Dinas Mawddwy

Dinas Mawddwy is a village of about 600 people in south-east Gwynedd, at the meeting of the Afon Cywarch and Afon Cerist with the River Dyfi. It lies inside Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park but just east of the A470, which Wikipedia says is why many visitors pass it by. It received a borough charter in 1394 and kept that status until 1886, and in the sixteenth century the district was the haunt of the Gwylliaid Cochion Mawddwy, the Red Bandits, a band of highway robbers Wikipedia says were hanged or exiled.

Why base here

Wikipedia calls the unclassified road from the village up to Bwlch y Groes the closest access to Aran Fawddwy, and the village the nearest settlement to Craig Cywarch. Aran Fawddwy at 906m is the highest mountain in Britain south of Yr Wyddfa, and the start of its walk is about 4.0km from the village in a straight line. That is the whole case: the highest ground south of Yr Wyddfa about 4km from the bed, and a village at the quiet end of the park to come back to. Torrent Walk is about 10.3km away and the Minffordd Path up Cadair Idris about 13.0km, both in a straight line.

On foot versus by car

Every walk here needs a car. Aran Fawddwy starts at the car park at the head of Cwm Cywarch, up the valley road from the village. Torrent Walk starts at a lay-by near Brithdir on the B4416, and the Minffordd Path at the Dôl Idris car park, both on the Dolgellau side. Lloyds Coaches runs route 36 between Dinas Mawddwy and Machynlleth, calling at Mallwyd, and Traveline Cymru publishes its timetable; it does not reach any of the three starts.

Practicalities

The Mawddwy Railway, just under seven miles long, joined the village to the Cambrian Railways at Cemmaes Road. It opened in 1867, carried passengers until 1 January 1931 and closed completely in 1951, so there is no station here. The nearest today is Machynlleth, and the village is about 18km from it in a straight line. By road the A470 passes just to the west, with Mallwyd two miles south on the junction for the A458 to Welshpool. Wikipedia places the village within the Dyfi Biosphere, designated by UNESCO in 2009.

Who this base does not suit

Anyone without a car, since the one bus goes to Machynlleth and the walks start up side roads. Machynlleth is the better base for someone arriving by train who wants Cadair Idris, because the T2 bus reaches the Minffordd Path from there. Anyone who wants Cadair Idris as the main event is better in Dolgellau, which has the Minffordd Path and Torrent Walk close at hand and the Mawddach Trail for a day off the hill.