Wet Welsh Waterfall

With all the wet weather of late it was maybe not the best of ideas to go for a walk on the edge of Snowdonia in North Wales but nonetheless it was a lovely walk. I went to visit Aber Falls at Abergwyngregyn  which is nestled in the Aber Valley. There are two car parks at Aber Falls both costing £2 to park for the whole day so not a bad price if you want a morning/afternoon trip out. The path leading from the car park to the water fall is pretty much graveled all the way so it's suitable for parents and pushchairs or for those in a wheel chair. It's only about 2 miles from the car park to the water fall so not too bad really. The path takes you past a couple of picnic spots, wild ponies and an old fashioned coal oven.

As a result of all the rain we've been experiencing in England and Wales the river was high and the water fall was epic! You didn't have to stand too close to the bottom of the waterfall to become absolutely soaked from the spray. The water was powerful and the noise was amazing. I walked as far as I could into the spray before my face could take anymore of the water pounding against it. I could stand watching waterfalls all day. This is a popular attraction with tourists to North Wales and I can understand why. It's beautiful.

Border Country

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee brought with it some extra bank holidays so with a few spare days in hand I went camping in Northumberland. I've been to the border lands a few times now and I still enjoy the moody hills and the craggy valleys. I stayed at Clennell Hall Riverside Holiday Park which was an experience. I stayed there for its close access to the hills and tranquil setting but I think I may have been the only one with that remit staying their. What I can only describes as 'Chavs in Caravans' saturated the site. I don't whether it was because of the bank holidays that the holiday park was taken over by loud, messy families but nonetheless it wasn't quite what I had in mind for my camping trip.

I guess the good thing about camping in somewhere like Northumberland is that you can just get your boots and start walking which is what I did. The nearby Clennell Street which is an old Roman Road is a good starting/ finish point for a walk around the nearby woodland and hills. A lot of the countryside is open access so as long as you have a vague understand of geography and where you want to go navigating isn't too troublesome. However, some of the paths through the forests are slightly more complicated. This is due to the continuous management of the forests and due to the fact that some paths haven't been used for a while. So be careful if you decide to take a trip through the undergrowth! If you get to the top of the surrounding hills you can see the coast to the East and see Scotland to the North. It's a pretty good view and really worth the slog of getting to the top.

 Like any good days walking you need a good pub to finish at. The Rose and Thistle in Alwinton is a welcoming place for walkers, families, cyclist, just about anyone needing a brew or a pint! They've got some local ales on tap and serve good food. A nice treat for tired legs and feet.