It is possible to the journey in the opposite direction as well.\u00a0More on that later but for now let’s get started! I’m starting the journey at Llandudno Junction seeing as that’s the way to North Wales on the National Network.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Llandudno Junction to Bangor \u2013 North Wales Coast Line<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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The North Wales Coast Line is part of the National network and takes you from Llandudno Junction through to Holyhead. However we only need to go a few miles (approx 15 miles) along the route to Bangor. The journey offers coastal views of the Great Orme and Anglesey and crosses the modern day Cegin Viaduct<\/a> before arriving at Bangor via a tunnel. In fact I find Bangor Station to be an odd one as you enter the station via a tunnel and exit the station via a tunnel.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

[Journey time approx 15 \u2013 20 mins]<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Bangor to Caernarfon \u2013 Bus Route TrawsCymru T2<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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This is the only section which cannot be done by rail. But never fear, there\u2019s a a TfW\u00a0TrawsCymru T2<\/a>\u00a0bus which can be taken to complete the circuit. The T2 bus links Bangor to Aberystwyth and if I remember correctly, the journey is in two legs \u2013 one from Aberystwyth to Dolgellau where you change for the second leg from Dolgellau to Bangor. As it happens you only need to do a small proportion of the T2 journey \u2013 the 10 or so miles from Bangor Station to Caernarfon.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The alternative is to hop on an Arriva Buses 5C service which is a more regular service than the T2 service.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

[Journey time approx 25-30 mins]<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Caernarfon to Porthmadog \u2013 Welsh Highland Railway<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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\"Ffestiniog<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

After a little walk from the bus station, finally we get some steam trains! This is one half of the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways<\/a> being the Welsh Highland line between Caernarfon and Porthmadog. This stretch of the line takes in the views of\u00a0Yr Wyddfa<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0Snowdon<\/a>\u00a0(highest mountain in Wales) and\u00a0Aberglaslyn Pass<\/a>, passes through the villages of Rhyd Ddu and Beddgelert on it\u2019s way to Porthmadog.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Majority of the services are hauled by the mighty Garratts. Originally servicing the South African Railways there are now three NG16s in service along the line. They are quirky things to look at but they\u2019re powerful machines which can haul those carriages all the way to Porthmadog.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

[Journey time approx 75 mins]<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Porthmadog to Blaenau Ffestiniog \u2013 Ffestiniog Railway<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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\"Merddin<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

In my (completely biased) opinion this is the best part of this journey \u2013 my beloved\u00a0Ffestiniog Railway<\/a>! Now officially a UNESCO World Heritage Site! As far as I’m concerned, this is my<\/strong> railway! I grew up with this going through my garden and LOVED watching the trains as a child. I drifted away from the railway in my teenage years but thankfully as fate would have it, I found my way back in 2019. Anyway I digress…<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Originally opened to serve the slate quarries of the Ffestiniog area, this beautifully restored narrow garage railway runs the 13.5 miles from Blaenau Ffestiniog to Porthmadog. Today the trains are simply to carry tourists although you\u2019ll find people like me also travel simply for the pure joy it brings.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Various locomotives pull the passenger trains although usually the ones on the Blaenau train are my beautiful Double Fairlies (as pictured above)<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

(Current service to Blaenau Ffestiniog is the Mountain Spirit service \u2013 check the\u00a0FestRail\u00a0website for full details of this service \u2013 how good is the video though?\u00a0*cough*I\u00a0<\/em>might\u2019ve filmed bits*cough*<\/em>)<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

[Journey time approx 75 mins]<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Blaenau Ffestiniog to Llandudno Junction \u2013 Conwy Valley Line<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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The final leg of the Snowdonia Circular is along the standard gauge branch line of the Conwy Valley Line<\/a>. The whole line runs from the major slate mining town of\u00a0Blaenau Ffestiniog<\/a> (also part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site) through to the coastal town of Llandudno. For the purposes of the Snowdonia Circular you actually don\u2019t go to Llandudno itself but stop at Llandudno Junction which was your initial starting point. However I would highly recommend a trip into Llandudno to see a fine seaside town with it\u2019s Victorian era wonders. (Check out this post of\u00a0things to do on the Great Orme<\/a><\/em>).<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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Highlights of this line is of course the slate landscape of Blaenau Ffestiniog, the castle at\u00a0Dolwyddelen<\/a>, the viaduct of Bont Gethin (although best seen from the road rather than from the train), the picturesque village of Betws Y Coed (including the Conwy Valley Railway Museum), the epic Aberconwy view and of course Conwy Castle. It is actually quite a spectacular branch line \u2013 potentially one of the finest on the National Network (hey I\u2019m biased and don\u2019t care!).<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

[Journey time approx 60mins]<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Planning Resources<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

As yet I don\u2019t have a plan about whether this is achievable all in one day. To be honest, I\u2019m not the best at reading timetables so please never let me be in charge of planning your journey! If I wasn\u2019t a local I would do it over a course of a week and enjoy some fabulous sights and sounds of Snowdonia on my way. If you\u2019re thinking of doing this then I would highly recommend taking a peek at\u00a0Wales on Rails website<\/a>\u00a0which has lots of fabulous resources for you to plan your journey. Here are some handy websites to plan your journey:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n