I’ve lived in Snowdonia all my life and for the best part of that I lived within travelling distance of Mid Wales. It’s somewhere I have some knowledge of having spent some Summer holidays in and around the area. With the exception of Machynlleth Comedy Festival, I haven’t been to Mid Wales in such a long time. So here’s my Mid Wales bucket list!
1) Fairbourne Beach and the Blue Lake
I don’t know South Snowdonia well at all so whilst it’s not a hidden gem, it is to me! I recently visited the area very briefly and found that there’s a lovely promenade at Fairbourne which would serve as a lovely family walk, and a decent run for the rollerblades. That’s not all, there’s also the Blue Lake which I would like to visit. It’s a lake in an abandoned slate quarry which you can only get to by walking through a hidden tunnel. * Doesn’t it sound perfect?
* Since writing this the tunnel has been closed to stop people going to the lake. Such a shame!
2) Aberystwyth Cliff Railway
I hadn’t been to Aberystwyth in years until this month when I went to check out Byrgyr. But I really want to go back again to go on the cliff railway as I don’t think I’ve ever been on it. I aim to go on every single railway (except for National Rail lines) in Wales so this one is a must.
3) Aberllefenni
I first heard of Aberllefenni after visiting Inigo Jones Slateworks. It’s a tiny village near Corris, South Gwynedd. There doesn’t appear to be much there these days except for some houses. The reason I want to visit is to explore the old Aberllefenni Slate Quarry. Now if I had a spare £1.2m then I’d love to buy these terraced houses…. how amazing are they?
4) King Arthur’s Labyrinth
Also near Corris is King Arthur’s Labyrinth. It’s somewhere I’ve been as a child but I really want to revisit. What I remember from my childhood visits is that you travel via boat through a waterfall into the caverns. Inside the caverns Welsh legends are brought to life and I’ve been told that there’s a dragon lurking there. It sounds pretty amazing.
5) Centre of Alternative Technology
A little further on from King Arthur’s Labyrinth is the Centre for Alternative Technology or CAT for short.
As the name suggests, CAT is all about alternative technology and environmentally friendly things. The highlight of the Centre is that undoubtedly the tram up to the centre which works on a water gravity pulley system. In the same way as slate carts were transported up and down the inclines the tram at the top is filled with water, which then gives it enough weight for gravity to pull the tram down. As that tram goes down it pulls the other empty tram up. It’s a simple yet effective mode of transport. The water is released at the bottom but it’s never wasted as the water is recycled and sent back up to be used again.
Not only that there’s plenty of other things to do there and lots to learn. Lots of eco friendly activities especially for the kids. I know my girls would love to see the bug hotels as they are big fan of creepy-crawlies!
Have you ever visited Mid Wales? What would you recommend in the area?
