Barmouth and Harlech reliving childhood memories.
Morning
Well today we had agreed to pick Mum and Dad up and take them over to Barmouth and Harlech in North Wales. To relive some of the childhood memories they gave me many years ago.
We picked them up at 09:30 (well, a couple of minutes late but hey that’s me!). Packed their travel chairs in the boot and set off for the 100-mile drive. Traffic was not too bad as we headed off along the M56 towards Chester before coming off the motorway and taking the A roads to Bala. Easy enough as there wasn’t too much traffic. The only hold-ups were the odd tractor, learner driver and waggons.
Bala
Passing through Bala and driving along the lake brought back some school memories from the 1970’s. School brought us out to Bala in Gwynedd North Wales several times. We camped on the south shore of the lake. Canoeing and sailing were the main activities for the 5 days we usually came here. I remember swimming across the lake with several others. The only protection one of the teachers canoeing across following us. Health and Safety would have a field day now and it wouldn’t be allowed.
From Bala Lake it was a short run down the A494 towards Barmouth and along the Afon Mawddach and estuary.
Barmouth
Once we got into Barmouth we parked up on the main carpark opposite the beach. The costs not being too bad at £3.30 for 4 hours. Last time Michele and I came here before Lewis and Joshua were born. It was a foul day with heavy rain. We ended up having to eat our fish and chips sheltering in the car. Not today the weather was sunny and if it weren’t for the stiff breeze it would have been very warm.
We walked towards the Barmouth Bridge linking Barmouth and Fairbourne. This was always one of the highlights of our holidays. Walking the 699m length watching the jelly fish go out with the tide.
Recharged after a coffee over-looking the harbour, we headed off into Barmouth town before getting back to the beach. The beach at Barmouth has great sand and when the tide is out is a wide-open space. You do have to be careful though. One year we were here a young girl sadly drowned in one of the pools on the beach. Mum was the only one of us brave enough to go paddling in the sea. Brave or mad?
Afternoon
We just got back off the beach in time as a slight shower hit Barmouth. Now sheltered from the wind and rain we soon warmed up.
Off we set in the direction of Harlech looking for the old campsite we used to stay at. Think we had found it but wasn’t 100% sure. I thought it was a little further out of Barmouth than the one dad suggested. Things do change over the years and it was about 45-50 years ago that we used to come here.
Harlech was no more than a 25-minute drive up the coast. Another memory from my childhood as we camped here and other locations close by with Boys Brigade many times over the years.
I don’t remember the town of Harlech being so small or a struggle for cars to get through. I suppose when you are small it looked a lot bigger.
By this point we were all getting hungry, so we stopped off at The Plas Restaurant. Covid restrictions in place so we had to wait to be seated and then one of us had to check-in our details. Service was excellent and the food even better. If you are in the area I would certainly recommend eating here.
To walk the late lunch off we headed off in the direction of Harlech Castle. Again not what I remember but very impressive.
Again we made it back to the car just as the weather turned again with another burst of rain.
Now for the drive home to drop mum and dad off. Talking with dad and he used to do the same drive we had just taken in about 3.5/4 hours with a trailer on the back of the car while we managed to do the drive in about 2.25 hours.
