On a fine morning in October, we jumped on a bus and arrived in Harlech as a group of three ready to experience part of the Llwybr Cadfan.
The fifth day of Llwybr Cadfan’s pilgrimage begins at the foot of the magnificent Harlech Castle. To the left of the castle, as we were starting our journey, I stopped at a statue and discussed the story of Branwen with my fellow walkers, explaining that my son’s name, Gwern, comes from this famous legend.
Walking down and following instructions on the ‘Outdoor Active’ app, we left the hustle and bustle of the town and reached a long path through fields and forest. The conversation flowed as we shared stories about family, education and our work and we were able to take advantage of this rare time within our busy lives to learn more about each other.
The first part of this path that captures you and demands a moment of calm and wonder comes when you experience the fantastic view of the Dwyryd River and Portmeirion in the distance. It really provides a golden opportunity to appreciate the wonder of Clough Williams-Ellis’ work which attracts so many visitors to the area.
On we went and after a while we made our way up to St Michael’s Church, Llanfihangel y Traethau. This church is in a lovely location, and we entered the grounds to study an old stone with Latin writing that can be seen in the cemetery. We also took a moment to catch our breath and take advantage of the peace and quiet inside the church.
Continuing along the path, we reached Ynys and the site of an interesting old warehouse from the 19th century. We studied and discussed the landscape and had time to think about the change that had taken place there over the centuries.
There was quite a walk uphill ahead of us, so we stopped for lunch at the foot of a stile before continuing the climb ahead. It was lovely to be in each other’s company under the quiet canopy of trees discussing more about our plans and hopes for the future.
Arriving at the beautiful Llyn Tecwyn Isaf was a good opportunity for a photo or two before continuing the last part of the journey. The breathtaking view at the heights of St. Tecwyn’s Church is worth every step. This church is lovely, quiet, simple and is certainly a ponder place along this pilgrimage path.
An opportunity to chat, get to know each other better. An opportunity to challenge myself physically on a full day’s excursion. An opportunity to appreciate the beauty of the landscape and its history along the journey. An opportunity to process the past and consider the future. Time to think, to calm and give thanks.
These were my rewards from a day of pilgrimage along Llwybr Cadfan.
