Detour #108: Lake Vyrnwy Loop, Wales
The meandrous curves on this circular route will lead you back to where you began, but resist being seduced into clocking the twelve miles in one go. If you let the fairytale-esque surroundings work their magic, this circumnavigation of Lake Vyrnwy, and the lost village of Llanwddyn that lies beneath its shimmering waters, can easily be turned into a half-day adventure, says charlotte vowden.
Travelling in an anti-clockwise direction, my starting point was the south western corner of the reservoir at the Llyn Efyrnwyy Dam. Built in the 1880s to flood the valley and supply Liverpool with fresh water, the imposing neo-Baroque structure is 358 metres long and topped with a carriageway of thirty-one arches and eight meaty towers.
As I made my crossing I thought about the forty workers that lost their lives constructing it, and if you believe in things that go bump in the night, The Green Inn – a local pub known for its live music – is alleged to be haunted by the daughter of one of the men that died.
Swinging left onto the B493, it wasn’t long before the pointed turrets of Lake Vyrnwy’s neo-Gothic water tower came into view. My imagination had me believe it once served as home or hideaway to a princess, or at the very least a noble, but when I pulled over to investigate, unfortunately, I learned that its presence serves a far less romantic purpose – to strain and regulate water from the reservoir as it begins its journey to the taps of Liverpool city. Still, it’s hardly an eyesore.
A little further along the road, I made another pit-stop at ‘The Old Village’ car park to satisfy a curiosity. According to local legend, when the conditions are just so, it’s possible to catch a glimpse of the submerged ruins that belong to the original village of Llanwddyn – which was relocated down the valley when the lake was created. I squinted for signs of Montgomeryshire’s Atlantis but sadly, it was a no-show.
Carrying on towards the north eastern corner of Lake Vyrnwy (a good spot for bird watching in the lakeside hides) I then swept up and along the northernmost tip. Deep-pink rhododendron petals added fanfare to the shrubbery, and although the road here cuts slightly inland, gaps in the foliage reward you with flashes of the azure water beyond it. I decided not to veer off-course to visit Rhiwargor Falls, and embarked on the return leg instead.
It’s a loop, so getting lost would have taken some doing, but when I wasn’t waving to classic car, Land Rover and motorcycle convoys, it was a solitary and atmospheric drive. Gliding past waterfalls, and over bridges that have been, and will be here, far longer than you or I, I felt connected to the environment outside of my motorised box. Through the forest, amongst the ancient conifers, I rumbled along.
Finishing back where I started I indulged in a chunk of homemade Bara Brith (Welsh tea bread) with lots of butter at Artisans cafe – a must-visit for ice cream on a hot day. Set amidst the beautiful Berwyn Mountains, the Lake Vyrnwy loop is a micro-adventure that can stand alone, but if you're destined to continue north for more challenging routes in Snowdonia, this is a perfect way to warm up.