Walk 3374 - printer friendly version

Porth y Nant & Nant Gwrtheryn Circular Walk

Author - Lou Johnson

Length - 3.5 miles / 5.7 km

Ascent - 1000 feet / 303 metres

Grade - easy/mod

Start - OS grid reference SH353440
Lat 52.9679930 + Long -4.4539340
Postcode LL53 6NU (approx. location only)

This walk on the northern coast of the Llŷn Peninsula offers excellent views and passes through an area rich in industrial heritage. The route initially crosses pleasant farmland before joining the Wales Coast Path for a descent to the sea. The walk then visits the secluded valley of Nant Gwrtheryn before a steep climb back to the start.

The start is the car park (grid ref. SH353440) reached by turning north in the village of Llithfaen on the B4417 Trefor to Nefyn road. After parking turn right back to Llithfaen and after a few metres turn right on the signed bridleway. Cross a grassy area under power cables to entre fields by a gate. Keep the field boundary on your right and continue to a gate. Keep straight ahead to reach a small gate in the wall on your right. Go through the gate and head across the middle of the filed with two farms below on your left. Go through a gap in a wall and descend to a gate in the filed corner. Head through the gate to follow an earth bank and turn right through a small gate in the wall. Turn left beside the wall to the corner and then turn right (ignore stile/gate ahead). Follow the path beside the wall down to a track (grid ref. SH343432).

Turn right along the track and immediately fork left. Pass Cilia-uchaf on your right and another house on your left. Take the next footpath on the right through a metal kissing gate. You have now joined the Wales Coast Path which runs parallel to a wall on your left with views ahead along the coast. Continue through a gate and follow the path ahead. The path veers slightly left to a wall corner from where the path follows a fence on your right. Reaching a way marker post below a house, bear left downhill across the bracken covered hillside. The quarry wharf at Porth Howel can be seen down to your left.

A steady descent, with a few short stretches of ascent, provides a grandstand view the beach at Porth Y Nant. Nearing the sea, you pass the remains of the old incline that brought Granite down to ships. Today it is hard to imagine that this was once a busy area of quarrying. The path improves and you start to climb crossing several waste tips as you head uphill. You briefly join a concrete track before the path bears right up some steps to a gate. Pass through the grounds of Caffi Meinir (refreshments in season), pass the former quarrymens' cottages on the left and continue ahead to join the road.

The road climbs steeply up the valley of Nant Gwrtheryn with two hairpin bends to gain height. After the first hairpin you have a fine view to the old workings of Yr Eifl Quarry across the valley on your right. Reaching the second hairpin bend you have a fine view down to the sea from a viewpoint just off the right-hand side of the road. From here you have another 60 metres of ascent to reach the start in about half a kilometre!

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