Harlech to Minffordd: 8.4 miles (13.5km) +162m -141m (15 October 2016)
Today we caught the train to Harlech and started waking around 9:30.
The first part of the walk across Morfa Harlech was flat and not very interesting but then we came to the mouth of the estuary and the scenery was much more attractive.
We visited the church of Llanfihangel-y-traethau (St Michael’s on the Beaches) and, after a brief stop, continued through the village of Ynys and then along the the sea wall to Llandecwyn.
We then crossed the Avon Dwyryd on a new combined road and rail bridge. The old one was badly damaged in a storm a few years ago and this necessitated a replacement. The new bridge had not been open long and if we had walked this section a year earlier we would have had to walk and extra 15 miles! The tide was out when we crossed but there were still great views.
When we had crossed the bridge we had a road walk through Penrhyndeudraeth to Miniffordd. It was here that we were to get the train back to Barmouth.
Miniffordd is not only a main line station but is also a stop on the Ffestiniog Railway, a narrow gauge line that runs from Blaenau Ffestiniog to Porthmadog. It was built to transport slate from the mines down to the port. It is now a tourist line.
When it was a working railway the trucks were sent down to Porthmadog by gravity. When we were there a tourist version of this was in the station.
Brakemen sit on the trucks and apply the brakes to slow and stop the train.