Glyndwr's Way: Machynlleth - Llanwddyn

Glyndwr’s Way: Machynlleth – Llanwddyn

Cadw yn Fy Rycsac

From Machynlleth to Llanwddyn

Glorious rolling countryside and remote forest paths await you on this 4 day stretch along Glyndwr’s Way. Starting at bustling Machynlleth and ending at popular Lake Vyrnwy, the route in between passes through remote hills offering fantastic views, where some days your only companion will be birdsong.

Tour Overview

The icons below highlight the distance, difficulty and theme of this itinerary.

Distance

45.9

Days

Grade

Challenging

Theme

History

Landscape Type

Rolling Countryside

Glyndwr's Way - Machynlleth to Llanwddyn

Here's everything you need to help you plan your very own walking adventure. Click on the blue arrow tabs below for more information.

Itinerary

A good level of fitness is required to walk this section of Glyndwr’s Way. Expect good paths with some steep ascents and descents, rolling hills and fabulous views.

Day 1 - Machynlleth to Cemmaes Road

Machynlleth is a lively, vibrant town especially on Wednesday, market day. A town rich in history, Owain Glyndwr was crowned Prince of Wales and established his parliament here in 1404.

Start the walk from the Owain Glyndwr Centre and follow the Glyndwr’s Way signs along the road over the golf course to Forge and soon after to Penegoes. Between Penegoes and Cemmaes Road you briefly drop down to the village of Abercegir but other than that you are on high land with fabulous views.

8.7 miles / 14.3 Km

Day 2 - Cemmaes Road to Llanbrynmair

Once you leave Cemmaes Road you are very quickly immersed in the beautiful rolling hills of this section. This is followed by a short section of forest road and a long walk down a ‘dragon’s back’ of a hill towards Llanbrynmair with fantastic views all around.

6.8 miles/10.8 Km

Day 3 - Llanbrynmair to Llangadfan

The steep climb out of Llanbrynmair is well worth it when you gain the high ground and can enjoy the views down into the valley below. After a section of forestry and a long road through a wide river valley you will climb up onto Pencoed Common. Up here it is quite likely that you will only have the ponies for company. It is difficult to believe that the pleasant village of Llangadfan is only three or four kilometres.

10.3 miles/16.5 Km

Day 4 Llangadfan to Llanwddyn

Soon after leaving Llangadfan you will enter the huge plantation of Dyfnant forest. The forest caters for all users of the countryside so look out for carriage drivers on the ‘Rainbow trails’. When you eventually leave the forest you will be approaching Lake Vyrnwy. You will have started your descent when you catch a first glimpse of the great arched dam. The area is very popular with tourists so there are plenty of places to eat and drink here.

Accommodation

Accommodation is limited along Glyndwrs Way so it is essential to plan and book ahead. Accommodation along this stretch can be viewed on the itinerary map.

There are some steep stretches along this route so consider using a baggage transfer company to transport your luggage. Alternatively base yourself in Machynlleth and book a taxi service to take you to your start point and back to base each day.

Travel

Air / Rail

Birmingham Airport is the nearest airport if you are flying, connecting with Birmingham International train station. Other options are Manchester, Cardiff, Liverpool or any of the London airports, as there are speedy shuttles from the airports into London.

The Machynlleth train leaves from Euston Station, London. There are also direct trains from Birmingham International, Shrewsbury, Pwllheli and Aberystwyth

There is a bus from the end destination, Llanwddyn, to Welshpool where there is a train station with good connections to Birmingham, Shrewsbury, Pwllheli and Aberystwyth

Advice

Parts of this section of the Glyndwr’s Way can be strenuous with climbs and descents so a good level of fitness is required. These sections are balanced with shorter mileage and include flat sections and places for breaks.

We advise that you choose footwear and clothing appropriate for these conditions and to suit the predicted weather.

Food & Drink

Machynlleth and Llanbrynmair have shops and cafes but as sections of this route are quite remote finding food or places to eat along the way may be quite difficult. Be sure to plan your food and drink in advance and carry enough supplies for the day with you.