Dolgellau
OS Grid Ref:- SH 728178
The thriving town of Dolgellau provides an excellent base from which to tour Snowdonia. Dolgellau stands at the foot of the Cadair Idris mountain range and was the county town of Meirionydd in the late nineteenth century. The town's name is of uncertain origin, but is suspected to derive from the Welsh words dol, meaning meadow, and gelli, meaning grove.
The Quaker Heitage Centre, covers the development of the movement in the town. ( Open:- every day in Summer 10.00am - 6.00pm, Winter Thurs - Mon 10am - 5pm) Following a visit by George Fox in 1657, many of the town's inhabitants were converted to Quakerism. A prominent local Quaker, Roland Ellis, emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1686 and founded Bryn Mawr, the women's college at the University in Pennsylvania , named after his home near the town. St, Mary's church dates from 1716, but occupies the site of a much earlier church.
It was in Dolgellau that the renowned Welsh hero Owain Glyndwr , who in the early fifteenth century was the last Welshman to actively challenge the supremacy of the English in Wales, assembled the last Welsh Parliament of 1404.
The town plays host to an annual folk and rock festival named Sesiwn Fawr" which is based around Eldon Square. The festival is held in July.
There are many routes to the summit of Cadair Idris from the town and the Coed y Brenin Forest is only a few miles to the north.
The nearby Mawddach Valley RSPB Reserve offers nature trails and is home to a variety of birds including spring pied flycatchers, woodwarblers and redstarts. (Information Centre open:- Easter, Whitsun - Sept 11am - 5pm.) The Precice Walk offers superb views of the Mawddach estuary.
Follows the course of the Clywedog river past cascades and through attractive ancient woodland.
The Precipice Walk
The Precipice Walk offers spectacular views of the Mawddach Estuary and valley, the peaks of the Cader Idris range and Llyn Cynwch.
Distance - 3 miles (5km)
Location -*Take the Bala road out of Dolgellau and after a few hundred metres fork left onto the minor road for Llanfachreth. Follow the road for about two miles until arriving at a car park on the left at Saith Groesffordd
* From the car park turn left and proceed along the Ty'n y Groes road for around 150 metres, after which turn left, following the signposts and continue on, following the waymarkers past Gwern-offeiriad farmhouse and croos over two stiles to commence the circular waym arked walk.