Torrent Walk - Snowdonia National Park

Torrent Walk2½ miles / 4 km circular walkDistance: 2½ miles / 4 kmTime: Around 1-2 hoursGrade: Moderate Leisure WalkStart/Finish: Lay-by near the village ofBrithdir on the B4416Grid Reference: SH 761 182Terrain: Rough, steep sections(Wear appropriate footwear)Map: OS Explorer OL23(Cadair Idris & Llyn Tegid)Parking: Lay-by near the village ofBrithdir on the B4416Note: This map is intended as a roughguide only. You should use the most recentversion of the relevant Ordnance Surveymap (OL 23) when walking this route.How to get there?From Dolgellau, follow the A470 tothe south. After two miles, turn leftfor the B4416 towards Brithdir. Crossthe narrow bridge, Pont ar Ddibyn,in 50 metres. After a further 100mthere is a lay-by on the left with anoak signpost marking the path.© Crown copyright. All rights reserved. 100022403, 2012About this walkThis circular path is one of the most popular paths in the Dolgellauarea and it follows the river Clywedog through its striking gorge.Originally, the path was built by Thomas Payne and his son; he wasalso the designer of the Cob across the river Glaslyn in Porthmadog.The work was commissioned by Baron Richards of the mansion PlasCaerynwch, which is further up the river, in order to extend themansion’s gardens.More recently, the Snowdonia National Park Authority has restored theold path on the eastern side of the gorge, keeping to the route of theformer path where possible. As the whole gorge has been designated aSite of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) care had to be taken during therestoration work to ensure that the site was not impaired.Torrent WalkAt one time the banks of the river Clywedog were bursting withindustrial activity. There was a fulling mill, smithy, woollen mill andan iron furnace - some of which are still here today. The gorge alsohas a wealth of wildlife and special plants - there are otters, dormiceand lesser horseshoe bats not to mention an important collectionof lichen, ferns, mushrooms and liverwort. How many of these willyou find?www.snowdonia-npa.gov.ukSnowdonia National Park Authority, National Park Office, Penrhyndeudraeth, Gwynedd LL48 6LF Telephone: 01766 770274

Torrent Walk2½ miles / 4 km circular walkFrom the lay-by, walk back along theroad towards Pont ar Ddibyn for hundredyards passing the first signpost for TorrentWalk, taking care of the traffic. Near thesecond oak signpost for Torrent Walk, turnright through the kissing gate. You will becrossing a wooden bridge over the ravine.There used to be a timber bridge witha patterned banister here when ThomasPayne completed the path.Soon you can sit on a benchcommemorated to Mary Richards,the botanist who used to live at PlasCaerynwch which is further upstream.She travelled a great deal, mostly toAfrica, and was responsible for bringingmany striking plants back to the gardensof Caerynwch. The sound of the rivercan be deafening here when there’s astrong flow after it has rained.Further down the ravine you will seethree large boulders across the path whichwere carried here by glacial forces 10,000years ago. Notice the abundance of ivy,fern and mosses covering the broadleavedtrees above – oak, beech and ash trees.Important collection of lichens andliverworts also grow here.Soon you will reach the bottom road.A short distance from Pont Clywedogbridge towards Dolgellau are the ruins ofan old iron furnace dating back to the earlyeighteenth century. It was built by AbrahamDarby, the Quaker from Coalbrookdale.He and other Quakers from Dolserau andDolgun farms used to mine iron ore onnearby Tir Stent and haul it down to thefurnace. If you do have time, take a detourto explore the ruins. You will need to walkabout 150 yards along the country roadtowards Dolgellau from Pont Clywedog.Turn right over Pont Clywedog tocontinue along Torrent Walk (go to yourleft if you would like to take a detour toview the ruins of the furnace). Noticethe names which have been carved tothe bridge’s stones. The buildings onyour right were previously a woollenmill and warehouse. Water to power themill was taken from the river furtherupstream; some of the structure can beseen today. The flow of the water had tobe controlled to prevent the waterwheelfrom breaking – in wet weather theriver builds up destructive power andmomentum in no time.Keep to your right at the fork infront of you and walk up the hill untilyou will soon reach another signpost.Follow the path along the ravine up tothe car. You will enjoy splendid viewsof the waterfalls along the path, and inthe spring you will be walking througha woodland full of bluebells, woodanemone and wild garlic.www.snowdonia-npa.gov.ukSnowdonia National Park Authority, National Park Office, Penrhyndeudraeth, Gwynedd LL48 6LF Telephone: 01766 770274