WALK DETAILS

START 

Exit the car park towards the stone barn with ‘Information’ on it. Go right of it to go right through a white gate marked ‘Private Road’ and ‘Royal Oak Farm’. Continue on a track past Royal Oak Cottages and Royal Oak Farmhouse. Follow The Afon Llugwy (left) as the track gets rougher. Pass under a railway bridge to continue by a golf course (right) and the river (left) following the designated path (keep dogs on leads). At the end of the golf course Pass through a kissing gate and descend steps to reach a junction of The Afon Llugwy and The Afon Conwy.

2) Curve right past a bench and continue curving right through a kissing gate. Now follow the opposite side of the golf course using the designated path (keep dogs on leads). Follow The Afon Conwy to drop down steps. Continue by the golf course to pass through a kissing gate. Continue past the end of the golf course and stay ahead to join and follow a surfaced track. When this bends right stay ahead over a low stile to walk left of St Michael’s Church.

Exit the churchyard over a stile to reach The Sappers Suspension Bridge (which can be visited to your left if you want). Go right and then left to follow a lane to The A5.

Points of interest on this section:

• St Michael’s Church is the oldest building in Betws-y-Coed and dates from the 14^th Century
• The Sappers Suspension Bridge crosses The River Conwy and was built in 1930. It replaced an earlier bridge from 1917 which was built as an alternative to the stepping stones that were the original way over the water

3) Go left along The A5 to reach a car park with a good view of Waterloo Bridge.

Re-trace your steps back to where you joined The A5 and continue ahead into Betws-y-Coed. After crossing the road to the railway station (right) cut right into a park and continue along the top left edge of it (keeping dogs on leads). Exit the park near The Royal Oak Hotel to go ahead along The A5 into the village. At a junction right (just before a café/chip shop) go right to cross Pont-y-Pair Bridge.

Once over the bridge go left on a lane as the road bends right. As the lane begins to rise (after a carpark and toilets) leave it to go left taking a surfaced path by The Afon Llugwy. Cross boardwalk continuing through the forest beyond. At a fork by picnic benches stay ahead and continue by the river passing through a kissing gate. Cross an open meadow (keeping dogs on leads) crossing a bridge and an old wall. Pass through a kissing gate taking the surfaced path beyond. Follow the river left and continue to rise and eventually climb steps to The Miners Bridge.

Points of interest on this section:

• Waterloo Bridge was built by Thomas Telford in 1815 to commemorate The Battle of Waterloo. It is decorated with leeks, roses, shamrocks and thistles
• Pont-y-Pair Bridge (Bridge of The Cauldron) is the oldest existing bridge in Betws-y-Coed. It was built prior to 1475 and salmon can be seen leaping in this area in the autumn
• The Miners Bridge was the point it is believed The Romans used to cross The Afon Llugwy. The Miners Bridge was also used by local quarrymen to reach the mines of The Gwydyr Forest

4) With your back to The Miners Bridge take a rising path signed for ‘Diversion if River is Flooded’. Rise steadily through woodland following the Blue footprint markers. Continue to pass a barrier and reach a lane near a junction.

5) Go right descending the lane and staying ahead at all times to re-join your outbound route by the car park and toilets. Go ahead to go right over Pont-y-Pair Bridge and then go left to walk through Betws-y-Coed to The Royal Oak Hotel. Go left facing the hotel entrance to go left of The Information Centre and then right back to the car park.