Dolgellau

Dolgellau is a picturesque little town in Gwynedd, North Wales. It is located within the Snowdonia National Park and is an important centre for Welsh traditional music.

Get in

By bus

Dolgellau is served by the Traws Cambria bus network from all across Wales.

By train

The nearest station is at Barmouth on the Cambrian Coast line. Traws Cambria and Bws Gwynedd services connect the towns. Machynlleth station is not much further away and is better connected to the main population centres in the English Midlands.

By bike

Dolgellau is on National Cycle Network route 8.

By car

Dolgellau is on the main A470 Trunk road which connects north and south Wales. The A494 comes from the north-east and the A458 comes from the east, joining the A470 at nearby Dinas Mawddwy.

By yacht

Yacht moorings are available at Barmouth harbour.

Get around

Bike hire

• Dolgellau Cycles, The Old Furnace, Smithfield Street, ☏ +44 1341 423332. 

See

• 1 Cymer Abbey (short walk out of town). 12th-century ruined Cistercian abbey  
• 2 Ty Siamas (The National Centre for Welsh Folk Music), Neuadd Idris, Eldon Square, ☏ +44 1341 421800, idris@tysiamas.com. This lovely old building in the centre of Dolgellau had fallen into disuse after variously being used as a town hall, assembly room, cinema, dancehall and grain store since being built in around 1870. It has been fully refurbished and re-opened as Ty Siamas in June 2007. The centre has an interactive exhibition on Welsh traditional music, as well as a shop and cafe. There is also an auditorium which hosts regular concerts - check websites or local advertising for details. It is named after Elis Siamas, from the nearby village of Llanfachreth. He lived in the late 17th and early 18th centuries and is credited with the development of the triple harp which is synonymous with Welsh harp music. It is said that he was court harpist for Queen Anne (reigned 1702-1714).  

Do

• Cadair Idris (2930 feet/893 metres). Walk to the summit. Parts of the route are very steep, but once on the shoulder of the mountain, the going is easier. There are several routes, but the closest to Dolgellau takes the so-called Pony Path, and takes about two and a half to three hours to reach the summit. 
• Pan for gold (in the river at nearby Bontddu). Dolgellau was at the centre of a "gold rush" in the 19th Century and its mines at Clogau and Gwynfynydd were worked on and off right up until the 21st century. You're extremely unlikely to strike it rich but it can be fun trying. 
• Mawddach Trail. Walk or cycle along the 9-mile stretch of former railway line, that runs along the scenic estuary of the Mawddach river, through Penmaenpool and on to the sea at Morfa Mawddach. From here you can cross the toll bridge to Barmouth. 
• Mawddach Way. Walk the 49-km-long circular footpath walk around the Mawddach Estuary. 
• Coed y Brenin Forest. Follow one of the 6 mountain bike trails in the forest. This was the first UK forest to be developed for mountain biking, and there are a range of tracks to suit everyone from families to expert mountain-bikers. 

Events

• Sesiwn Fawr: . World Music Music Festival in mid-July. With 6 stages, there's something for everyone.  (date needs fixing)

Buy

• Rotary Club Bookshop, Smithfield Street. Charity bookshop run by the local Rotary Club. Higgledy-piggledy displays well worth searching through as there are bargains galore to be found. 
• Guinevere, Eldon Square. Gift shop with a good line in local artworks. 

Eat

• 1 Y Sospan, Queens Square, ☏ +44 1341 423174. M-Sa 8:30AM to 9:30PM, Su 9AM - 6:30PM. Home cooked local food, pleasant staff in a former courthouse and gaol. 

• 2 Cosy Takeaway, Meyrick St, ☏ +44 1341 422221. Small, friendly fish and chip shop with two very small tables if you want to eat in. Excellent fish and chips. 

• 3 Lemon Grass, Cambrian House, Finsbury Square, ☏ +44 1341 421300. Popular Bengali/Indian restaurant with all the standard dishes. Also have a lot of special chef dishes. Great value. Real quality, cheap & will make you want to return very often. Licensed. 

Drink

• 1 Royal Ship, Llys Owain, LL40 1AR, ☏ +44 1341 422209. A pub and hotel just off the square in the centre of Dolgellau. 

Sleep

Budget

• 1 YHA Kings, ☏ +44 870 770 5900. Located about 3 miles out of town, close to the village of Penmaenpool. 42 beds across 7 rooms. Out of season, it's possible for groups to reserve the entire hostel. 

Mid-range

• 2 Dwy Olwyn, Coed Y Fronallt, ☏ +44 1341 422822, dwy_olwyn@hotmail.co.uk. 10 minutes walk from the quaint market town of Dolgellau. 
• 3 Coed Cae B&B, Taicynhaeaf, ☏ +44 1341 430628, info@coedcae.co.uk. AA 4 Star bed and breakfast. 
• 4 Tyddyn Mawr Farmhouse, Cader Road, Islawrdref, ☏ +44 1341 422331. B&B in an 18th-century stone farmhouse on the slopes of Cadair Idris. 
• 5 Gwesty'r Gwernan Hotel, Islawr-dref (2 miles out of town along narrow road at the foot of Cader Idris), ☏ +44 1341 422488. Excellent small county hotel and pub. Great food. Perfect for the hiker who like comfort in the evening. 
• Y Meirionnydd, Smithfield Sq LL40 1ES, ☏ +44 1341 422554. Upscale restaurant with rooms built over the former county jail. No children under 6, assistance dogs only. B&B double £100. (updated Jun 2020)
• 6 Graig Wen, Arthog LL39 1YP, ☏ +44 1341 250482. Glamping site: the yurts let by the week, the quarry wagons and shepherd's hut are available for weekends. Hut £90 / night. (updated May 2022)

Splurge

• 7 Ffynnon Townhouse, Love Lane LL40 1RR, ☏ +44 1341 421774. Quirky artistic small hotel with excellent dining. No dogs. No single-night stays. Three nights from £1000. (updated May 2022)

Connect

As of May 2022, Dolgellau has 4G from EE but only a scratchy signal from O2, Three or Vodafone. 5G has not reached this area.

Go next

Tucked away on the idyllic southern shore of the Mawddach estuary, the village of Penmaenpool is 3 miles west of Dolgellau. Penmaenpool can be reached by road (A493) or via the disused railway line footpath and cycle route which starts near the main car park in Dolgellau. The railway path "calls" first at Penmaenpool, but extends another three miles or so to Morfa Mawddach and the Barmouth railway bridge which can be crossed for a modest toll.

Continuing westwards from Penmaenpool, the main road turns to the south at Fairbourne. From here it twists and turns along the cliff tops through the pretty village of Llwyngwril to Rhoslefain. Just a few miles to the south lies the town of Tywyn, with miles of sandy beach. Tywyn is also home to the famous Talyllyn Railway.

If you fancy a day at the seaside, then Barmouth is easily reached by local buses or by walking or cycling along the Mawddach Trail.