Three Bridges, Cymer Abbey and plenty of Views

Hi everyone 😀

During our May trip over to the lodge we only really had one … what we would call … big day out. The rest of our time was spent staying pretty local.

Our day out was one of those days where the weather was kinder than predicted, the pace was slow, and the plan was vague … just the way we like it.

We started our day in Dolgellau, our first visit. We had a lovely mooch around the centre of town, taking in the grey stone buildings and little alleyways, with plenty of shops, which were a lovely mix of quirky, local, and just a bit unexpected. I have to confess a few pretty bits did make their way home with us … some William Morris napkins, a perfectly sized plant pot for one of my houseplant babies and a pretty ceramic wall hanging, which I definitely will need to find a home somewhere for.

From Dolgellau, we retraced our steps a bit and headed just a short way back out of town to Cymer Abbey, which is tucked away quietly and feels almost forgotten. It’s peaceful and atmospheric, with crumbling walls and archways that hint at what once was. You don’t need long there, but it’s well worth a stop if you’re nearby …

Just across the road, we found the first of our bridges for the day … a beautiful old stone bridge … solid, full of character and with views of Cadair Idris in the distance . It’s the kind of place that makes you want to pause and take it all in … and that’s exactly what we did …

Next on our route was another bridge and one that we’d been wanting to seek out for a while … the Penmaenpool Toll Bridge. It was in an absolutely beautiful spot and we had a good wander about …

… before we paid our £1.50, had a quick chat with the friendly toll keeper, and slowly rolled across, taking in the beautiful estuary views. It was a real treat …

The views from the other side were worth pulling in to take in too …

We made our down the other side of The Mawddach to finish our day in Barmouth …

The afternoon sunshine was in abundance and we had a really good wander … mooching in and out of shops … but no further purchases to report. 

It was pretty busy, but lovely all the same ..,

We finished our visit with ice creams in the sunshine with one hell of a view …

At the end of the day, we’d explored three very different bridges … each with its own charm … and soaked up plenty of history and scenery in between. We’d done mountains and coast with no rush, no pressure, just another lovely little North Wales adventure 💜

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