Snowdonia News


 
NORTH WALES MICROBREWERIES AND TAPROOMS
 

North Wales Microbreweries and Taprooms

As a keen real ale enthusiast, I find there is nothing better to do on a sunny day (or a rainy one, come to think of it) than pop down for a nice refreshing pint at one of North Wales Microbreweries and Taprooms. However, living in North Wales, this has become a particular joy of late thanks to the number of locally brewed bevvies on tap. At present, the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) estimates that over 100 people in North Wales are employed by microbreweries, bringing a diverse mix of flavours and textures to the market, and I for one could not be more delighted – especially as this figure is set to grow thanks to the huge popularity of local real ales.

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Large Self Catering Holiday Home Near Conwy | Sycamore-Cottage

“We had a great family reunion here over Christmas. Lots of space, good parking, great kitchen, great walks, beautiful surrounds. Huw & Sioned were wonderful if we needed anything. We couldn’t have stayed anywhere nicer. Thankyou so much!! Highly recommended.” – The Brophys, Melbourne. My husband and I stayed here in July with my parents and four children. Obviously, visiting as a large family we were really looking for a nice spacious, fully furnished self-catering cottage. We were pleased to see that, that was exactly what we got. We saw online that the cottage appeared to be nice and contemporary which is great if you’re looking for that ‘hotel-like experience’ where all your amenities are new and up to date. It was easy to settle in too as everything was really easy to use, a good thing when you’re visiting with three generations of the same family. I have to say, the fact that the cottage…

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Two Bedroom Seaside Holiday Cottage | Cornel-Glyd

“We were over the moon with our stay at Cornel Glyd. The cottage was beautifully presented, well equipped, and although in a group setting we felt secluded and not overlooked. The short distance to the beach was perfect for our dogs, who enjoyed their holiday as much as we did. We hope as dog owners we gave a good account of ourselves also, and that we would be welcome to return to this holiday venue in the future.” – Karen Anderson, Elan Valley We came here with our two teenage boys last year and we are on the verge of booking again. We had such a nice time; we thought it was only fair that we share our experience you and some of the activities we got up to that made our stay so special. We were looking for somewhere to stay over the summer that was really close to nature and with this cottage being…

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TOP 5 MOUNTAIN BIKING IN NORTH WALES
 

Top 5 Mountain Biking in North Wales

Nothing comes close to the feel of a rugged tread plunging into the fresh soil of an undiscovered path, rushing through undergrowth, scaling up a rocky trail and emerging, triumphant, to be greeted by a breathtaking vista of endless coastlines and rugged, forested mountains – unless you have found your way to cosy pub at the end of it all as well, of course. With some of the world’s most beautiful untouched territory at hand, the North Wales has just about everything that an avid mountain biking enthusiast can possibly thirst for – and we’ve got five fantastic routes that you’ll just have to put on that 2014 itinerary. Coed y Brenin Meaning “King’s Wood” in Welsh, this spectacular piece of land rolls out in true Welsh regal style, imposing and supernatural in its scale and presence. Part of Snowdonia National Park, it features several single-track courses as well as a dual-slalom course, and is a…

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Pant Du Vineyard

[youtube]http://youtu.be/OsVMYQ0CDTo[/youtube] Pant Du is a small family run vineyard hidden at the foot of the Snowdonia Mountains in North Wales. Established in 2007 the vineyard now produces a range of red, white and rose wine as well as their own unique brand of apple cider. More recently the Hughes family have also started to bottle their own water from a nearby spring. The café, which is open throughout the summer months for tea, coffe and homemade cake, also hosts some wonderful wine tasting events and friendly vineyard tours. http://www.pantdu.co.uk/

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Two Bedroom Welsh Country Cottage near Betws Y Coed | Cefn-Rhyd

“Thank you very much for a lovely stay at Cefn-Rhyd. From the moment we arrived we received a warm welcome – At the cottage and also from the locals at the brilliant nearby pub. The cottage is gorgeous and immaculate and loved the regular visits from the cats. They really added that extra special touch to our stay. Would recommend a stay at this quality cottage, and also the food at the brilliant Giler Arms pub. All in all a fantastic week! So thanks to all.” – Nicola & Michael, Basingstoke We chose to stay here as part of a fun getaway with my partner and our two closest friends. What a great surprise we had coming into the driveway to see this modernised barn house style cottage with luscious green hilly backdrops. The cottage was furnished to a high standard and everything appeared to new and up to date. We spent our first day unpacking…

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Self Catering Barn Near Pwllheli, Llyn Peninsula - Bryncaled Diary

“Despite the inclement weather we all had a fabulous break in a delightful, well appointed cottage. It was close to all amenities and yet remote enough for peace and tranquility. Facilities were spot on, in fact we enjoyed it so much, we considered taking a few extra days onto our fortnight’s holiday, but unfortunately it was booked. It was our granddaughters 1st holiday, 1st time at the beach, 1st tooth, and 1st paddle in the sea, many other 1sts – so memorable we will have to do it again very shortly. Cannot recommend it highly enough.” – Alan Jones, Shropshire As it was such a lovely day, we decided we would spend our first day in Aberdaron so the girls could enjoy the beach. The village of Aberdaron, not too far from where we were staying could only be described as one of the most idyllic little seaside villages we’ve ever come across. Set right next…

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Summer is coming

It’s been a tough winter here in Snowdonia. We’ve had falling trees, power outages and severe coastal flooding, but summer is coming! And it might be a hot one.. German Scientist, Armin Bunde of Justus Liedig University in Giessing is predicting one the driest summers on record. I’m sure he knows what he’s talking about. His new forecasting technique suggests the occurrence of the El Niño weather patterns his highly likely during the early summer of 2014. El Niño, the climate bad boy, as described in The New Scientist, can often lead to prolonged dry hot summers here in Northern Europe. Researchers at the University of Reading also suggest that the UK will return to pattern of much drier summers.It’s all down to the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation apparently. That and the long-term climate cycles in the Atlantic multi-decadal oscillation. Obviously!

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Holiday Diary - Holiday Cottage near Snowdon in Rhyd Ddu

“The cottage was absolutely beautiful. It was quiet but within easy reach of amenities. The cottage is very high spec, well decorated, furnished and just felt comfortable like a home from home, and the views are absolutely spectacular. I would really highly recommend it, as a good location to North Wales with a very relaxing atmosphere.” – Cathy McAllister, Ellesmere Port. When we arrived to this cosy little holiday cottage near Snowdon, we were so surprised that this was an old quarryman’s cottage, given the clean-cut and contemporary feel to the place. Still, it didn’t lose its character with its little inglenook and log burner. Once my partner and I had set our things down and unpacked a bit, one of the first things we did was light a fire (which was enough to heat the whole house). Another favourite part of the property had to be the little stream running at the bottom of the…

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Romantic one bedroom holiday cottage in Bala North Wales
 

Romantic Weekend in Snowdonia

Gentlemen of the UK, your love lives are in crisis. According to a recent study by women’s magazine Cosmopolitan, almost 40 per cent of women surveyed claimed that their other half is ‘not very often’ or ‘never’ romantic, despite 75 per cent of men thinking otherwise! Sometimes, it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly what the special lady in your life requires by way of a romantic weekend, and even more so to surprise her with a gesture of your love. Perhaps, then, it is worth taking a walk on the Welsh side this year and celebrating ‘Dydd Santes Dwynen’, or the Welsh equivalent of Valentine’s Day, on the 25th of January. Santes Dwynen Dwynen is the Welsh saint of love and, as is the case in many such examples, her tale is deeply rooted in folk tales and Celtic stories. She was the daughter of the king Brychan Brycheiniog and one of 24 siblings. The…

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Holiday Diary - Luxury Holiday Apartment near Betws-y-Coed

“Enjoyed our stay in your beautiful appartment, very comfortable and a lovely setting. Found some lovely walks and enjoyed our visit around the old town of Conwy. Good food at the Olde Shippe Inn and great sausages and steaks from the local butchers.” – Stuart and Janet, Cumbria During our first day we went to visit Conwy as we were staying so close to it. We hadn’t been to this area before so we weren’t quite sure what to expect, having only seen a few pictures of the castle and the surrounding area but it was a pleasant experience. I have to admit though, Britain’s Smallest House, on the waterfront did tempt us to visit first. As my wife put it, ‘it was very adorable’. The castle was even better if you love historical and heritage attractions like we do. We discovered that it constructed by the English monarch Edward I around 1283 as one of…

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ZipWorld in Bethesda, Snowdonia, North Wales

[youtube]http://youtu.be/olBngRW2ZGA[/youtube] For his 70th birthday present we decided to buy my dad a ticket for Europe’s longest zip wire at ZipWorld in Bethesda, here in Snowdonia, North Wales. Once we looked into it, my mum, our two daughters and I decided we should probably come along to keep him company. Louise kindly volunteered to hold our bags and look after the car. (Insert chicken noises here.) So yesterday, 3 generations of the Llwyd family drove up to Penrhyn Quarry just south of Bangor for a truly remarkable experience. I hope you enjoy our video. Some quick facts about ZipWorld. £500K setup costs 1.6km long stainless steel zip wire imported from Germany 236m drop Top speed of over 110 mph

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Things To Do In Bala, Top 10

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yx9qfKBzNrM Things to do in Bala. A quick introduction to this bustling market town famous for water sports and outdoor adventure activities in Snowdonia, North Wales. Bala Adventure and Watersports Centre The great people from Bala Adventure and Watersports can be found on the northern tip of Llyn Tegid / Bala Lake throughout the summer months. They offer a great range of activities both on and off the water. Everything from raft building to mountain biking, from dingy sailing to gorge walking, from kayaking to archery. Visit the website and book your place. http://www.balawatersports.com/ National White Water Centre The national white water centre a couple of miles north of Bala has hosted several world championship events. Set within a beautiful natural landscape the wild river Tryweryn has a worldwide reputation of excellence for white water sports. An adventure not to be missed. http://www.ukrafting.co.uk/ Shops, Pubs and Cafés There are lots of nice little shops and cafés…

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Things to do in Pwllheli
 

A Family Day Out at Coed Y Brenin

Coed y Brenin was the first forestry to be developed into a mountain biking premier location and we had heard great things about it. With plenty of walking paths and beautiful scenery the family and I thought it would be a great day out for us. When we arrived at the park, we thought it was great to see so many facilities, especially with two children. There was a visitor centre shop and cafe, trail maps and even a bike wash there. If you didn’t bring your bike with you on holiday you can just rent one here at Beics Brenin. You can rent specialist mountain bikes from just £25 for the full day. Considering the fun you can have in this forest I’d say that it’s well worth the money. Don’t forget to book in advance though, because bikes cannot be guaranteed during busy periods of the year. The routes available are so diverse, we…

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Llew-Glas Café in Harlech, North Wales

I dropped in on Fraya and the girls at Llew-Glas Café in Harlech last week with my video camera. This is the result. P.S. Thanks for all the tea and cake. Music: Once In A Lifetime by Landon Austin [youtube]http://youtu.be/9M9H-pjx8ss[/youtube] Our self catering cottages nearby include Hengaeau and Moelwyn

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Hot Tub Self Catering Holiday Cottages

Gary and Bethan, the owners of three of our holiday cottages here in Dyffryn Ardudwy have installed a hot tub for their self catering guests. Sit back and relax, surrounded by warm bubbles and watch the sun set over Cardigan Bay. Have a look at the cottage pages for more information. https://dioni.co.uk/bwthyn-bach/ https://dioni.co.uk/bwthyn-clyd/ https://dioni.co.uk/ty-bach-twt/

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Talyllyn Railway | Victorian Narrow Gauge Steam Train Experience

This is a ‘must do’ steam train event if you’re staying in one of our holiday cottages in North Wales this September. The Victorian Narrow Gauge Steam Train Experience at Talyllyn Railway is a fantastic family day out. Every thursday in September, guests are given a quick informative tour of this handsome and original locomotive before climbing on-board the victorian carriages for a journey up the beautiful Fathew Valley. The train stops along the way for guest to disembark, take photographs, enjoy a short forest walk and have some lunch. (Bring a picnic.). On returning home to Tal Y Llyn station passengers are treated to a victorian cream tee before been invited on a conducted tour of the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum. Advanced booking is recommended so click the link below for all the contact details. http://www.talyllyn.co.uk/victorian-train

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Top 5 ice creams in North Wales

Our two girls and I had a fantastic day in Harlech on Sunday and enjoyed sitting on the castle walls eating ice creams whilst watching all the tourists go by. The sun is still out today so I’ve been inspired to write a little article called the Top 5 ice creams in North Wales. No scientific taste tests here unfortunately, just some random recommendations. (Although I do eat a lot of Ice cream, but I’m not sure that makes me an expert.) Cadwaladers Ice Cream The original Cadwaladers Ice Cream palor in Criccieth was a big part of my childhood. I have lots of happy memories of rushing into the shop with my cousins. Buying huge vanilla cones before walking down to the beach and skimming pebbles over the waves with my cousins. They’ve grown much bigger now and have outlets all over North Wales but that first shop in Criccieth which opened in 1927 apparently,…

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Royal St Davids Golf Club Open Week

The Royal St Davids is hosting its ‘Open Week’ 23rd – 30th June 2013. Nationally and Internationally this beautiful links golf course is famous for it’s breathtaking views over cardigan bay and the mountains of Snowdonia. The course is within a ten minutes drive of a handful of our cottages. Fill in our enquiry form and I’ll check availability for you https://dioni.co.uk/enquiry-form/.

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Bloodiest Castles in North Wales

Caernarfon We should start our tour of the Bloodiest Castles in North Wales with the largest of them all perhaps. Caernarfon Castle. Following years of bloody battle, Llywelyn, the last price of Wales, was finally defeated and killed by the armies of Edward I in Builth in 1282. King Edward I wanted to deny Dafydd, Llywelyn’s brother, any chance of staging a comeback so quickly drove home his advantage by ordering the construction of huge a huge castle in Caernarfon and other strategic locations. James of St George was put in charge. He immediately employed hundreds of workers to dig the huge moat that was to surround the castle and to cut the great foundation trenches that would support the 6-meter thick walls of the castle. Any houses of the old welsh township that lay in the way were torn down and destroyed. By 1284 the castle was almost finished. Edward I and his wife Elenor…

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