A walk through Industrial History in a dramatic landscape

The village of Abergynolwyn was laid out by local quarry managers to accommodate the quarry workers and their families. The rows of houses are still to be seen today. The museum in the village includes a café and an exhibition of old photographs.

For an interesting walk through beautiful scenery, take the signposted footpath to the left of the museum. It leads you through woodlands for about 15 minutes, alongside the dramatic cascading Nant Gwernol river, on to a railway platform – the eastern terminus of the Talyllyn Railway.

From this point a further footpath, marked ‘Quarryman’s Trail’, heads up to the Bryneglwys Slate Quarry, the largest and most important quarry in the area. As you climb up the path, look out for the extensive system of tramways and inclines that once served the quarry. Most of the quarry’s buildings were demolished in the 1980s, but extensive slate tips are still visible at the top of the hill.

One interesting story about the quarry is that Lancashire men came to work here in the 1860s, following a shortage of cotton (and consequently of work) in their mills due to the American Civil War. A writing slate factory was also associated with the quarry – reflecting an age before pens and paper, when schoolchildren wrote on slate tablets with slate pencils.
The Bryneglwys Slate Quarry offers extensive views of the surrounding hills and the southern slopes of Cadair Idris. Nestling in the Dysyni Valley, just out of view, is Castell y Bere, a castle used by the princes of Gwynedd.

The western terminus of the Talyllyn Railway is at the coastal town of Tywyn, some 5 miles down the valley.

Links

Talyllyn Railway

• Accessible by Public Transport
• Parking
• Good Walks Nearby
• Toilets
• Family Walk
• Picnic Area

Opening Times

Please check Talyllyn Railway website

Directions

By Road

Abergynolwyn is off the A493 road from Machynlleth to Dolgellau on the B4405

By Rail

Tywyn - 7 miles (approx)

By Bus

Abergynolwyn Railway Station bus stop, or for Bryneglwys Quarry, stop at Railway Inn bus stop

By Bike

Cycle route nearby

Walking

Follow signposted path past Abergynolwyn café for Nant Gwernol terminus. Paths to Bryneglwys Quarry signposted from Nant Gwernol or follow minor road up hill.

Access Details

Walking boots recommended for walk to Bryneglwys Quarry. This is a steep path up hill – approx 1 hour.

Practical Details

Full Figure Grid Reference: Abergynolwyn Station SH 671063, Bryneglwys Quarry SH 695054 OS Landranger map sheet: 124

Sustrans

Traveline Cymru

Contact

Address

Abergynolwyn, Tywyn, LL36 9YR