Egryn walk, Barmouth
Step back in time as you explore this fantastic location with its breath-taking views, look out for evidence of human influence on the landscape. The extensive archaeological remains found here span 5,500 years making Egryn an outstanding site to discover.
Map
Start:
Lay-by 300m north of Egryn entrance on the A496
1
From the lay-by near the chapel (SH593204), head south towards Barmouth, taking care alongside the busy A496 for approximately 300m until you reach the gateway entrance for Egryn. From here the well way-marked circular walk starts.
2
Following the way-markers, go through the gate and up the farm track. You’ll pass the medieval Egryn hall house on your left (Point 1). It is now a holiday cottage and working farm so please respect guests’ privacy and watch out for farm traffic.
A Medieval Hall House
Built in around 1510 by the wealthy and influential Tudur family and recently restored by The National Trust. Egryn was bequeathed to National Trust along with 426 acres by Mr Rodney Bryne in 2000. Flanked by a working farm, it’s now let as a holiday cottage.
3
Go through the galvanised gate and up to the farm yard, and on through the wooden gate directly in front. Bear right, over the small bridge, and then keep left, up the rough track passing the barn on your right.
4
Keeping left at the waymarker, follow the fence line by the stream, through the gate and over the bridge and keeping on the path, cross over the stile and follow the waymarkers across the stream.
5
Follow the dry stone wall, cross at the stile and keep left up along the track until reaching the waymarker at the top of the hill, keep left and go over the stile. Follow the waymarkers through the fields and carry on through the small wooden gate.
6
Near the top of the hill (Point 2) you’ll see the remnants of Pen Dinas, the Iron Age hill fort.
Pen Dinas an Iron Age Hill Fort
Near the top of the hill you can see two stony banks enclosing the summit, the steep slopes making the fort defensively strong. It was used during the late Iron Age, 2000 years ago. From here on a clear day you’ll be rewarded with stunning views from Ynys Enlli to the summit of Y Wyddfa.
7
Follow the track around the fort and through the wooden gate continuing across the fields following the waymarkers up to the wall and stream. Go through the gate, carrying on up the hill until reaching another metal gate. After going through the first gate, go through the gate immediately to your left.
8
The grassy mounds here (Point 3) mark the location of a manganese mine that first opened in 1835.
Egryn Manganese Mine
Grassy mounds mark the location of a manganese mine which first opened in 1835 for 5 years and for another 7 years in 1917 to aid wartime efforts, employing 30 men. The manganese was transported 2.2km by aerial ropeway, then by lorry to Tal y Bont railway where it would eventually be used in steel production.
9
Continue past the works, through the wooden gate on to the track and up to the metal gate. After going through the gate, turn right to continue the Egryn Walk, or, if you have the time, take the path to the top of Bwlch Rhiwgyr to see the outstanding views of the Mawddach estuary.
10
Carry on downhill following the waymarkers, taking the path through more remnants of the manganese works.
11
Carrying on downhill and through the gateway, you’ll come across the remains of a group of hut circles from the Bronze Age (Point 4).
Hut circles and burial
Look to your left to see a group of hut circles and just beyond the Hengwm ring cairn. The cairn is particularly striking, with a circle of stones leaning out in a ‘sunburst’ arrangement. It’s likely to be a commemorative monument related to death and burial in the Bronze Age.
12
Follow the path down to Point 5. You'll reach two striking upright stones.
Carneddau Hengwm
At marker 5 walk to your right and away from the path, following the stone wall until you reach two striking upright stones. These would have acted as the entrance to this Neolithic burial chamber. Although the cap stone has long since fallen from its upright supports, it remains an imposing monument. Look over the field wall to see both cairns. They were built 4000 years BC, around a thousand years before the Pyramids of Egypt! Elements of their design indicate influences from Ireland and southern England. Return along the same route to post 5.
13
Taking the path downhill and following the waymarkers, cross the two streams and on through the metal gate to Point 6. Looking across the slope to your right, there are traces of medieval platform houses, paddocks and field systems.
14
Continue along the track downhill past Point 7 from where you’ll see all the dry stone walls that have been built over hundreds of years.
A striking tradition: field walls
A network representing a mosaic of field boundaries past farming enclosures. The straight walls tend to be more recent and are the result of Victorian enclosure acts while the weaving walls sit on much earlier foundations.
15
Cross the wall at the stile, and keeping on the track, continue down to the farm yard and back to the start of the walk.
End:
Lay-by 300m north of Egryn entrance on the A496