Getting to Barmouth from the north coast of North Wales can seem a little daunting, especially if you’re using public transport. However, its setting, natural beauty, and character make it a worthy choice for a day trip.
That being said, how do you get there? I’ve been thinking of taking the train for a long time. However, the journey from Llandudno to Barmouth via Shrewsbury takes him four and a half hours and tickets cost £41.40.
I was hesitant to spend so much money and spend so much time on such a circuitous route. But someone suggested an alternative. We drove to Porthmadog and from there took the Cumbria line to Barmouth. This turned out to be an inspired idea.
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I bought my ticket online on the National Rail website the night before and at just £8.40 return I thought it was a good deal.
I then drove to Porthmadog station in time for the 9:57am service. (Somewhat strangely, details about a train to ‘Birmingham International’ were also displayed on the electronic board).
The sun shone weakly through a patchy, mostly gray sky, but there was enough blue sky to fill the day with promise. I boarded the train with a few hikers in boots with backpacks on their backs.
The carriage was clean and tidy. The plush seats were comfortable and I was glad that on the wall he even had two of his USB portals and a socket for his 3-prong plug.
I was a little disappointed that there was no buffet car or trolley service, but the journey only took an hour, so I didn’t need to worry. Transport for Wales WiFi made it easy to log on with my mobile phone, so I was able to have a happy day and enjoy the scenery.
Sure enough, no matter the destination, it was a great journey in itself. There are 13 stops, but some stops are available upon request.
Eventually we passed through Llandekwyn and reached Talsarnau, with the expanse of Tremadog Bay on our right. There, there were soggy fields with sheep and reflections of silvery clouds on either side of the tracks.
Soon we stopped at the next station with Harlech Castle looming majestically on our left. To the right, players in woolen caps from Royal St David’s Golf Club warm up on the practice range. Lucky.
The Cumbrian Railway line was 190 miles long and was completed in the 1860s. Visit Wales describes it as an “amazing feat of Victorian engineering” and it proved to be both scenic and fascinating.
More sheep were grazing greedily before we reached Dyffryn Ardadwy. The building, which may once have been a ticket office, is now deserted, with some of the slate tiles peeling off or stuck haphazardly to the roof.
We moved on, this time past thick dry stone walls and old bathtubs where frugal farmers had placed water for their livestock. Near Tal-y-Bon there were a number of sensible chalets, and as we passed them I had to say they looked a bit like barracks.
The journey was fun and after just under an hour’s journey, we slowed down to Barmouth station on time. On the way back, the bus leaving Barmouth at 15:58 was delayed by 11 minutes.
But with a view like this, does anyone really care?
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