Mae’r wybodaeth sydd yn y llawlyfr hwn am feddiannau’r Ymddiriedolaeth Genedlaethol yng Nghymru ar gael yn Gymraeg o Swyddfa’r Ymddiriedolaeth Genedlaethol, Sgwar y Drindod, Llandudno LL30 2DE, ffôn 01492 860123.
Wales is famous for its spectacular coastline, rugged mountain scenery and lush green valleys. With three national parks and thousands of hectares designated as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), visitors do not have to travel far to reach beautiful open countryside offering many recreational opportunities.
The National Trust plays an active role in protecting and managing this countryside and owns 133 miles of the Welsh coastline. In fact, the first property ever given to the Trust was in Wales, at Dinas Oleu above Barmouth on the Cardigan Bay coast, bequeathed in 1895.
Anglesey
The National Trust owns large sections of the rugged and remote coast of Anglesey, including Porth Dafarch, a beach and headland near Holyhead. Also on Anglesey is the restored thatched cottage of Swtan, which although owned by the Trust is managed by the local community. (Visitors, including NT members, are charged a small fee.)
Another Anglesey highlight is the lagoon at Cemlyn, internationally famous for its colonies of breeding terns, and managed as a nature reserve in conjunction with the North Wales Wildlife Trust.
Carmarthenshire
Behind the coast lies a fascinating hinterland of green meadows, rivers and rolling hills. Much of this countryside is unspoilt and ideal for a relaxing holiday.
At the heart of this area lies Dinefwr Castle and Park near Llandeilo, the historic seat of the former Welsh princes of South Wales and an ancient deer park of much wildlife interest. Nearby is Paxton’s Tower, an early 19th-century folly dedicated to Lord Nelson, from which there are fine views of the Towy Valley.
Ceredigion
The spectacular coastline and wonderful views continue from Pembrokeshire northwards to Ceredigion, where the beaches at Mwnt and Penbryn are especially popular. From the dramatic coast at Mynachdy’r Graig the whole sweep of Cardigan Bay can be admired.
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Monmouthshire
At Clytha estate near Raglan, a classic 18th-century parkland landscape, there are signed walks around the perimeter and along the river Usk. (The house and castle are not open to the public.)
East of the Beacons is the conical summit of Sugar Loaf mountain, overlooking the market town of Abergavenny and commanding stunning panoramic views across the Usk valley. Nearby, the Skirrid Fawr, known locally as the holy mountain, offers both woodland and upland walks.
Powys
Mid and South East Wales holds some of the country’s most spectacular scenery, including the Brecon Beacons National Park and the Wye Valley AONB. Within the National Park the Trust owns 3500ha (9000 acres), including Cribyn, Corn Du, and Pen-y-Fan (the highest point in southern Britain), and also, fringing the Beacons, a number of valley heads where traditional hill farms and woodlands give way to heather moorland. Further west can be found Henrhyd Falls, South Wales’ highest waterfall, and farms in the Neath valley with wonderfully rich and unspoilt hay meadows.
North of the National Park can be found the Begwns, a 523ha (1300-acre) hilltop common with dramatic views. Further north is Abergwesyn Common. Stretching 12 miles from Llanwrthwl in the east to the Nant Irfon gorge in the west, it offers a huge area of very remote and wild walking country for the adventurous.
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Snowdonia and Gwynedd
Snowdonia is justly famous for its epic upland landscapes, including Hafod y Llan on the southern flank of Snowdon, acquired following a successful public appeal in 1998. The Watkin Path, one of the main routes up Snowdon, runs the length of the entire estate.
Hafod y Llan is one of the seven properties that surround the picturesque village of Beddgelert with its riverside walk to the romantic Gelert’s Grave. Near the village lies the miniature Victorian estate of Craflwyn, where visitors can learn about the estate’s restoration by following a family trail.
The Trust owns 11 of the main mountain peaks in Snowdonia, including Tryfan (part of the Carneddau property), where the first successful Everest climbers trained. The Carneddau and Ysbyty Estate, together covering over 15,000ha (37,000 acres), contain some of the most exciting scenery of all and include Cwm Idwal (in Monmouthshire), a nature reserve famous for its flora.
South west of Betws-y-coed is Tyˆ Mawr in the charming little valley of Wybrnant (in Conwy), which offers many delightful walks.
In the south of the Snowdonia National Park at Cregennan there are splendid walks amidst hill farms and upland lakes, with fine views towards Cadair Idris and over Cardigan Bay.
The Dolmelynllyn Estate near Dolgellau contains one of Wales’s most impressive waterfalls, Rhaeadr Ddu, which can be reached by footpath from Ganllwyd, as well as sheepwalks on Y Llethr, the highest peak in the Rhinog Mountains. This whole area is full of wildlife interest and is particularly noted for its late summer and autumn colours.
The north-west arm of Wales – the beautiful Llˆyn Peninsula – is noted for its spectacular coastal scenery. Through successful coastline campaigns, it has been possible for the Trust to acquire and protect such wonderful places as Porthdinllaen, a charming fishing village, the famous ‘whistling sands’ of Porthor, and Traeth Llanbedrog, popular for its safe bathing and colourful beach huts.
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Swansea and Pembrokeshire
The Gower Peninsula, near Swansea, was the first place in Britain to be given AONB status and offers a diversity of habitats, including stunning beaches and walks with breathtaking views.
The Trust’s Neptune Coastline Campaign has helped to purchase beautiful areas of scenery around the headland on the Taf/Tywi estuary, and also further west at Ragwen Point in Carmarthenshire, from where there are views back towards Gower and along the coast to Caldy Island.
In Pembrokeshire, the 186-mile Coast Path starts at Amroth and runs through several areas owned by the Trust, including the Colby Estate & Woodland Garden, from where there are dramatic views of Devon and Carmarthen Bay. To the west lies the fascinating Stackpole Estate, which includes Barafundle Bay, the beach at Broadhaven South and the delightful freshwater lily ponds at Bosherston.
Further west, the Trust owns 15G miles of the coastline of St Bride’s Bay, including the former Deer Park at Marloes and the tiny harbour of Martin’s Haven. Nearby Marloes Sands offer wonderful walks. This part of the coast is excellent for wildlife, with ravens, choughs and grey seals to be seen, as well as a wide variety of interesting plants and insects.
The city of St David’s, dedicated to the patron saint of Wales, is situated in an area of spectacular geology, with rocky outcrops and coastal plateaux, much of which is Trust-owned.
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Vale of Glamorgan
Lanlay Meadows near Peterston-Super-Ely is an area of lowland haymeadow and pasture bordering the river Ely. Rich in wildlife, it is a treat to walk through in early summer.
Highlights for visitors with disabilities
There is a wheelchair-accessible footpath to Gelert’s Grave, and many excellent paths on the Stackpole Estate, including a lakeside route with two accessible bird hides and a level woodland route suitable for unaccompanied wheelchair users (tel: 01646 661359 for a leaflet).
Erddig Country Park at Felin Puleston offers good pathways, suitable for unaccompanied wheelchair users, leading through woodland and along the River Clywedog (tel: 01978 355314 for details). At Dinefwr there is a boardwalk through Bog Wood to the lake. On the Gower peninsula at Rhossili an accessible path leads to the old coastguard lookout.
Accessible picnic sites can be found on the Dolmelynllyn Estate at Ganllwyd, at Glan Faenol on the Menai Strait and at Porthdinllaen on Llˆyn. An accessible path leads to a viewing terrace and beach café at Porthor (Whistling Sands) on Llˆyn.
Highlights for families
Particularly recommended are the beaches at Broadhaven, Porthdinllaen, Llanbedrog and Porthor, as well as Rhossili, where shipwrecks become visible at low tide, and Mwnt, from where dolphins can often be seen.
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