John Gillham

Award-winning travel/outdoor writer, illustrator and photographer

Snowdonia to Gower Update

Welsh Coast to Coast (Cicerone)

Running headers referring to the Black Mountains (plural) should read the Black Mountain (singular). These are two distinct ranges.

Chapter heading Around the Gower should read Around Gower.

 

Page 17 GR606700 should read GR700606

Page 82 lines 12 and 19 refer to Nant y brain which should read Culent (the streams are not named on OS Landranger Maps, but are on OS Explorers

P92       line 7 GR288256 should read GR 788256

P100     line 26 Westward should read eastwards

P103     bottom line A4067 should read A4069

P112     L18 should read turn right along a prominant path from Orchard Road and L28 should read turn left along Hospital Road

P112     Michael Rose reports that the footbridge over the Afon Llan (route 2 alternative via Felindre) has been washed away and has only been replaced with a telegraph pole for a crossing. I would recommend using route 1 via Gowerton - it’s more scenic anyway.

There have been several changes to the Snowdonia to Gower route since its 1990 launch. All are included in the newer A Welsh Coast to Coast pocketable paperback version of 1996 (Cicerone Press). Most of the changes are the additions of low-level routes: others are listed below.  

        Both books have been out of print for some years and as such the route has not been updated since about 2001. Accommodation on the Diadem hardback is now way out of date. The best way to get updated information is to refer to the Welsh Tourist Board website, www.visit wales.com.The mountains have not changed but forestry felling has made some routes in Mid Wales harder to follow. The area around Swansea has always been problematical with many changes - new roads, a theme park. However the Gower Society have devised the Gower Way (leaflets available) and this should help.

    The route has a brief description and maps in the book Coast-to-coasting (pb David and Charles). Please email me if you know of any changes and I’ll list them here.

There are two books, the first a lavishly illustrated coffee table book published in 1990 by Diadem and followed six years later by a practical take-with-you guide by Cicerone. Note: Both are now out of print and available only in secondhand shops and websites such as www.abe.com or Amazon’s marketplace.