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A single guidebook to walking the whole Wales Coast Path - 1400km (870 miles) the length of Wales from Chester to Chepstow, including Anglesey, described in 57 stages. The route passes through the Snowdonia and Pembrokeshire National Parks and many AONBs and can be linked with the Offa's Dyke Path for a complete circuit of Wales.
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A guidebook to walking the Wales Coast Path (Llwybr Arfordir Cymru) between Chester and Chepstow. Covering 1398km (869 miles), this long-distance trek passing through two national parks, Snowdonia (Eryri) and the Pembrokeshire Coast, takes around 2–3 months to hike.
The route is described from north to south in 57 stages between 16 and 30km (10–19 miles) in length. The stages are presented in 9 sections so the route can be easily broken down into shorter sections or day walks.
Route map key
Overview map
Introduction
Geology
Brief history of Wales
Scenery
Wildlife
Trees and flowers
Nature reserves
Transport to and from the route
Transport along the route
When to walk
Accommodation
Food and drink
Money matters
Communications
Planning your schedule
Time and tide wait for no man!
What to pack
Waymarking and access
Maps of the route
Emergencies
Using this guide
1 North Wales
Stage 1 Chester to Flint
Stage 2 Flint to Prestatyn
Stage 3 Prestatyn to Colwyn Bay
Stage 4 Colwyn Bay to Conwy
Stage 5 Conwy to Bangor
2 Isle of Anglesey
Stage 6 Bangor to Glan-yr-afon
Stage 7 Glan-yr-afon to City Dulas
Stage 8 City Dulas to Cemaes
Stage 9 Cemaes to Llanfachraeth
Stage 10 Llanfachraeth to South Stack
Stage 11 South Stack to Fourmilebridge
Stage 12 Fourmilebridge to Aberffraw
Stage 13 Aberffraw to Dwyran
Stage 14 Dwyran to Menai Bridge
3 Llŷn Peninsula
Stage 15 Menai Bridge to Dinas Dinlle
Stage 16 Dinas Dinlle to Nefyn
Stage 17 Nefyn to Methlem
Stage 18 Methlem to Rhiw
Stage 19 Rhiw to Abersoch
Stage 20 Abersoch to Llanystumdwy
Stage 21 Llanystumdwy to Penrhyndeudraeth
4 Meirionnydd
Stage 22 Penrhyndeudraeth to Llandanwg
Stage 23 Llandanwg to Barmouth
Stage 24 Barmouth to Tywyn
Stage 25 Tywyn to Machynlleth
5 Ceredigion
Stage 26 Machynlleth to Borth
Stage 27 Borth to Llanrhystud
Stage 28 Llanrhystud to New Quay
Stage 29 New Quay to Aberporth
Stage 30 Aberporth to St Dogmaels
6 Pembrokeshire
Stage 31 St Dogmaels to Newport
Stage 32 Newport to Goodwick
Stage 33 Goodwick to Abercastle
Stage 34 Abercastle to St Justinian
Stage 35 St Justinian to Newgale
Stage 36 Newgale to Martin’s Haven
Stage 37 Martin’s Haven to Sandy Haven
Stage 38 Sandy Haven to Pembroke
Stage 39 Pembroke to Freshwater West
Stage 40 Freshwater West to Freshwater East
Stage 41 Freshwater East to Saundersfoot
7 Carmarthenshire
Stage 42 Saundersfoot to Laugharne
Stage 43 Laugharne to Llansteffan
Stage 44 Llansteffan to Ferryside
Stage 45 Ferryside to Burry Port
8 Gower Peninsula
Stage 46 Burry Port to Pen-clawdd
Stage 47 Pen-clawdd to Rhossili
Stage 48 Rhossili to Penmaen
Stage 49 Penmaen to Swansea
9 South Wales
Stage 50 Swansea to Margam
Stage 51 Margam to Ogmore
Stage 52 Ogmore to Limpert Bay
Stage 53 Limpert Bay to Cadoxton
Stage 54 Cadoxton to Pengam Green
Stage 55 Pengam Green to Newport
Stage 56 Newport to Rogiet
Stage 57 Rogiet to Chepstow
Appendices
Appendix A Route summary table
Appendix B Facilities along the route
Appendix C Topographical glossary
Appendix D Useful contacts
November 2023
This is a very urban and industrial stage, and access to an area of sand dunes at Baglan Burrows is currently unavailable, as the path leading there is subsiding and has been closed. A well-marked alternative route follows a fine cycleway alongside a road running through the Baglan Energy Park.
This continues past the extensive school grounds of Ysgol Bae Baglan. The roads of Handel Avenue and Purcell Avenue have a generous grassy strip alongside, and once this ends the diverted route links back to the Wales Coast Path to continue along the promenade to Port Talbot. This is likely to be a long-term diversion as the former route will be very expensive to repair.
August 2023
A new stretch of the Wales Coast Path became available to walkers in August 2023, following the well-wooded coast around the Penrhyn Estate to reach Bangor. Previously, the Wales Coast Path made a long and unattractive detour inland through Talybont. The new route is 3km (2 miles) shorter than the old route and changes are needed to the map and route description from page 66 to 68.
Page 66 – The route no longer goes through Talybont, but stays on the coast…
Page 67-68 – The route description is now…
The National Trust property of Penrhyn Castle lies ahead and there is no direct access to it from the Wales Coast Path. Follow the road inland as far as the farm of Aber-Ogwen. Turn right as signposted at a nature reserve notice, going through a curious lifting gate. Follow a path alongside a tall stone wall, passing a reedy pool fringed by woodland. Go through a gate and keep straight ahead, although a right turn leads quickly to a bird hide overlooking the pool.
Follow the path until it reaches a beach, then almost immediately climb a few steps, go through another gate and turn right to cross a bridge over the tidal Afon Ogwen. Turn right again to follow a gravel path rising gently through woodland, later descending with a view across to Anglesey and Beaumaris. The path runs alongside a stone wall, which itself runs along the coast.
Walk along a duckboard above muddy ground then follow a narrow path that rises gradually, following a fence that separates woodland from a field. Towards the top, there is a glimpse of Penrhyn Castle. A broad gravel path continues through dense woodland, with glimpses between the trees of the coast and the ruins of an old bath house. Eventually, go through a gate in a tall stone wall and turn left, following a road past Abercegin House.
Turn right as signposted to cross a bridge over a river at Porth Penrhyn (a port formerly used for exporting slate). Walk up the road to a junction with the busy A5 and turn right to follow it.
The route description continues as before to Garth and Bangor.
An amended GPX file for Stage 5 – Conwy to Bangor can be downloaded below.
Paddy Dillon is a prolific walker and guidebook writer, with over 100 guidebooks to his name and contributions to 40 other titles. He has written for several outdoor magazines and other publications and has appeared on radio and television.Paddy uses a tablet computer to write as he walks. His descriptions are therefore precise, having been written at the very point at which the reader uses them.Paddy is an indefatigable long-distance walker who has walked all of Britain's National Trails and several European trails. He has also walked in Nepal, Tibet, Korea and the Rocky Mountains of Canada and the US.
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